GELIGNITE USED IN MANAWATU RIVER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4421, 1 March 1930, Page 3

GELIGNITE USED IN MANAWATU RIVER.

FOR DEEPENING THE FAIRWAY.

Yesterday afternoon the secretary of (he Harbour Board tried an experiment for the purpose of deepening the fairway of the Manawatu River. A quantity of gelignite was obtained and with this Mr. Roore blew up a sand bank which Ims been .causing a good deal of trouble to shipping. The Board’s launch under the charge of Captain Rodgers (aet-.ing-pilot) was requisitioned' for the ing-Pilot) was requitioned for the purpose of carrying out the experiment and the party proceeded to the spot where the m.v. Poxton was stuck for two or three days last week, where a ridge had formid just below the beacon known as Robinson’s No. 1 on the other side of the bend, practically opposite the wharf. Here sounding operations were carried out by Captain Rodgers and disclosed a variation in depth from 7ft. to 3ft. Din. Mr. Roore prepared a charge of 15 sticks of gelignite which were placed in an old stocking with |obout six feet of fuse attached, weighted and dropped overboard on the 3ft. bin. mark-. A buoy was also attached to mark the spot in the event of a misfire so that the charge could be reclaimed. The launch moved to a place of safety and a few moments later a geyser shot skywards to bo followed by the detonation of the eha i ‘go. The launch was immediately swung round and the spot again sounded but the improvement was not its great as had been anticipated. A few dead fish, chiefly herrings could be seen, floating about. A second charge was prepared, this time consisting of 22 sticks of gelignite and buoyed with a benzine tin. The resulting explosion shot water and sand to a great, height and considerably deepened the channel at this point. Captain Rodgers then carried out sounding operations over the whole area which showed sufficient depth of water for the successful working of the port. In conversation with mrr representative lie said that when a vessel stuck an the river it always had a very detrimental affect on the channel at that point as the wash from the propellor as the vessel endeavoured to get off caused scours and hummocks in tlie sandy bottom of the river bed and it took a good scour out afterwards to get rid of these hummocks.

Mr. Roore informed our representative that the reason for the experiment was to try and find some means of dealing with small hanks which occur from time to time in the river. The Board was very desirous of doing all in its power to assist and foster shipping to the port and to improve the fairway. The m.v. Eoxton was expected in port that night and it was with a view to guarding against that vessel grounding in the same spot that it did last trip that he had undertaken the experiment. “In the event of to-day’s experiment not proving successful,” he concluded, “I intend to try out gun cotton, and failing that more substantial charges of gelignite.”

The m.v. Poxton arrived in port at a late hour last night after experiencing some difficulty in negotiating the liver from the Heads to the wharf where the geligniting experim'ent was carried out yesterday afternoon. The vessel brought in a full cargo from the south and discharging operations were commenced at midnight and by morning the vessel was ready for sea and left to-day for Wellington.