PATEA BREAKWATER.

Patea Mail, 30 September 1880, Page 2

PATEA BREAKWATER.

The s.s. Wakatu left Patea harbor on Tuesday an hour before high water, with a full load of cattle and sheep for Nelson, shipped by a new buyer, who will take them to the West Coast of the South Island. The Wakatu found plenty of water on the bar although the tide had an hour to rise. Tides are now neap, and at the lowest point of the year. If this is the condition of the Patea bar at the worst period of the year, may we not congratulate ourselves on the remarkable success achieved by the short breakwater in straigbtcningthecourse of the channel, deepening it considerably, and making the entrance safe in a high gale ? The channel is now straighter and deeper than at any previous time. A tendency to silt from the north spit during the recent gales has been overcome by the straight outward scour: The spit on that side has been cut through during September, and a deep broad channel is scoring out just in the right direction. The river discharges its volume against the prevailing wash of the breakers, and as the outward scour is the stronger force, the bar is being carried out to sea in the form of river silt, leaving a straight deep channel for safe navigation. The breakwater contract is now finished, and the work will be inspected by members of the Harbor Board in a few days. The question at first was—Will the breakwater improve the bar? The question now is—Seeing that the breakwater has improved the bar so much, and is completely successful as far as it goes, will the Government recognise an accomplished success by providing funds to complete the harbor scheme on Sir John

Goode’s plan ?