CALLIOPE DOCK. ADMIRAL FAIRFAX'S REPORT Auckland, April 4.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 253, 7 April 1888, Page 3

CALLIOPE DOCK. ADMIRAL FAIRFAX'S REPORT Auckland, April 4.

A i tin 1 meeting ut the Ifm-boni Hoard t ln-> afternoon, ;l lettei was receixed horn the Seciitaij of Admiial .Faniav, .-fating that he had been downed b> the Rear-Admiia Cominandei in-Chief to tin ward a rcpoir on the iiil)jcct of Calliope Hock fumi-htd b\ hi- de-he by Cantain Hammill .uid the olhcei- of U.M.s. Nelson. The wntei -tated that, ■"lie report contained a frtt -uggx-lions which might be thought uoith emisideialion for perfoiinance of woik winch ]i done, will much impro\e Ihi dock and its appioaches. The Admii.d also (X -nod to state " that lie thinks il \l\\ important tliat the dock and (pio|ifted) woik-hop-! to lie attached theieto should bi eithe) walled m 01 Killed in -ecmcls. to pic\ent the h.tiu-ion of imaut lioi l-fd per-oiis, and for pioteetion ot cai uoes and -ioi c- of ships in dock." The k poi t w a- as follow - . - 11. M.-. Nelfon ,it Auckland, .M.nch, 21-t, 1883. Sit . In iepl\ to \otii 1 memo, of the 20th instant K'latisi to the state of the Calliope Mock I in conjunction with the -fail-eom-li),nuk i and c.upenUi of thi ship under 1113 < oinnriiid. be*. 1 to iej)O!l a» follow-. (1) With le-peet to the dock li-elt. c\ ci \ 1 luii'j appeals to be saii-faetoi}. Its (him n-io:i- anil depth oi watei on the ,-dl aii sntlicicnt for the accoinmod itiou o! aa) maiio'-wai which i- likely to be t mplovd on tin- >lation, 01 foi merchant, s'uaiucis up to tin length of 500 toot. It i- fiioniil\ and -oundl^ built, (he pumpmcj, >u la.i^ement - .u»l cais-on aie: in powei, and stun^th pioportionate to the (ai>aeit\ of the dock, and the dock is linni-hed witli ea])-tannh and bollanls 111! Milhuent nuinbei. (2) At jnescni, out-ide the dock, iht'ie aie no piopei means loi 111 sin ing the Nile dockipg of any -\et-sel, not Id mention a \c— el of t,he Kelson s i/c (3) On account ot the -tiontr vide in this haiboui. the extiemel} s] 1O i( i)^iiod of -l.'v k watei, and iiom the fact that the ]>ic\aiiiiiu w inds blow ano.ss tlie entianee o! the dock, and the nan cm lie— of the diedgcd channel approaching the l.ittii, it 1- \e» v neee-saiy that uood .Hid -uIIh lent means -hould e\ist for (|iuckl\ s.cun'nv, <i ship appioaehmg the dock tut pomtinu hei , ami imally toi conII oiling hei whilst entering the dock. (4) To meet the-e 1 equipments fulls, a piei or |ilt\ -hould becons'iniL ed in piolontration ot the ta-l side oi the dock entrance, but. s-ulhcicntl} far back to allow a -hip to be alon^-ide without obstructing the enliani c, .md extending foi say 300 feet, •donu the diedued channel tln.s pier luninu on it suitable bollart^. (5) A buoy should be mo\ ed oil the end ot this pier at a distance of a cable, with lieavy mooiu'g- ot -ay %\ inch c>>am ; or, lultoi .still, to sciewed piles, for the j mipose of making last a quaiLer hawser when enknnu or lca\ ing the dock. (6j LnsLead of a finished pier 01 jetty, a low ot piles in Uioups ot (hue or hmi stayed logeth. r nugliC do, but the pio\i-ion o* a piei would ha\ethe ad\aniage ot enabling a .ship to he -iloim-ido piepai.itoiy to or after docking. (7) Two long stages aboufc 40 teci long and 4 feet wide -hould be proxided, to act .is tendeis on each of 'he dock entrances, 111 older to keep \e-sel- oil the masonry ot the eutianee, and in the ease of a ship w Uli bdtre keels, tokeeptholatterclear of the apion oi. the dock stages would in my o[)inion be better than ii\ed piles for this purpose. (8) Two 01 moie small stages, &ay 12 feeb long bj 5 feet, should be also pros ided for use in the dock tor cleaning down \es-els sides whilst pumping out. (9) In addition to the docking lnnvsois, eight stout gn^.s, .say of 4i inch to re woiked double from the bow and quarter ot ship hauling into or out ot the dock, should be presided as well as 4 lull's or jigger.s (steadying tackles), for putting on the uuys to Imally centre the ship^, oser the blocks. (10) It a pier as suggested abose be not pio\uled, at least the two powerful tugs should be available for docking- a heavy sessellikc this I—|,ho1 — |,ho channel approaching Iheenttauce should be clearly defined with buoys, and in addition to the buoys moored as above, another would bo required to repre cut the end ot the pier on the east side of the entrance. No arrangement like this, however, would be at all so satisfactory as a pier, and L would strongly advocate the latter being" constructed. iSigncd by Captain* Ha aim ill, S'L 1 M'K-COMMAXUEIi QIJIN.V, Anthony Allen, ship's carpenter, A list of conveniences still required fo the use of the officers and men was added to the roport.