THE SAND PUMP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 271, 16 November 1901, Page 2

THE SAND PUMP.

RESULT OF THE MONTH'S TRIAL. r THE OOSTLY TOY TO BE LAID * TO BUST. . * r At the Harbour Board's meeting on Friday, the greater portion of the r morning sitting was ttken up with the * sand pump question. * The engineer, Mr Marchant, reported that he took the fixed sand 8 pumping p'ant in band, and after a few a initia: ditfi 'ultima, go* it in'o first-class * running o'*der, and band'd it over to e Mr Fair. He pegged off the beach < with iron pipes set one chain apart, f and also put record notches on all the 1 wood and iron piles adjacent to the l poiut if discharge of the sand pump ' near the cif tie yard. All the tops of ] the peg , and the notches in piles, ' were sit 18 inches above the level of ' the sand. After two hours steady ' pumping, Mr Merchant measured the results, and found that the average ] rate of discharge of the very heivy ironsand might be tikeo at 40 oubio ' yards per hour, a considerable per ' centage of the lighter Bind being washed oa to the beacb, and lost to re cord. The quantity stated is within, rather than beyond a fair result, and with more working experience probably 60 yards an hour would be obtained. It was not practicable, except at considerable expense, to make any more accurate guaging. The weather was extremely calm while pumping operations were being conducted, and consequently the waves were not of sufficient strength to keep the sand alive and enable the pump to give the best results. The pump worked as well as any sand pump could do, and there is no difficulty under proper management in getting good results out of it, if it were necessar/ to do so. The cost of working the fix id pUnt amounted to about £i a day, and if six hours' pumping were done the i cost per cubio yard of ironsand discharged would be about 4d. This was i more thin the co-it of dredging. But i the sand discharged is mostly pure i ironsand of great weight, while the ; dredge deals mostly with the lighter weight sand. The fixed plant, .there- ; fore, did the work as cheaply as ' the floating plant when fair comparison ; was made, and probably cheaper if all the lighter sand washed away from the discharge of the fixed plant could be i accounted for. Owing to the great i increase in volume and height of sand on the weather side of the Wakwater > it is not possible to pump for more . than three hours daily just now, until > the general level of the beach is lowered ' three or four feet. After that there r could be six hours pumping done without difficulty. ' Tbe engineer in charge of the fixed ; c and pump reported that the pump wa« > workißg well, but the boilers were not : capable of supplying steim, and were i continually causing delays. • In reply to Mr Sarten, Mr Parr > stated the pump had worked better ) during the last few days. He could f nos give it another month's trial if i requested as he was g >ing away. 1 The Obairman pointed out that the a sand discharged from the disconnected t pipe by tbe cattle wharf had accumu- - la'ed tbe-e and extended outwards into i the sheltered part of the harbour. In s dealing with the question tbe point mu»t be se'tied as to whether it was advisab'e to leave the pipe disconnected s as the rise in the sand was very seri- . ous. He produced a plan prepared by a the harbourmaster showing the re- - suits of soundings, and he stated that - the dredge-master had said that while f formerly there was from eighteen inches to two feet of clear water below i the dredge at her morings, now j nothing but sand was seen. He ap- , proximited the average increase of 1 sand over the wh dearea as 18 inches

Mr Connect inquired whether, in the event of the Board deciding to cantinue using the sind pump, the engineer would ad vis) proceeding wittiou' extra steim.

Mr Purr replied that if the pump was to be worked satisfactorily at least three times as much power was required. The Harbourmaster reported that the average dep'h in the harbour was about the sam<> and that the dredge was jus 3 holding its own. Ha found when the sand pump pipe w<)B disconnected, at Mr. Napier Bell's suggestion, tint sand began to accumulate and hw suggested that no mo e sand ba pump d into the harbour. He detailed the soundings taken on various day?, the result showing a considerable rise ia the sand.

Mr. Sarten took exception to Captain Hood's figures and said he would give the true facts. After analysing Mr. B ll's report, he (Mr. Sarten) camu to the conclusion that no definite opinion was expressed in the report on"> way or the other. He inform'd ihe Board that ho went'to the breakwater aod got Giptiin Hood to take soundiugH, but not being sitUfied he took soundings for himself, tbe result of wbich be gave to tbe Boird. He adversely criticised Oaptain RoodV method of taking the soundings, aud took exception to the treatment he had received at tbe harbourmaster'* h»nd*.

Tha Chairman: Wbat is your object,?

I Mr. Sarten : To show that tbe sind is not going out into the harbour but coming 4 i»s v -ore. Ha contended that tbe pegs his view was corbel and that not au ounce of sand had gone I backwards. Mr. Price corroborated Mr. Sartan's statement as to the soundings taken a* he was present on the occasion. From what he could see the sand had not gone back into the harbour. I Mr. Hignett said ho went to the

breakwater oa the previous day «wl ht was convinced Giptain Ho*Ts fi?ure» were correct and that »h» sand W»*

going back into the harbour. He considered the Board's officials should be

protected from such insult* u Mr. S«rteo hid imposed oa the harbourmaster. Mr. McLean contended that Captain Hood had no interest in misleading the Board.

The Chairman pointed oat that that question before the Boud was that off the practical.results of the moirttf» trial of the pump. He contended that the evidence showed there waa a very large accumulation of eaad, and that the accuracy of the figures given by the Board'* officer could not be questioned. Mr Ward: What did the diver say on the matter? The Obairman: That shortly it would be possible to wa'k from the wharf to the dredge. Captain Hood indignantly protested against Mr Batten'* treatment of bin, as he had practically been called a Uar. Mr Hignett moved that the te*t recently made at the suggestion tf Mr Naprer Bell to ascertain the direction in whioh the sand would travel through an opening in the wall had resulted ia demonstrating that the stnd ha* sjot travelled along the be«sh, but a largeportion has gone ioto the sheltered

portion of the harbour. An amendment by Mr Strten, that the soundings taken on the 7th and 9th were contrary to the Harbourmaster's report, failed to obtain a seconder.. The motion was then put and carried Mr Sarten claimed a divfckm, which was taken—Messrs Frioe anal

Sirten voting with the Noe*. Mr Oonnett then moved that fhv sand pump be dismantled and stowed away till the B»td was in a position to acquire a barge to put-it in. He said that he was pleased with the result lof tbe experimental trial, and be ooftsiderdd every member of the Bond

would now agree with his persistent statement that the pow*r available fil Dot sufficient. He hoped that the Chairman would now acknowledge that he (Mr Connett) was right in bis contention. Ha had anked Mr Marshall wh»t would happen if the dredge was laid up for a month, and the Engineer had replied that it would be disastrous. The dredge wa« worked to its fullest capacity. Mr Merchant advised this) a 200 or 260 ton dredge should be obtained, and after the present motion had be m disposed of he (the speaker) would like to sees oommitteesen up to go into the question of obtaining a dredge. He had to doubt but thai the public would feel inclined to take

the same course in relation to a proper* dredge, as was done in the case of tho crane. There was a consensus of opinion as to the insufficiency of the •nilable power for the sand-pump, and tfao time had arrived to lay it up. Mr Price seconded the motion. Mr King supported the proposal* He considered the trial had pr ctioaUy confirmed the opinions of the members, and he anticipated that w» of the total expenditure on the pump about {I2OO or £ISOO of it would be of use oi ft ne* dredge. The Chairman expressed his satis* faotion with the trial, because it proved i the pump oould do the work it was intended to. He thought it would be unwise that the Board after defraying the cost of the plant, and in view of the suite of the "Thomas King," should t'ke up tbe plant and store it The motion carried with it the appeanUMS i of ooodemming the whole thing. Mr King pointed out the large cost i for coal, and expressed a desire the t • motion should include a refereaos to the extraordinary cost of working tht pump. Mr Sartin considered the object of the motion was to get rid of the pump, nnd he should vote against it. Mr McLean was never in favour of

the plant, and ha considered theft so long as the pump was to aotiw, M effort would be made to get a new

dredge, so that he should vote for the motion.

Mr Ward oould set no use in keeping the pump going, and it was possible that it might prove a cures instead of a blessing. Out of £6OOO spent, all tbat was of any use oould b» put on a dredge. , Mr Hignett considered the motftm premature, and tbat the mover shoUd have propounded a soheme for obtaW^** > ing a new dredge before doing*>sy with thefpump. Mr Connate, in reply, poioted out that even if the pump could be kept in we, it oould only do its best work in rough weather, as the sand would not come quickly enough in smooth weather.

The Chairman urged Mr Connott very strongly to alter his motion, so as to record that the pump worked satisfactorily, but was met with a refute!, Mr Uonnett remarking thtt if he nado any alteration, it might be ioa direction that would not be palateb'e to Mr Maxwell. '

Oo a division, the motion was carried by 5 to 3, Messrs Sarten, Maxwell aod Hignett voting with the Noes.