NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR EXTENSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81868, 18 October 1906, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR EXTENSION.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. MARCH

Mr F. W. Marchant, consulting engineer to the New Plymouth Harbour Board, arrived in New Plymouth b/ tile Rarawa from Onchunga on Wednesday moining. Mr Marchant ha-, Been for some weeks past engaged in connection with breakwater work at Napier and Gisbornc, and has come to New Plymouth at the request of the Board to inspect ij 1( harbour extension operations here and report to Friday's meeiing. A Daii.v Nkws reporter found him at l!i c extreme end of the new breakwater work, in company with Mr h'enderson, the harbour works foicman, who is carrying out Mr Marchanfs plans and scheme of breakwater extension. I he new wall, as opposed to the old wave-breaker, made solid of huge concrete blocks, is a "rubble wall," of boulders weighing up lo ten and ntieen tons each, the whoie being capped with a monolith of concrete placed there in the foim of a 20-ton concrete blocks cemented together in order to present a solid surface to the mountainous waves and scend of the Sea which would render the spot inaccessible to shipping without some measure of protection. The new work carried out on this plan is 106 eel long, bringing the total length ef h»r t m °f V° 2 '° 4ft ' ° r neariy II .1 proposed scheme. The o d wall was set upon a firm bot he sand being first dredged awav, . ,n t,us e'ase the stone is just tipf""i" vfr , tlle , cncl °f the completed .• 31 °«; ed to settle for some time, and then capped with concrpte. ' further stone from the Board's quarries under Paritutu is brought own by the loco' and shot over into the water, again allowed to become firmly embedded, and the big composite blocks set upon it—and s 0 on. A remarkable fact, unforeseen by the Board, was mentioned at the last meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Ummtnercc, viz., that the sand keeps following up the! work, and shoals the water, so that no increasing depth is met with in the conduction work. As fast as a section is completed, the sand moves round t-j the end and forms a bank; on this bank (lie next section proceeds. The seaward side of the wall is protected by an apron of huge boulders, several tons in weight, and extending perhaps sixty feet from the base or the wall| This rubb:e wall is formed of such big stone that it is hardly considered it possible fc|; it to shift, and ill ere will be no necessity to continue tipping over fresh supplies of stone as a protective work, or to do so at any time. The principal heavy seas and currents sei in from a southerly direction. These are broken by the apron of stone led out front tile concrete-topped mass, and instead of a turbulent mass of water, we find on the north aspect of the wall inside the breakwater a pool almost still. This is what the breakwater is doing, and according to the shipmasters—and they ougln to know —the extension has already vastly improved the accommodation. Captain Norburv, in a conversation with Mr Marchant on the way down to New Plymouth on Wednesday morningwas most emphatic in his approval of the extension. This must be apparent, i;f course, to anyone of average sense. The further the mole is extended the bigger the area of pi otected water. Captain Norbury speaking to our reporter recently, did not confine his remarks to the more comfortable quarters provided for ships lying at the wharf, but stated that the extension is a vast improvement in the matter of handling the vessels, which can bo managed now in any weather in the enclosed

Other master* trading to the. port are equally emphatic and enthusiastic in their praise of the work now being carried on by the Board out of i,» ordinary revenue funds. Op'n.ons having been expressed that the whole of the new structure would come toppling over as soon as ■he dredge coinmmcnced to work inside it, on aecuunt of the quantity of sand below the stone, our reporter sought information on this point. Mr Marchani ridiculed the idea. It was, he said, nonsense lo talk in such a strain. The new wall was absolutely stable, and was a permanent work, unless, of course, some man was foolish enough to dredge out its foundations. There was absolutely nothing to warrant any of the-e ridiculous assertions, and Mr Marchant mentioned that New Plymouth seemed to be well supplied with "doubting Thomasses."'

if a deep sea harbour was in sight, Mr Marehant said, ''You've got it here. You've got 'lie of one of (he best artificial ports in the colony. It is completely landlocked, a splendid area of water, deep enough for anything you'll ever want. Of course, you'll have to Spend money on it, but the bottom is all dredgable. Soon the wail will enclose water of a low-waler depth of 25ft, and with a tidal rise of lofl." "But about the influx of the sand ?" '•Yes You'll always have sand coming in, and will have to maintain the harbour by dredging the basin< or enelosed area, to keep it fit for ihe working of big vessels.

Continuation of the wall, Mr Marchant explained, would be on the present line. There would be no more curve, but would continue for the nexi Sooft directly for the YVaiYvukaiho point. Any extension of the wharf would, however, be in a direction other than that of the pre>eiH wharf. The new work would follow somewhat ihe curve uf the breakwa-

Talking of the disinclination ot ilw people here to give credit io ihe Harbour Board for its work, and to believe that the Board is really doing best for the ratepayers, Mr Marchant said that it was u-eless trying t<> conceal anything. The Board had nothing to conceal, and courted expj'bMon of bis opinion. For his part, he would be glad to hear the opinion of anyone who thought (10 had a scheme of breakwater extension than the one now adopted. Of what use, h«' asked, would il be to endeavour to conceal anything? H there were defects, Nature \\oi|| s l soon reveal any lies or humbug?.

Referring iu 'he dredge, Mr Marchant said 111' had for the pa«t 10 years advoi'aU'cJi the puieh,a-e of a new dredge, with a greater capacity than I lie present one. He had nothing to say againsa the present one. Not another plant of its sue ip tip: world had given such excellent results. ljut it had beep necessary 111 woik the dredge constantly ai lull preP-U't 111 order to keep up with he d'ifi. le.iv'ng no room !'or emergency. Tlii-iv '.Im.hUI be sow »u>-|i margin. Tin- died;;,: kepi i> place going, and. link's accldeni ncuiird, might continue lo do so. bin the Hoard •houid make provision for emetgenev. 11l hoped that people would come, to see, as they had realised in other plae.-H. i'ic advantage and necessity for the extension of ihe harbour, and would enable the Hoard to purchase new plant and push ahead with the woik. Some folk would never realise the value ( f tile harbour unless it were takin away at one stroke. Then iluv would find that the surf(mat w litfliirrin# at WaiUii ii. (>r impei liiiiun and «rt;iti< by mil. \v«mld !)<■ <i ;j:y If they we-uid only lo»>k ;u llufrom taat i>"ini oi view they would that in block the harbour liu'y were making- th<» blunder «>f their livo.

•"in Timaru." said Mr Merchant. ■ *we reckon ihe -avint; in the pike oi coal alone pays tin* inuT'-st on tii" borrowed money. Tim harbour sivco fully i(' a ion in coal, su iliai by ii« exigence 'he consumer or five, 'on- of coal in a year, a moderate . amuim. w.r. : ; aved f.z to in coal | alone. besides |lie -.jvlntf ill jyu'lU'rul I Th»' env,'ne<T said he would be ihelast m h>tirh I'aiHuUi as a >ione <l'janv unless (his piuvd ab^Uiiely n-(■( --aiy. 1»11 - then- aas insutli- ( lent Moii" in ihe pre mi (jinmy, and It l \\a- td'taid .--me hum be laken fr-'in ihe Omata Mde of I'ar'auUi. Jt WMlId IV»1 atV'Tt t!:e eoniouf of the p"aK. however. ||(> was fully convinced ill,-* |nt (pijiiiy bebiu Worked in the nto'-i eflYriual and eeononiieal fashion. Tlif proposal m p 111 in a I'lie of rails at a low leye! vie ant bitf <>;pni-e. through !•;<>!id rock; whilst to haw worked below lide-'evH would be impracticably \v : :houi the use ul and *o forth.