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The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20.

HARBOUR WORKS. \lk. E. Maxwell, the strenuous larbour Board firebrand, by nis exiaoidinary discoveries concerning he stability and permanence of the breakwater extension, and the startling statements he has made in the country and at the Board meetings in connection therewith, lias done a considerable amount of good, for which those interested in the welfaie of the port should be thankful. Were it not for tlie position he has taken up, t'lC public confidence in ihe solidity and permanence of the construction of the work at present in hand would not be so gteat as it must be, since iltt: consulting engineer, Mr Marchant, fully into the matter and gave his report, wiiicii, though necessarily incomplete, conclusively proves that Mr Maxwell struck a mare's nest.

THERE is no occasion at present to review t-hc splendid work accomplished by the Harbour Board during the past two years. Thai that work has been well and economically carried out *nd has su far ie>uUe t d in a marked improvement to the port, no one will deny. The steady increase of trade, together with the fact mat througiiovii the year there has not been a single instance of delay in shipping, proves beyond al. pussioility ul ilnuot the value of iiic woik done. The extension lias been successfully carried out lor 20011 iI'JW. and every iew months sees a substantial addition to ijie length. if the pie-ent rate of consiruetion be maintained we may a few ycaif hence s;'e ilie harbour accommodation suitable for ally of ne big lineis coining to the col.niy. Then Moturoa mu-t become otie ol the colony's inosi important pot s. Tile benefits of a fiist-class port to ■no town and countiy are obvious.

MR. Maxwell endeavoured tj ere- 1 aiu the impris>ion ihat the system of constructing tne wall on &and is unpieccdeined, and niere.y experimental. Ho is in error. Sand, a- a inaticv of faci, is considered by euuneiK cngineus an ideal foundation; on account of its b*-'ing practicarry inccmpiessible, and, it pro.i/:led by rubble, perfectly >afe from >c-»ui. In lojkuig up autiioiiiies 011 die point, we find noiable inMances oi' breakwaters founded 0)1 sand in the Ymuiden (Holland) and Tytuniouth, boih of which are exposid lo heavier seas than is the i\c;w t'iymuuth breakwater. It is argued by Mi Maxwel. thai the stones d» not sink inio the sand bui simply lit- on the -uiface, and h is pointed out in pioof of this ihat a block which washed off ih« end in i<Sys is still visible above the sand. Wei!, there is oT»ainly one of thcs<> blocks s*ill visibly but what has hccume of its tellows, altogether 30ft in leng.h of the bi'akwaici by 34ft in widih and 2ott in depm, which ueie wa>hed off in the same, gale of ihat year? it is also p.)ii'ned out Uiat blocks and moik-s wiiieh were washed f1 nm the end of the extension last March are still visible. This is true in a way, bui tliey have been carried clear of tne heavy break at ihc end and protected by the advancing work.

THK quantity of stone (22.052 ton>) submitted by rin- hs contained in ir/jft in length of bruakwittcf, i» a strong argument that the s'onos arc wo; 1 down in the sand, and th<-' 'strongest evidence of the stability of me work is ihe complete abs< nee of settlement or subsidence afar subjected to heavy and Jong-continued seas. Subsidence is a difficulty that has to be reckoned wit!

h in all breakwater? having a nibble base, and in the entire absence of subsidence the New Plymouth breakwater ixten-iou is unique. showing how well Nature h assiving in tiie work by imbedding .;he stones in the dense and heavy sand. Tj show thtj extent of subsidence in breakwaters, it is interesting to find in the authorities the breakwater at Holyhead subsided 3ft Oin, Alderncy 6ft, Colombo ift in joft, Murangoa ift in Sft, and Man01a 3ft.

JT is not easy to understand tiio contention that di'edging the harbour another loft deeper is going to affect the stability of the inner wall, considering that the wind and waves invariably carry the sand from tile outside and dcp.isil it along the inner one. A walking-stick, anyhow, is not a reliable in-trumcnt with which to test the stability of a breakwater. ft may either, by accident 01 intention, get between two stones. Wo hope, However, t[ie Board will make) assurance c|oiil>;y ;ure by reckoning up the quantity of stone 'tipped over the end of the breakwater in a given area, as suggested j at liidays meeting by the engineer, and denioiistiate beyond all sliadow of doubt that tile woik i- as staple, eliicient, and peiniahcnt as maintained by .Mr Maichant. Then we are quite, sure, if Mr Maxwell is sinew in the manor—and the opinions oi his dcMaetots notwithstanding, we think Mr Maxwell i- a conscientious ;tnd sinceie man in relation to h'is at:ude 011 Harbour lioaitl affaiis—lie will give the same publicity 10 v.nut ate the true facts of the case, as lie has done to what lias so (at been proved to be an Erroneous hypothesis.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19061120.2.4

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81891, 20 November 1906, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
865

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81891, 20 November 1906, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81891, 20 November 1906, Page 2

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