IMPROVING THE HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 15 March 1907, Page 2

IMPROVING THE HARBOR.

lIK.iJILV SATISJ-'ADXOUV I'itOUKJiS.S. '■ Jkijrchant consulting t .) . iu> New i'Jyinoiith Harbor JJoard. •pc:.l yesterday afternoon «t the har- P , ' or - wlicru lie met, 'the Chairman of tins l'iKi:d, Mr. J. Jj. Cminett, and Messrs. •Newton King, ,|. Wnrd, and It, Price, comprising thn works committee. Mr. Jla reliant, in conversation Willi •1 icpiesentativu of this paper, said m'i i h ' ul 111 '-'"'"sriinw to report. u Biltjic uiust exp p | &isui . u aMll I mil satisfaction w.tli 1 lie exped lions n and successful manner m the a \wnk of Clio breakwater extension was s being earned out by Air. J<\ RenderI son. the harbor works torcnian, and his ] stall. Midi the high sea running n • I was possible to see the great advan- , Inge of |ne present extended wall over the shorter one, whieh did duty for so many years. i\ot only has the exten- ' sion ot the mole considerably enlarged ' the sheltered area, biff, it l la3 |, ;>l l *ti,e ! elic'l of making the beribs more cointui iablr iron) the increased smoui (,- t i licss of tlic water at the wharf. Waves ] were dashing high over the wall dnr- ' mg yesterday morning, but at the . wharf the sea was as placid as the proverb :il mill-pond. Many of our readers will remember life time, about twelve years afro. M hen the liai'lior seemed doomed lu miii. 'the wall was going to pieces, and there was an air of desolation about. The old dredge, then fitted Willi a grab only, was absolutely useless in cheeking the silting up of the harbor, and uetween the wliarf and the breakwater ilie sand was piled to a height of three feet above low-water man;. The sand seemed to have taken charge. Then the Hoard called in Mr. iMarchant to report on the possibility of fixing a sand pump on the dredge, and he visited .the harbor. There was no dilliculty about making tile necessary improvements -to the "Tommy long," and the work was done. Whilst Mr. llarefiant was here, there came a : vioient storm, which threatened the ueiuolition of the harbor protection | works, and Uie Board turned to the ; visiting engineer for aid. That was ' tnc beginning of Mr. Marclumt'a en- . gageinent asjmgincer to the Board. , i'roin that time each year has seen r ".oiuetlung attempted, something uoiie." The engineer was asjked to' uevise a scheme of breakwater cxten- ; sion. He aid so. 'J'he w r ork is now progressing splendidly, and a perma- > neui wall is stretching seaward,' makt ing a deep sea harbor, and the cost > of is only £45 10s per j loot. The new portion of the wali is ; now out 270 ft., and the whoie of this < work has been paid for out of revenue, Ibo oid dredge still does marve'loiis i work-, and, with the Saiul pump, is abi? , to keep the sand encroachment ill 1 cheek, besides having dredged out t;.. e --a ml from cie inner berth above-men i tionecl. A new berth is being dredgtu out alongside the wharf extension x•• eently completed. Railway facilities I' have been improved, and the iighli.£ errangemen'ts modernised, and in both ■jf these matters further developments (' are ]iending.

lint the great tiling is the breakwater extension. It is impossible for Hie out;,Mc public to know the difficulties that have been surmounted, or I lie amount of brain work in planning this work; bnt all sea-faring folk and tile bulk of the ratepayers arc reeogn'sing its value. It. is impossible, too, to give too much credit to Mr. Connott and his colleagues for the manner in ;which they have stuck to thtfr guns in the face of a heavy fire of criticism, or to the engineer and construction stall' who are responsible for the success of the operations.