HARBOR EXTENSION WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 20 April 1907, Page 3

HARBOR EXTENSION WORKS.

OFFICIALS' REPORTS. At the New Plymouth Ilarboi Hoard's meeting on Friday, Mr I'. V Mnrchant, C.E., consulting engineer, r ported on various matters. Tl! AN Sill RMENT SHED. 'lie size suggested for this was 801 by ■"()[(. and this was the outside siy which tile wharf would permit. Tli General Manager for Railways >lliou»h , that ,he lloor level of it should be kep to the height ol the hods of the wagon? I Previous to delaiicd plans being prepai C.I, U would l.e lie-it to prepare ail nut line plan and submit it t 0 the Raihva' Department, so ihat any modilie-ifioi could be-ni.ule to meet their require incuts. SIIELTKR SHED, ETC. _h would he liecc sary to drive a lev, pit's and so give sullicicnt room for f!i< mens shelter ..lied and rope shed, lie 1 tween the Jirenkw.'.ter and tile boa I davits; removing the davns to anothei place. 'i he llarhormasier siig" , es{" ( | that a lean-lo should be adde-ITo thr thick o.f thi- shed I'm- rope storage, and pro'!,ably this ivonM be the best tliimj to 'do; tli... width of it >hould, howeves*. te k.'p, as narrow as possible, so that space could le economised. Probably a slied about ISl't by 18ft would'be suiWIIAKF RK.PAIRS AND EXTENSION. _ H was a necessity that all piles u-ed til the whai'lage here should either 1.-e j sheathed or eise oi such timber as would oiler the best possible resistance .o tiie attacks of marine insects. He had arranged for other works with which he was connected, tjliu speciatlv selected jarrali could he obtained, which was one of the very best timbers for the purpose if grown on nigh ground and specially selected by experts. Some of this timber was said to have stood unharmed for over ,30 years in We.stern Australian wharf work, where the torala rapidly destroyed any other kind of timber. Fcrro-concrcte piles were suggested I by the Board some months ago for extension and repairs. He had seen the work constructed at Napier and Auckland, and thought there were insuperable difficulties in the way of using it at New Plymouth in a small way. The piles would each weigh over five tons to begin with, and 1o drive them properly would require a ram weighing not less than three tolls. Placed at the short intervals to suit local requirements would make very expensive work. So he had no hesitation iu advising the Hoard to use selected jarrah piles an ' liraces for the work in hand. For anv considerable extension of the wharf at some future time tenders might be incited for ferro concrete work in competiioii with timber, and tile Board could lien se:i whether the more, permanent naterial would lie economical when com-

jiaral with timber work requiring periodical inspection. STOXE FOlt jiUBBLK. The existing pit from which the supply had previously been drawn would soon be worked out. He proposed to mine the "l'ishing llock" by means of a drive and cross-chamber, and get all . the stone that was of value out of it. | He thought a certain amount of lame blocks might be obtained. He had examined all other po&auue sources, and thought that the only places oll'ering any chance of success were the western side of Paritutn and the island immediately to the westward of it. Both of fihesc might be tested by means of a drive | ami at a total cost ••>!' C'» 00. In order to abtaiu access lo these possible sources, in the event of ' the stone being of value, it would Ijo necessary to bench out a track for a railway round the sea face of Paritutn, and this work did not present any particular dilVieuHv. in order to answer the objections which would he made to any attack on Parlivfcu, he mentioned " that nothing of their work would he visible to an observer unle-s the observer were quite close to the spot. "Personally," he said, "X regret having to touch the rock, hut if no other source of supply could ]>e suggested the Board had no other alternative. " Mr Marc-hunt, re- ] ferriug to the necessity for increased , blockyard space, said that owing to the growth of the sand beach between Miko - ialii and the Breakwater they could now v find room for the extension of the yard t along the wali at small expense. GOOD PROGRESS. 1 The works generally were going on \ery satisfactorily, the breakwater remaining stable and undamaged as completed. The extension, of the wall was being carried out at the very low rate ' of under £43 10s per foot, according lo iiie accounts furnished by the foreman. He referred to the excellent organisation of the work, and the entire lack of waste. 4, one point," continued Mr Marchant, "i desire to emphasise. The - wave-breaker h the mainstay of the work. We know from past experience that stones of ten tons weight and over are stabie and unmoved here during storms, whilst those of less weight are "] not to be depended upon." For that J reason he urged that no stone of loss ( weight ihan ten stone should he used in the wavebreaker except to iill in inter- 1 slices. ]f at any time stones of the I weight specified were not obtainable ( then such shoitage would have to lie made good by using concrete blocks in the wavebreaker at, oi' course, an increased cost per foot of the work. But 1 the increase was a, small matter compar- 3 ed with the certainty of the stability of the work, Referring to minor points. Mr Marchant suggested that the sand beach between Mikoiiahi and the break- - water should be planted with marram <• grass, and that, as the locality was very severe on metai work, all wire ropes be well oiled and coated with the asphalts mixture generally used. Mr Marchant also placed he/ore the Board a description of the dimensions and a general outline of the tranship- . ment shed, rope shed, men's shelter, and . so forth necessitating the removal of some of the buildings at present in ; use. j On the motion of Mr King, it was , decided that the insurance authorities be approached to ascertain whether the rates of insurant-* on goods in the transhipment shed would be affected In ; the presence of the fireplace in the shelter shod and the proximity of other sma>r sheds. Tt was ilee'ideil to proceed with tae erec.ion of the 'transhipment shed, and the shelter and. other shed*. Mr King moved that in -future jarrah limber bo procured for wharf purposes, —Carried. M King 'moved and Mr Maxwell seconded that the engineer be asked to report on the feasibility of obtaining stone by protecting the sea face and sinking iu the present quarry.—Carried. > MR HENDERSON'S REPORT. The foreman reported that 24 concrete blocks had heeu made for the wall exI tension and there were now 7» in hand. Altogether 12.V.) tons -of Stone had been tipped at the breakwater extension. The weather had bci-n so unsettled throughout the month that the puiting down of a new section not attempted, i An exceptionally 1 v <'i prevailed on | Thursday and V . and 2!) th nit., which cuusee : ] 'M settlement at i the end. This had neeu levelled up airnin without, any trouble, and the' sea face protected by additional large stlines and concrete blocks. lie had

rou*i rik'l»'(i of old rails ;i cm u' 1 1 . 20 loot loiik In- HI K", wide, tor tiu- purpose of slumiiii!; Ui>' slntus i.uili r :diead of Hie iinislied work. U -'ceniPtl to ansivrr i 110 purpose well, Init tlic rails were ntilier Usjht for b«iw stones. 111. would like |«n 75R> raf'. :i"f- Vv; (0 r«.|l!!IC(. lllos.. in US '. ''"lie huiise liail l>eon rej;a : ni< < 1 '-'"''-e >t in • proof for ill* .ce of ' ' ixc'UKASixt; Dinrnt or c.'OiWK.

Captain Howl, Harbormaster. in forwanlinp t.» Hi" I'-OKva a ykn i.C the hai;lior Mimvinjr l\- molt i-f -owM'Vu'nt laK'en \lurim; 111.' v;: , : , 'c. si,.! l'-'U"! wuiilil not>■ Ui.'ii' H-y v '" r " u ■' L'realer deplh of vnte- - '.v'"! than tin')' ever had "" '' ' ' enclose'd a small jilri'i 01 t! bliowins tile result, of ilred:'.m, berth would soon bo. ready v small class of boats, and lie inlende.i berth the "Tovgimlni" there when flli arrived from Sydney witli n earijo it i iinii 'l" for till" i'oani. Ml' Henderson I lie foreman, intended to remove sonn of the hard liolton'. with diaries of dy namite. and ihen the diver would -e that, the berth wii- clear for vessels ti berth. 'Hie chairman said that it wa liec-essarv to have this l;erth ready fo use before tile wharf extension eouh lie proceeded with,