HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 213, 17 December 1910, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

I MONTHLY MEETING. [ The Xow Plymouth Harbor Board met | yesterday, when there were present: I Messrs J. B. Connett (chairman), Newton Kin?, E. Dockrill, J. McUluggage, R. Price, D. Hughes, W. Wells, and E. .Maxwell. An apology was received for the absence of Mr. C. A. Wilkinson.' HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. Captain Newton reported as follows for the four weeks ending 10th inst.:— Twenty-nine steamers visited this port, inwards and outwards, of the aggregate tonnage of 25,079 tons. The total imports amounted to 017S tons, of which li!) 70 tons were coal (1388 for the railway and 588 for private use). The exports for the same period amounted to 1030 tons of produce.—Received. Captain Newton waited on the Board and .explained in detail the method to be adopted in sweeping the harbor. | SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. Mr. F. Henderson (Superintendent of Works), reported as follows: — Dredge Paritutu.—The Paritutu dredged on •J0y 2 days (net time 200 hours), removing 42 loads, equal to 10,700 tons. Details of work are as under: In the outer harbor with the suction pump, one day and a-lialf (time, 15Va hours), removing five loads, equal to 2000 tons; average "pumping time, 50 minutes per load. The weather was stormy and unsuitable for sand-pumping, but the port being crowded with shipping there was no room to work alongside the wharf. At the outer eastern berth, with the buckets, on Hi) days (time, 190% hours), removed 37 loads, equal to 14,700 tons, also 106 large boulders, ■ the average loading time being 3 .'hours 16 inin. This cut has been carried on for a length of 300 feet from the end of the wharf at an average depth of 20ft (with a minimum of 25ft) at low water. Heavy boulders were struck at 100 ft from the end, and have continued right up to the 300 ft mark. This 'had made the dredging much slown- and more difficult than was* the case last month, and explosives have had to be used very freely. One day was occupied in coaling and one and a-half da.ys were lost through rough weather. A day was also lost through the breaking of ons of the picks. The buckets were left hanging by one link only and were very nearly lost from the ladder. As the same accident 'happened twice in Mr. Rnowles' time, I 'have had all the picks removed and buckets substituted. I may explain that these picks are in pairs on i'he ladder and are connected one to another; consequently when passing under the bottom tumbler they are forced over on owe side, and either twist or break not only the picks, but also the adjoining links. They would be very serviceable if built together in pairs so as to form one solid body on the same principle as .a bucket. Attempts to bore the inshore area have not been successful, owing to the difficulty of shutting out , the sand from the pipes. Pumping holes in the sand at about 20ft apart has also been tried, so as to bare the hard patches in the hope that they might yield to surface explosions. Eight holes have been pumped and heavily charged, with very little benefit. The only alternative is to remove the whole of the surface sand and then to bore as far inshore as it is desirable to dredge. Dredge Thomas King.—The dredge Thomas King worked on 18 days (net time, 216 hours), removing 150 loads, equal to 12,000 tons, from the breakwater bank and the beach. This dredge has been employed during the last fortnight at every high tide in pumping the surface sand off the beach. Piles for wharf widening.—One hundred and twelve piles for wharf widening are now felted and coppered. Additional quantities of muntz metal sheets and felt will be required, particulars of which have been sent to the engineer. The Superintendent was present on the reading of his report and explained his method of working so as to get 600 ft to the full depth as quickly as possible. It would be well, he considered, to consider whether the Board should put only 20ft on the end of the wharf when the dredging wa3 completed there. Mr. McCluggagc said the Board should consider the question of lengthening the wharf. Mr. Dockrill: It is too soon to talk about that. Mr. Henderson also pointed out that some faults in the dredge buckets had come under his notice. In fact, some of them were slightly faulty when they arrived. The crack was plainly discernible before being used a month. The buckets which the Board had ordered from Dunedin met with his approval, being of the kind used in gold-dredging, where the buckets were required to be very heavy. Indeed, the buckets here were superior to those 'they had obtained from the Home Country. Those ordered from Home by Mr. Marchant recently were to be much stronger than the ones at present complained of. Mr. Henderson explained by means of a sample bucket what improvement he wished made, and members expressed themselves as being in accord with 'his suggestions. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £1316 3s 6d were passed for payment.