IMPROVING THE HARBOR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 21 March 1911, Page 2

IMPROVING THE HARBOR

INACCURATE INFORMATION. Captain Newton, .harbormaster, in the course of his monthly report to the Harbor Board yesteruay, stated thai according to instructions he had searched to a depth of 30ft the approach to the harbor for half a mile on each side of the proposed line of beacons from the distance of one mile from end of break- . water in to the 30t line of soundings , off the shore, and found that portion | clear of unknown dangers. llie ap- ( paratus used for the purpose was similar to that in use by the American Coast and Geoditic Survey Department, and had , acted fully up to expectations. He had waited for the fine weather seasoa for this work. Unfortunately, there were. large bush fires during the period, the smoke at intervals stopping operations by covering up the marks on the shore, which caused them to have to go over most of the ground twice, more than doubling the expense. He found the position of the port as published in the New Zealand Shipping Almanac waß three and three-quarter miles out *i position, being that distance too far to the east. This was confirmed by the Department of Lands. The positions «f the Sugar Loaves, Mikotahi, Moturoa and Mahanga, also the Seal Rocks, had also been fixed by triangulation, ready for the new chart that was now in progress by the Board's surveyors. For the guidance of vessels working the port to show the outer line of breakwater, he suggested placing one of the Board'i spare lamps on the top of Mikotahi, in the position of the. present red beacon, the seaward side of breakwater to show green and the land side red; whera the colors blended would be the line of the breakwater. A small structure similar to the present lower beacon would suffice. This light would be i»stead of the suggested light on break- ( water end. The expense incurred in i sweeping the approaches, in accurately fixing the position of the Sugar Loaves and alterations in the line of approach to the harbor by the changing of the beacons would make the port safe of entry, and could not fail to be appreciated by the larger class of shipping in the future. Captain Newton, who was present at the meeting when the report was read, said that if the master of a ship relied on the position given in the New Zealand Shipping Almanac, instead of making the breakwater, he would reach Fitzroy. This was a very serious matI ter, and they had just had an instance | of a similar mistake in the case of the < Elingamite, which struck the Three Kings, when the captain stated he was steering a course which should have cleared them by three miles. This statement had since been proved to be correct, as it had recently been discovered that the .Three Kings were located on the chart three miles out of their actual position.