THE NEW WHARF.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1922, Page 4

THE NEW WHARF.

PREMMiINARY WORK STARTED. STEADY PROGRESS BEING MADE. Steady progress is being made with the preliminary work in connection with the New’ Plymouth Harbor Board’s new wharf. The overhead ‘bridge is now being used and spoil from the Paritutu quarry is being taken over the bridge and dumped on the other side. This work has been proceeding apace since the beginning of the month. The loaded trucks are shunted from the foot of the Paritutu incline to the bridge by the Harbor Board’s engine and hauled over the bridge by means of strong steel ropes operated by a crane. The men at the quarry are working eight hours a day and are keeping pace well with the reclamation work at the other end of the line. It is hoped to. expedite the work by dumping the spoil by making a loop on top of the bridge, thus enabling full and empty trucks to be hauled in opposite directions at the same time instead of the one operation sufficing for one truck at present. The work of extending the pile yard is to be commenced on Monday. It is expected that pile-making will commence about the' end of the' year, and the piles, after having been allowed to set properly, will be driven. This work will be followed by the decking. The work of reclamation which has just been commenced is expected to take a considerable time before it is completed. As the work progresses the line is being gradually extended to enable the spoil to be the more easily dumped. The dredge Paritutu is at present working close inshore on the site of the new wharf. Of the 9Ooft “cut” approximately 810 ft have been dredged out to date. Progress is at present necessarily fairly slow, as the ocean floor in this neighborhood is very hard. The small dredge Thomas King is at present laid up, but has been engaged in tipping Paritutu rock at the end of the breakwater. The effect of her work is now apparent, especially in stormy weather, for though all the work done is still below water it considerably assists in breaking the force of heavy* seas. While the Thomas King is not working her men are being employed in reclamn.tion work.