TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1544, 19 August 1886, Page 2

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday. Present— Messrs J. H. Sutter (Chairman), W.M, Sims, E. Acton, X. Talbot, K.F. Gray, A. Hayes, W. Moody and M. Jonas. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Merchant wrote apologising for absence on account of illness, and Mr Elworthy wrote resigning his seat on the Board, and it was understood that he did so on account of - being concerned in an action against the Board for loss sustained by the wreck of the Lyttelton.—Mr El worthy’s resign a lion was accepted with regret. Mr Wilson said that he understood that notice of action had been put in by J. and S, Wilson. As a member of that firm he wished to disclaim having sanctioned this. The standing Committee reported that they bad written to Wellington protesting against the proposed inclusion of the Harbor Board’s property in the Borough of Timaru, and that they could not recommend any reduction in the HarbSr charges for Mr Keith Ramsay’s steamerl, / —The report was adopted. The Town Clerk wrote to the effect that the Borough Council would supply water to the wharf. at the rate of $d pef 1000 gallons up to gallons and over that amount at 4d per gallon, The Oatnaru Harbor Board wrote refunding the sura of £43 14s fid extl*a insurance on the dredge Progress. Mr A. Spalding wrote complaining that the bilge keel of the Wakafipu had bean injured at the wharf owing to the slope of the fenders. The Harbor Master reported that the piles we»e not sloping enough to injure any vessel handled with ordinary care. A letter was received from C. T. Gockerill, a nautical man of 36 years’ ex-

perience, giving his opinions re the wreck of the;Lyttelton. He was of opinion that she sank owing to a valve being left ' open ; had it been a prick from the anchor the vessel must have been in shoal water and could not have filled to tha extent she did. He thought the Captain of the Grafton had been unduly blamed forth* disaster, giving his reasons therefor. He placed his services at the disposal of the Harbor Board, and said he could not see how a jury of intelligent men could attach any blame to the Harbor Board for ; the wreck of the Lyttelton. He was o f opinion that the Shaw, Savill Company, would have been wiser had limy found the first loss the last. The matter of licensing a porter tor the wharf was referred to the Standing Committee. Mr F. Clarkson applied for a license. , ~ A quantity of correspondence re th order for the dredge from Messrs J McEwan and Co„ of London, was read and allowed to lie on the table. The Chairman stated I hat the revenu 1 ' for the month was £652 6a 2d. The Ha'' or Master reported the urnv of 33 vcun-1.3. and the depirture of 3J daring the month, all of which hud h»- n worked at the wharf. Heavy seas TT broken up the wreck Lyttelton, and i buoy now marked its position. As thwork was -very much increasing he requested that a qualified master might bo appointed for ihe Titan, He also requested authority to order 6 sheet thimbles f^r use of hawsers on the wharf.—lt s decided to order the thimbles for t hawsers and the appointment of a m - >«'e' to the Titan was relegated to the Committee. It was decided that notice be giver. after the termination of the pnseni agreement with the Bank of New Z*a!u;.il with regard to the Board’s acoonnnt b<- ' six months on either side and that t’>e .arrangement of deposits be left to the Committee. Members expressed their satisfaction with the way the Bank had 1 performed the' Board’s business, t 1 Thie Engineer reported that the extend- i ' Ing.of the breakwater was proce. dr g«s i fast as the weather would allow. Up to • date 123 feet of the present breakwater contract had been completed, and four-! - tion blocks extended 25 feet further. To 1 alter the fender piles from their ut < sloping position would cost £7CO or £BOO, and then vessels with bilge keels might < be injured if there was a range in the bar bon Ho, thought if ordinary care was exercised the piles were all right as ihey ere/ ife the Moody wharf he requested 1 definite instructions as to planking, as it ( Was found that original plan for doing so would not answer. Instructed by the : ' Chairman, be bad considered the best ■ way of providing means for cleaning the • Titan at Timaru in future instead of n Port Chalmers; a grid-iron might 1.constructed alongside the Moody vha ' ' approach, at a cost of £250, but - could not be properly cleaned or paint i on it ; lie thought the only pract'C hie J means of effecting her cleaning, painting, and repairs would be to construct a broadside slip, the cost of which would be £I2OO or £I4OO. The dredge Progress was now in first-rate working order bu t she had since last meeting been engaged as a crane hr; thought she should complete the dredging of the deep water birth. In regard 'to the proposed slip, Mr Moody reported that he had instructed the secretary to write to McEwan and Co., asking them to forward information re prices &c. ■ Me the decking of the Moody w arf, it was resolved : “That the . Engineer be instructed to arrange for the decking of the Moody Wharf m the same style as the old wharf.' 1 Accounts amounting to £3109 12s 101 having been passed for payment the Board r . adjourned.