The Harbour for the Thames.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3341, 6 September 1879, Page 2

The Harbour for the Thames.

Sir John Ccode's Beport,

The Harbour Board received this morning from Wellington Sir John Coode's report and detailed plans for the proposed Harbour Works. The plam •re rerj elaborate and well finished, showing great attention to every detail, and the report deals Very fatly with the proposed works and their construction. The report commences .by stating that, at the time of his inspection^ the Thames Harbour Board brought under his notice certain, proposals in the way..... of ... new. works, which they as matters requiring: immediate attention, and desired that his views thereon shonld be com. muicated before he left the colony.

These proposal! were:— ' 1. A new timber jetty at Kopu, 395 feet, and extending out to five to fire and a balf feet of water at low tide. - 2. Extension of Shortland Wharf 200

feet. 3. Extension of Goods Wharf 105 feet. 4. Reinstatement of Tar*ru Jetty; raising level of the deck four feet higher than the original structure. 6. Beclamation of Foreshore, between

• Curtis' Wharf and the Powder , Magazine,. by■ the construction: >of works to trap the mining waste. 6. Repairs and renewals of Goods Wharf. The report mentions that- Sir John' Coode stated before tearing Auckland that the abore proposals would not interfere with works .he would suggest; when dealing with the general question of harbor and rirer iniprorements, and" then proceeds to deal with extension of the Tararn jetty. Assuming that this jetty has been reinstated, as proposed, four feet higher than the first structure, Sir John Coode recommtnds that it be extended in a west-north-wept direction, a length of 60 feet from its outer termination. He says he has fixed upon the direction for the extension in/.order that vessels, lying alongside,may be end on to the sea. The deck of the proposed wharf to be 40 feet wide and proriiion to be made for laying a double line of railway. - A further extension might be made, if the formation of the proposed Channel on the bar is postponed, with which the report' deals further on. , j The second work, the Kopu wharf, the ! report recommends an extension of 160 I feet from its present termination, and then 300 in a* westerly direction, so that | craft lying alongside would be directly with the current of the-rirer. * ' The report deals next with the improrement of the outfall of the Kauaeranga rirer, and suggests a cut down the foreshore in a continuation of the straight from the end of the present wharf. , A turnwater bank is next recommended j at the telegraph towers in. order to j prevent the splitting of the tidal currents I whereby the stream is divided into two branches. The turning,or training bank, would close the subsidiary channel between the long sand-bank and the right shore of the river, and the improved scour would exercise a beneficial influence in deepening the water at the tail of the sand-bank. The great obstacle, the report says, to the navigation of the Thames is the bar at its mouth, upon which, for a distance of 2 miles, entirely across the rirer, there is only a depth of from 4£- to 6 feet at low water of spring tides, but between the landward side of the bar and Te £opu, there is; with one slight exception, a navigable depth of not less than 12 feet at low water. In view of the growth of the district sooner or later, the deepening of the approach to the rirer will hare to be taken in hand. Then follow the detai|s for a channel 220 feet wide across the bar in a N.N.W. direction, and a discussion as to whether the natural scour of the rirer would keep the channel opeu, which the writer, with

• | the data before him says he cannot give , a positive opinion on, but believes if the • channel was once cut it would keep open? i I H© supplies information ai to tho proper kind of a dredge to do the work of cutting;, i I and then follows the following estimates I ' oftho works:— ' No. 1. Extension of Tararu jetty 600 feet in length £17,950 2. Extension ot Te Kopu jetty 300 feet with a Tiaduct approach 160 feet long 11,900 3. DiTMiion of channel at the outfall of Kauaeranga Bit or to improve the approach to Shortland , .. Wharf ... 2,250 ; 4. Formation of channel acrois the bar or thoil at the entrance, | leaving a depth of not lets than ■ 8 feet at low water of spring tides for a width of 220 feet, including the purchase and de« • livery of a suitable steam hopper . 5 dredger... ..; ..* ... 65,000 L 5. Deepening the channel—provided in last item—se as to give • not: less than IS feet at low water of -, : spring tides, for a width of 200 ' feet, an additional sum of ..; 37,000 j The total cost of the 12 feet channel would thus be, including the f purchase ef the dredge, ...£102,0C0 ' The above estimates provide for conl tiagencies and all other charges. In the case of items 1, % and 3, the sums have been arrived at by applying tbe rates furnished from tbe colony to the quantities ascertained from the detail drawings. A reduction in the lengths of either jetty would effect a proportionate saving 1 in cost, Items 4 and 5 have been com* i puted upon the basis that the materials • to be removed are such as can be dredged • freely. ' la conclusion. Sir John Coode expresses r his thanks and admits bis obligation to Mr Davies, Capt. Best, Mr Graham, and Mr Blaekett, while on his visit to the Thames. . •