SILT IN THE HARBOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 241, 11 October 1893, Page 5

SILT IN THE HARBOUR.

This afternoon a number of members of the Auckland Harbour Board, including the Chairman (Mr W. Crowther) paid a visit to the Railway Wharf in order to definitely ascertain for themselves the nature of tbo debris which was alleged to bo washed into tho harbour from the city sewer at thia place, and to be silting up a portion of tho harbour frontage. It was found that tho Board's Priestman dredger had raised seven punb loads of silt, chiefly scoria debris and refuse ot various sorts from tho vicinity of the shore end of Railway Wharf since yesterday morning, tho whole being aboub 300 cubic yards of silt. It being dead low water at the time of inspection tho Board members also found thab nearly tho whole ot tho siltago deposited in the harbour ab the outlet of the ciby sewer under tho Railway Wharf consisted of scoria powdered very fine, with an admixture of sewage refuse. Just at the outlet of the sewor thore is a bed of scoria silt about 8 feet in depth which Harbour Board workmen are now removing. The place was laat dredged about nine months ago. This proves conclusively that a considerable quanbibv of scoria, etc., finds its way into Auckland Harbour from the city streets. The stuff, however, does nob spread vory far into the harbour as owing to its "weighb ib is quickly deposited on the bottom close to the wharf. A quantity ot fish heads was also seen in silb refuse at this place.