THE DOCK SITE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

THE DOCK SITE.

FORTY YEARS AGO. - AN OLD PROPOSAL. - ; -It:-is interesting ;a.t'.',thc present time to turii to-a "report and estimates of a graving dock at Evans Bay," prepared in .1863 by/tho lato Mr.' J. M; Qalfour, Colonial Engineer,,. In .tlio report: a. .description of: is'vgivcii'as;.fd!lpws■ DESCRIPTION 01' EVANS BAY'. "Evans Bay is a'deep indentation 011 tlio south ,sidp:-pf the harbour of Port Nicholson,, from tlio sea by'a sandy neck, but. .little.raised, abbvo. tho-tcvel-of high water. Tlio.avora^e ! '.depth;over'. llio' greater part of its, areii' is not .less than .nine-fathoms, and 011 the ; east sido-especially tho deep water runs' very: close to the shore. The bay is nearly in. tho - lino of tho,;N.W. ; and S.E. iyinds; wliioli arVby-far thefiiiost- common in'tho bar-; I hour, but. is sheltered, from .the, N.E., the 'only fvoiti. which t-ho:.wind, ever, blows with violeiice. - Tlio N.W. wind blbw-; ilig down',-.tlio harbour, li. distance ,of about' sixina'utical'. .miles,; s"eii(ls , :a~.vcry ; considerable sea into.tho^ bay,...but_tho S.E. is a smooth*' ivatßr/ wind,;'.as;-thp 7 OTtchi; is too short for. swell>of any iepaVateOrom Lyell Bay by: the .sandy' nCclr:- already;,mentioned, surroudtd but 011 the east side , .the raiigo is everywhere comparatively. narrow aiid .'steep,,and it. falls, equally rapidly, to: a, sandy and 110'arly. perfectly level plain, which is no moro 011 tho averago than about four."

; ~tb fiyo fceti ÜboKcu-tho. level of highwater. .This ndgo ,bj;eh tunnelled 011 11 : "small,scale, ;! for.- ..of draaniiig t-lip land behind,. and it is thus possibloHo ascorv taiii,'.l,witlii am-.a'ccuratyirarely obtairiablo in a preliminary survey, the, geological naturo i of.-t.ho;ridse-" ; . - • :i-l- ---. A .description .of. the.- si.tb. of 'the . proposed works is .also ' given , v i. "Ite.examinatipn .of the tunnel '.was, 'howpits from- the siifface' in!i : 'several''-places, , and .'the'' iriforina- : tipiu:thus procured shows, that with '.the' excoiitiori .'of Ja'-Suporfitial'.coating clay',of varying^thickness, -but probably 'morei.thaii.six.'olr;* eight feet pri tho average, the whole ridge !is of rock in alternate beds iof.'*induratbd' I ;"sandstone and .shale, which stand nearly-at. aii angle of OOdeg., and' aro or, -iiearly so 1 ,. .Vith the high- water margin, of..tho r bay;;,..TliQ.'rock is of -moderato .density; .sufficiently .hard' to :resist considerable .pressure,, sufficiently, solid, to .bo .practically, water-tight ;-.;in. excavating -I should an? ..ticipato leakage from' infiltration, '•«. J)^/: (^no r j;''leii'agie;.'";.of ■' "■consequence transvoi-se ito the bed, .'aiid; no tendency to bo blown up.'by.^-hd.hydrpstatic.',pressure of tlio jwltW■ froni -without. A-'Wlien' I ."add to this "thai tho' niatogigl;js .'sufliciontly: soft to ;b<v-able to 'be' excayattid,; especially on a •'large scaled with-ease'aiid.ecqii.omy, and that ! at; the: site whiph il,:haye" for- various reasons : solect-ed 'as'4h'6i..ta<jpt, : .niitable/ for. a graving dock,: thero' isAa '-depth : of, 20ft,-: of water at. low- water , spring tides, at a distance of -less than : ;'loofC.'i-Ff6m'4 high " water :mark, and only'ißoft'.'"ftirtherTa'-"dopth of fivo fathoms, I have, slimmed'up' l the'advantages w'hicli render '"this l "bay!>s6'''peculiarly''-.adapted for such a rWork;v!:<.'ir Thov.-.-0nly:- I .,jCo.uiiterbalanciiig •' disad:vantagq:is:;,th6..'lieiglit;.qf thor-ridgo, .'which so greatjy .ingreases tho. total,, amount of exca..vatidh 'with the minimum •ditfieiisious the oxcavation flbove .ithe^Jpj»'^.lgis^''-g|;';the»dock is about ;t;reo ,and,'a :; half"';timMiiasJmueh as the fcxeava-

tion in" tli'p'|dbclc but, notwithstanding this,;a. : graving :doclc,can be■ completed on .tliis, site,tat,-, for,this '.cpuritry, ;an ■extremely 'moderate cost, and ; ifc cannot be expected ..that, any, ..site, should bp found without some .disadvantages.". ■ ' '•"'7 , ..FEATURES;OF THE DESIGN.'. ; Balfour's proposals for ;a{,dock .word' as ifollows :— - ' consist ofea,'. graving- dock chamber,';34Qft. long on the:'.floor (or'37oft. of the'idock .gates),i,il4ft. iwidi- ;: on , 'ttho''.floor, 80ft. wide ; .'at -top'; ;,tlio: en- :■ trance,vbeiilg ,50ft. wido,v'and witli,-: r at :tho neast;72oft/V >6f. .water over'-' tho ' sill Va't ' high ■i'water • of -a' very; moderate'spring' 'tido'f' 21ft. 'overr'thp:.sill .will bo comjiion'- afc spring tides, .randf 22ft. will bo occa"siqiially-g(jt.--''These .dimensions}'; ar© in most- respects at : least equal t : o : .tlioso'_of any dock.'ih ; "tho Southern with the sblo oxceptiori' of ■ tlie Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown;-'now v iri coursq .^qf. constmctipn;' wliich is intended |.;to gates, of 400 ft., and ;a depth ; of'.water^ over-the sill.at high water ,of•,.2?!fii7-i"(r have' lio 'information as to tho . pr.oppsed'/width, of-'entrance •' of this dock.) Itjvjll I-propose to run out a quay.;wall:,'p'u;the nortli side of the entrance .of i'a;;dbptK "of. 20ft. at low 1 water, ;,td :fill7up7^;.considerable',space :at the material 'from.,tho This" will' entirely .shelter ' the : gates.'froni' vtlio'iactioiL.'of the : north-westerly, swell, -and■ greatly, add • to 1 the facility' anil safety with'which vessels can be hauled in. and out ; of.docl{." , : 77, . f , 7 'The dock gates were -proposed to bo' conrstructed. v jßivor.- mahogany, which was untbnch&l'liy 'marine borers: -TIIO pump-. ing .engine: would, probably be placed on the inner sido of..tho' ridge, tho water being awaj; bj-menns of an ample culvert. Should'7-a bo constructed, it would bo placed on . the landward , sido of ■ tho ridge..,-.The-estimates of tho cost of tho work wore Estimate A-(with 10-per -CQnt; for contingencies), £3g;D23 •: estiniato7B (for 10 :;pe^-'ce'nf;:-yfi'rLgabiit'i^j^flpibs,- £44;873 T -i These .estimates covered, onfyj&'o,actual ; c6st:of- tlio ; had bp®.'designed-"witli^Ttlie closest regard, to' -econ<«n'y 7 - Jour'' aoreaV'of land iwas considered- a .from;.nine to. ten. would-, amply-suffice for all purposes. '