CALLIOPE DOCK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 10

CALLIOPE DOCK.

, . '. PROPOSED ENLARGEMENT. (BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) . Auckland, March 14. Mr. Hamer, the engineer to the Harbour Board, lias presented , the . following report to the Board in 'Committee: —"Having considered. the question of enlargement' of Calliope Dock, I find that to admit H.M.S. Dreadnought the necessary widening of the entrance and bed of tho dock and contingent works would post roughly .£90,000. Tho present length is sufficient for that vessel. To:-lengthen to" 650 ft.. would cost, roughlyah additional £50,000. This work would take from two to three years, and the dock would be closed for that .period! , Tho greatest length of ITis Majesty's battleships now under construction is 530 ft. The length of the Lusitania is 800 ft. ' To: admit the Corinthic, lonic,' and Athenic, tho largest ships at present',trading ~to New Zealand, 500 ft. by 63h!, would ..involve , further cutting away of the lower altars of the' dock for a length of 360 ft. on, each side.' This would reduce the thickness of tho wall of the'dock to sft/at this position. Further reduction would riot be prudent.' If this should bo approved I would recommend that a trial poekot about sft. wido should /first be cut out. The' pocket would . cost' roughly £10,000. •I. reoommend that, a plan showing the Corinthic in' dock be submitted to'tho Admiral, and, to the: White Star. Company, for their opinions as to whether the alteration ■ would fulfil their requirements' for. clocking the .largest vossels in their charge likely N to dock here." - •' '

: In answer to a member of tho ; Board, who remarked that tho cost of making the dock long enough to take the Corinthio would almost build a how dock, Mr. Earner said that undoubtedly to make tho (lock 650 ft- . and broad enough; would cost' £150,000, Whereas the cost ,of the now dock at Welling-; ton was £190,000. ••••' _ .'• ,; After a short conversational discussioii, it was agreed, on tho motion of the chairman, to adopt;the recommendation to''.submit'(the report and'plans t-b;the Admiralty and-the' White Star Company for their''opinion.- .'i -,- ' 1