PROGRESS OF WELLINGTON. THE PORT.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 131, 3 June 1904, Page 5

PROGRESS OF WELLINGTON. THE PORT.

WORKS AT THE NORTH END. An article in yesterday's ifcsuie dealt with the progressive development, of the port in general and the important works at the 'ie Aro or south end — dock, reclamations, bout harbour, and projected wharves. To-day we deul in similar manner with works at the north end, where the piesent appearance of tho walerfiont is destined \iithin a comparatively short timo to be completely transformed. RAILWAY WHARF REBUILDING. Passing from the scene of activity at Te Aro, by way of boalabeds, Jervoisjquay, aud Queen's Wfiaif, one lcacbta the nexi locality where constructive improvement is about to coiumenco. Tlua is the iiUed-iu area betwueu the wool .stor-es and the now Customhouse. He-ie will bo erected stores V and W, for which the plans have been prepared, ready to call* for tender* ; and the store "A. ' and waiting rooms, which will be alongside the CustomhoiiK 1 , and for which plans are being prepared. Passing the Ferry Wharf aiid the wool jetty, tho Railway Wharf is found to bo alive with th© bustle of timber-shaping, uud piledriving, and bluckvsnuthing, for here tiie rebuilding and extension contract is in progress. The Railway Wharf was originally built in 18/8 by tho Government, with Australian hardwood piles and walings, black birch beams, and nmtai decking. The beams and the decking have "gone." 'Ihe wharf has been, for the railway only, with no access for carte. The Board has determined tp widen it to three tunes its present width, from 3iftt to 91ft, and to lengthen it a few foal. Two lines of railway will bo laid down on each side, and a cart way in the middle. There will be no slreds. MO-RE CRANES. At the outer end of this wharf, on the east side, will be proviScd a 20-ton hydraulic crane, which' has been ordered from Tanncvt, Walker and Co., Ltd., of Leeds, at a cost f.o.b. Liverpool, of JWOO9. To this must be added the cost of freight and erection. On tho lines of railway on each sido will be placed ten hydraulic gantry cranes similar to these on the Glasgow Wharf. These gantry cronos have been ordered >om Glcnfiekl and Kennedy, Ltd., of KiliMiraock, Scotland, and will be delivered in WeHington for £9800. The Scotch firm's tender was much below New Zealand or Australian tenders. The plans for construction of the cranes must be submitted tp Mr. Ferguson for his approval. Tie foundation for the big crane is part of tho wharf rebuilding and extension cowtract, which is held by John M'Lean and Son. ' The contractors have already driven a considerable number of Aimtralian hardwood piles, and other shnolnents are on the water, while a- large quantity of jatrah for decking is new discharging from the Winfield, so ti»e contract is well in hand. Tho Railway Department baa been asked to provkie points and crossings and new sidings, and has promised that they will be attended to. NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS v. AUSTRALIAN. Tbe experience at the Railway Wharf all points to Australian hardwoods xs being, in the long run, the cheapest timber for wharf and bridge building. Tiw experience ' with, black birch beams fans been dirjustrous, while, the haidwood piles put down at the same time, ISTiH, are still perfectly good, and will be left, though individual faulty ones may be' discovered tirat will require removed. The contract time expires in September, 1905. Tlwre is, therefore, no immediate hurry for tho cranes, -which cannot be erected till the wharf is finished, and for other wharf accessories, such as hydraulic pipes and valves (4)918 163 lid), some, of which have arrived by the Hawkes Bay, w4iilo others will follow in the Essex. TJw contract prke for tho Railway Wharf re-building and extension ia £28,724 18s 7d; adding to this the cost of the cranes and pipes, tho total of the Railway Wharf contracts is £12,452 15s 6d. THE DREDGING SCHEMES. The Wbakarire has completed dredging to 324 ft. at low water between the Glasgow and the Railway Wharf. She is new nt work dredging to 28ft on the west side of the Railway Wharf, prior to strengthening the wharf. Her next work will beto dredge for sites nnd approaches of the Taranaki-street and the Clyde-quay Wimrvesj but before she begins UieVt? she will probably go on the slip for a cleaning, having boon nine months is operation. After boat", tho following works (to whkh further reference will be made) will be undertaken in the order given : — Dredging for construction of another new wharf to north of Glasgow Wharf, dredging for dock, dredging area south of Queen's Wharf so as to give more room to manipulate ocean steamers, dredging in entrance, f airway shoal. An order lias been placed with. Messrs. A. and T. Bort for 600 ft of dredging pipes, at a cost of £285. The area south of Queen's Wharf which is included in the dredging progruniHio comprises the Te Aro bight, whore the ocean steamers come and go. Th^ dredging wili improve the approaches to the wharves *nd to the dock entrance. WATERLOO-QUAY RECLAMATION. Continuing past Glasgow Wharf, th* site of tho Waterloo-quay reclamation is reached. This will reclaim in nil 26 acres of loud, of which the Government claims tho first four acres free of charge, having inserted a provision to that effect in last session's - Act, * New building and wharfage- area to an extent not yet rea r lised in the public mind will bo provided. The present wall, abutting from near the foot of Glasgow Wharf, will be extended 40ft in its present lino parallel with Waterloo-quay ; then it will turn sea* wards in a. diagonal course uutil it reaches a front 600 ft seaward of thi> quay ; then it will resume a course parallel with' the quay, and will entend right along to v point beyond the saluting bat tery on the Thorndon Eeplanade. All this large area will be reclaimed by tht Harbour Board ; beyond it again are the Government's powers of reclamation ii. connection with the straightening of the Hutt Lino; the exact delimitation and continuity of tho two tracts is uot yet determined. The most casual glance will, show what a comprehensive, and valuable soheme of reclamation is hore involved. Mr. Pulley's contract for tbe present wall will cam it to a point about opposite, tht Public Works depot on Waterloo-quay Then, as the Whakarire's pumped material fills up the inner cavity, the wall will bo from lime to time extended along tho line we have traced. Hers will be located the afore-mentioned new wharf north of the Glasgow, and the march of time will briug other new stores, wharves, and jetties seaward of Pipitea Point. The contract price of the present wall is £118,074 19s. The. total of the contracts at. Te Ar& reclamation, Railway Wharf, nnd Water-loo-quay reclamatior is £90,165 13s 4d. Speaking generally, imports will be directed to tho south or Te Aro end, and export* to the north end of the port. Tho system twith which the Harbour Board goes about itswoik, and which had done so much for Wellington, is being preserved throughout with unbiokcn continuity.

Mossrs. Cory and Co. inrert? a further -list of properties in this ieau*. I