WELLINGTON PORT

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 72, 26 March 1909, Page 4

WELLINGTON PORT

o THE KING'S WHARF. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. As mentioned in yesterday's issue, the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P.) opened the King's Whaif yesterday by formally laying the last block. The block \\iis, tin ordinary block steeped in boiling pitch, and inserted in its place near tlfe shore end of the wharf. Mr. Wilford was supported by Messi's. R- Fletcher, C. E. Daniell, F. H. Fraser, and C. W. Jones, members of! the board ; Mr. 11. E. Nicholls, secretary, and Mr. E. D. Cachmaille, engineer. Mr. W. CJ. Duthie, president, and Mr. J. 6. Harknese, late president, represented the Chamber of Commerce; Mr. -A. de B. Brandon represented! the M4yor (Hon. T. W. Hislop). • .Referring to tho.work, Mr. Wilford said the public needed reminding ,from time, to time of this important undertaking. The contract was let on 29th September, 1906, to Mr. C. F. Pulley for , '£79,440. There was a, maximum depth of water of 41 feet, and a, minimam depth of 34 feet. The dimensions of the wharf 'were 863 feet by 164 feet, and the two sheds were 330 feet long by 45 feet wide, the breastwork 320 feet long. The area of the wharf was 3|- < ftcras. There were -903 pilfcs used ih~<;onstruction, giving a total length of 43(850 feet, or 8^ miles— almost as far as -from the wharf to Lower Hutt. The Miintz metal used in sheathing the piles wtnild cover an area 'of 4-J acres if j-pread.. out flat. If the timber used were, laid- end to end it would rtretch for 114 miles, or from Wellington to Mftrton. •• If all the bolts, too, used 1 in the work .were laid end to end they would extend. in a line 17 miles, long. Mr. Pulley, the chairman continued, had introduced machinery with considerable success for work usually done by hand. . lie had installed planing machines for thicknessing the beams and corbels, an air-compressor plant for drilling holes, and a deck-planing machine of his own invention, which had been of considerable service to both himsolf and the ' board. ' There were five electric motors on the job, giving 48 'horse-power. He (Mr. Wilford!) heartily thanked Mr. Pulley on behalf of the board for the manner in which he had canied out the contract. The 'very best of relations had existed between him and the late engineer, Mr. W. Ferguson, and Messrs. Powell, supervising engineer, and Drake, permanent inspector. The board ivas to be congratulated on havipg such a fine addition to its assets. There had been no scamping of the workmanship. It had been well and faithfully done, and the engineers were extremely pleased with it. The wharf wa« one more evidence o* \Vellington being the premier and the cheapest port in the Dominion. VALUE OF THE WHARF. Mr. Duthie held that the value of the new wharf would be very quickly realised by all concerned. The figures quoted by Mr. Wilford were certainly startling. With t . regard' to trie wiedom or' otherwise of the second story to the shed, that would soon be determined when the steamers used the sheds. AH he could say was that the second story had been a success wherever it had been used at Home. Mr. A. de B. Brandon, speaking asone who had perhaps lived longer in Wellington than anyone else present, said he could not resist referring to the Wellington of the past, when from what few ships that cam© into the port then passengers and cargo had to be landed in boats and at humble littlewharves where big buildings were now standing. There was no Queen's Wharf then. The growth of the wharves had been really marvellous. Wellington showed evidence ot progress that was in advance of anything else south of the line. Mr. Fraser also recalled early Wellington, and the coming of the first steamei to the port. The progress jnade within his experience of 42 years of the port had been truly wonderful. MORE WHARVES WANTED. ■Mr. Jones, speaking for the shipping companies, expressed gratification at the accomplishment of the work, and hoped that it, would meet thfe requirements of the companies. More wharves were wanted, for there was still much congestion of the shipping. If the existing accommodation were insufficient the companies could not properly carry on their business. He hoped that the meeting that day to celebiate the completion of the wharf would be the precursor of otheis called for a similar purpose. In proposing Mr. Pulley's health Mr. Wilford again, referred to his conscien- . •tions- •work andi the friendly relations between that gentleman and the board. Mr. Pulley in reply .said he had done his best, but the want of piles had greatly delayed the work. He believed that more progress had been made, in the past nine months than at any other period of the work. The wharf is now fully open for traffic, and two collier steamers, the Kini and the Kotuku, were berthed at the wharf yesterday. There is much work to be done, however, in connection, "with, the hydraulic crano equipment, and the railway is yet to be laid along tho wharf sides.