ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE.

Evening Star, Issue 8231, 31 May 1890, Page 2

ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —A great deal baa been said and written of late about the St. Clair esplanade and Ocean Beach. I hope I shall not be thought guilty of presumption in offering, as a non-professional man, a few remarks of my own on the subject. A good many years ago the esplanade was formed by Mr James Smith, who erected a sea wall at the foot of the sandhills, following the line of the beach for ten or twelve chains from the rocks to a point at the end of the Forbury road, and levelling down the sandhills at the back of it. The sand in front stood then at a level many feet higher than of late, sometimes making up so that one could step on to it from the top of the wall, and there was no indication of the bed of boulders underlying it, and now laid bare by its being entirely washed away. That was an excellent work, and stood well for fourteen or fifteen years, during which St. Clair Beach acquired its well-deserved popularity as a health resort. But then two things happened. First, the sand was washed out to a depth never known before ; and, second, the wall, being so undermined, toppled over, and the side of the esplanade followed ; and so the beautiful sandy beach was destroyed, and the esplanade in great part washed away. > What is now to be desired is the restoration, if possible, of both these to the status quo ante. The first necessary step towards this is to ascertain what was the cause of the change that occurred. What led to the moving away of the sand which for so many years had piled up in front of the wall ? My opinion, whatever it be worth, is that the sand wag set moving by the action of the new drain coming on to the beach at the Forbury road. At times of flood or heavy rain a strong stream was driven across the beach, cutting a deep trench, and so starting the sand in motion. The opening of this drain is the only new thing that has come upon the beach, and in the absence of any other apparent cause one is driven to the conclusion that it must have been the cause of the movement which immediately followed its construction. Further, I believe the mischief has been aggravated and continued by the injudicious re-erection further seaward of the wall and the deposit of the stones from its speedy ruin out on a line where the sea breaks over them, and on its reflux clears out every vestige of sand. The original wall, as built by Mr Smith, was a good and effective work. It stood for many years, and would have been standing now, but that the sand in front was washed out to a depth not anticipated at the time of its construction. A good part of its foundation still remains.

In my humble judgment the first and best thing to do now will be to gather up the scattered stones and rebuild the wall on the original lines, putting the foundation down to such depth as will reach hard ground or be below what the sand can be washed oat to. In either case, an extra depth of 2ft or 3ft, or leas, will probably be found sufficient. It peed not be carried up in its full width to a height above 3ft over high-water mark, but a lighter structure might be continued higher up sufficient to retain the esplanade. With the stone lying on the ground the cost need not be great. I suppose the kind of structure would be a rough stone wall grouted with concrete made of screenings and cement. The whole cost of the wall would not, I believe, exceed L4OO. By this means the esplanade at least will be made perfectly and permanently secure, and the scouring-out of the sand mitigated. It will then remain to deal with the drain, the first cause, as I believe, of the damage—an illconceived and miserable work at its best. It is now almost entirely silted up' and discharges very little water. The best thing to do with it would be to close it up and let the drainage it was intended to provide for follow its original and natural course into the bay, which should never have been interfered with. We shall thus have everything restored to the previous condition, and the same natural forces wh : ch made the St. Clair beach, and piled up the sandhills for long ages past, will again bs in operation, and continue so till, may be, interfered with again by meddlesome and too often ignorant man,—l am, etc., E, B. Oahgit.l. The Clifts. May 30.