OUR HARBOR.

Evening Star, Issue 8529, 30 May 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR HARBOR.

TO THEKDITOB. Sir,—How to maintain our harbor as a ] first-class port, and to provide for the heavy draught ships of the future to come hew with safety; is admittedly a matter of the wiQlt %'rious importance tp V*» whole province of Otago, At presanf ifie largest direct steamers oan to the wharf at Port Chalmers, but owing to their heavy draught they cannot do so fully loaded, nor can they make Otago their last port of departure,'* •'this is not owing to insufficient depth of water on the bar (as wo may now consider the bar a thing | of the past), as there is nearly 30ft of water on it at full tide. The largest steamers afloat

can crow the bar and He (n «raooth water ofl' Harrington Point, This being so, what I would suggest to our merohanta is that they should form a oompany, and hare steam lighters built for the purpose of discharging and loading the large steamers, which could anohor inside the Heads, and the cost of lightering would, I think, be not more expensive than the present rail charges from Port Chalmers. If funds were available, a wharf should be built where there is deep water, and Bheds erected where outward and inward shipments could be stored, thus expediting the despatch of the large steamers. As I before stated, steamers of the greatest draught caa cross the bar and lie in smooth water inside the Heads; bat to dredge a channel from there to Port Chalmers wharf would cost a larjje sum of money—perhaps Ll6o.ooo—and this cannot be thought of at the present time. Hoping this suggestion may be thought worthy of the consideration of our Chamber of Commerce, merchants, and Harbor Board —I am, etc, C. S. Rbevks. Danedin, May 30.