THE HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 11607, 18 June 1902, Page 8

THE HARBOR BOARD.

The following report from the engineer will be presented at to-morrow's meeting of the above:

I have the honor to report as follows: Dredging: 222 is making good progress in removing the shoal at pile No. 14, victoria Channel. One narrow cut has been nearly carried through, when she will be dropped back to widen it. During the month of May four loads, or about 28,000 cubic yards, were dredged out of the channel, deposited at the Vulcan, and puirped on to the Ravensbourne reclamation, at a combined cost, for wages, stores, and repairs, of 9£d per cubic yard. Widening and extension of Victoria wharf 1 The remaining piles have been received, and this work is nearlv completed. Planking of the tongue wharf: About 65,000 superficial feet, of blue gum planking has been received, and the work of putting it down is well in hand. Good progress is being made with the retaining wall at Pelichet Bay, the Water of Leith side being pitched with hand-laid stone. The approach to the widened shed at the lower end of the Victoria wharf has been formed and metalled, and arrangements are being made to metal portions of the lower ends of Rattray and Jetty streets. On the 6th, 7th, and Bth an attempt was made to sluice a channel through the bend above Harrington Point by means of the propeller of the s.s. Waihora, which vessel was lent to the Board bv the Union Steam Ship Company for the trial. The attempt had to be abandoned owing to the impossibility, with the appliances on board, of holding the vessel in position on the flood tide. About eight hours run of the propeller was made altogether, -when, from soundings taken as the work proceeded. I estimated that a cat of about 400 ft in length had been scoured out, with depths ranging from 22ft to 2«t at low water where there had previously been 17ft only, one sounding giving as much as AW. I found, however, by later soundings that this cut had shoaled in again, caused, 1 tliink, by the strong cross tides and shifting sand. The trial, though unsuccessful, has shown that under favorable conditions, and more especially where the tidal scour is in the same line as the cut, that sand bars can be effectively scoured away by propeller sluicing It has also shown that any attempt with the Board's plant to dredge through this flat would be very cosily, if not impracticable and that permanent works of some magnitude would be required to reduce the bend at this place.