ST. CLAIR GROYNES

Evening Star, Issue 17600, 3 March 1921, Page 8

ST. CLAIR GROYNES

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Doubtless by this time the citizens of Dunedin will readily admit that the groynes which aro being erected at the beach are at best an out-and-out failure. To continue the work will only result in a further expenditure of time, labor, and money. I endeavored to interest the chairman of the Domain Board the other day, but that worthy gentleman got a notion that I was only looking for work, and before I had a chance explaining my visit he advised mo to interview the city engineer. I did not cany out his advice, and so far the laatmentioued person has not been troubled by mo; but though the worthy chairman of the Domain Board might hold big trumps for the city and Dominion engineers ,1 desire, to let them know that so far ns reclaiming or preserving beaches on an open sea front is concerned they have yet a great deal to learn. I do not write in a spirit of egotism, but I unhesitatingly wish to tell any of the gentlemen who are a power in connection with the reclamation work that ho man having a knowledge of that particular kind of work would have started operations where they did. There is more chance of catching snowballs in Hades than there is in catching the over-vanishing sandhills and fas [.-disappearing beach with tho so-called groynes that have been built. I would like tho Dominion engiueer and tho city engineer to say in what part of the world they ever saw groynes built under tho face of a cliff or in tho vicinity of a whirlpool? Or in what part of the world did they ever see sand-catchers started inshore. Any beach I have helped to reclaim —and they arc a few—was started at the other end. If Cr M‘Donald has the welfare of the beach at heart 1 will, if lie chooses to accept my offer, give him sufficient evidence to prove' that it is possible even at this stags to save and build up tho beach, without any machinery at ail. Ha.lf a dozen men inside a couple of weeks would prove that the methods I have seen carried out in various parts of the world would be equally as effective here if put into operation. If something is not immediately introduced to prevent a further erosion of the sandhills it will not be very long ere old Nepluno is bidding us “How d’ye do. ' through a different channel than tho one wo have leading up past Taiaroa Heads. I have nothing further to stale on this matter at present, and there is no use in approaching Mr Hancock over the question, as he clearly intimated to me that the engineers mentioned were tho be-all aud end-all of beach reclaiming; but, as I said before, I am prepared to expound my scheme before any Interested gentlemen, and if at the end of half an hour i cannot demonstrate to them that an ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of theory, even if it comes from learned engineers, I will readily admit that I know nothing about what I have written on.—l am, etc., iNFEKIOnEM NF, UEFICTAS. TO TITE EDITOR. Sir, —I agj-eo with your correspondent, “ B. C. Bruce,’’ with reference to the failure of the groynes to bold the sand during last week's storm. Had these been erected in a more easterly direction and planked up to high-water mark I feel stive, like many others, that more resistance would have been offered to the incoming breakers. Now, sir, instead of competitive designs, as your correspondent suggests. I urge that the" Domain Board at once proceed with tho erection of a line of piles from the end of the present rock wall along tho beach to the third groyne—say at about 10ft from the base of the' existing sandhills, the piles to be planked up to above high-water mark. There arc plenty of these still lying there which would serve this purpose. The planks that are intended to bo used to finish tho groynes should be used. At the b<xck of this wall additional support could bo given by filling in with rocks from tho second beach. In this way further destruction of the remaining sandhills and Dr Dickie s property would be prevented. The scour seems to end at about the third groyne To my mind llio protection of the sandhills from further inroads by the sea is more important than experimenting with the stuttinu sands on the beach. I am, etc., ° Resident. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l would suggest that rocks encased in very strong wire-netting be firmly wedged' in between the piles of the bt Clair groynes. These might have the effect of resisting thv force of lb? waves. Jins method is resorted to on many beaches of watering places on the English coast, where similar conditions obtain. If the remainder of the money voted foi tho cioc tion of ordinary groynes—which have proved to be absolutely useless to resist the inroads of the sea—was spent on those “ baskets of rocks,” properly placed and secured between the piles, the result might be more satisfactory than anything which has hitherto been done, and I think this is certainly worth a trial.—l am, etc., Sandpiper. -March 2.