ST. CLAIR GROYNES

Evening Star, Issue 17644, 25 April 1921, Page 7

ST. CLAIR GROYNES

TO THE BDtTOB. Sir, —In reply to “J.G.” and others, 1 did not stress tho danger to tbo inhabitants of tho IjTat, because 'I thought I had enough to say about, the causes of the present Your correspondent points out conditions that, in combination, helped by accident., might produce a disaster such as occurred at Galveston (U.S.A.), on the south-western shore of tho Gulf of Mexico. In regard to “J.G.’s" doubt, about tho blasting away of tho nock'to make tho baths, if my letter led to that impression it must havo been duo to some, vagueness of expression. Before the'-baths were made there was a, hole, or hollow, on tho rocky platform, much used and appreciated by I ho, small boys of the day. There was no rocky point or wall. The level and extent of the platform were the same as is the level of the baths to-day. In connection with water in a state of motion, it is extraordinary what, trouble a small obstruction may develop. My contention is that the erection of “ Darky ” Smith's wall was tho first of tinnatural caus-s that, led to the denudation of St. Clair beach, and that the rock material taken out of the platform and thrown upon tho beach against what, remains of the old wall was the second: and also that matters are being made worse by tho protective efforts now being made. The beach w'ill never make up permanently again as long as those stones are there and the vertical face of tho esplanade.

With tho predominance of northerly and off-shore winds during the last, three weeks the submerged sand bank before referred to has swung shoreward?, and there is a small accretion of sand along the edge of tho rubble apron, but not near the baths, whore the waves at high and low tide roll freely in to break upon the rubble and sweep or swirl northward;. Those rocks and the wall are not tho whole cause of tho swirl. Tho predisposing causes were always there. They are two—the lash of the heaped-up waters along the cliffs to the south, around the baths platform and tho reef beyond, and the water that at high tide flows over the platform and the reef. The one and only artificial remedy which will counteract this inimical tendency of the wave action nnd the south-west, current is a mole out from the,baths; and if anyone is sufficiently intcres'ed in tho truth of this contention let him make an excursion along the cliffs to tho tunnel down to the only nandy beach that exists between, St. Clair and tho Green Island bench.—l am. etc, J. 11. A. MThee, April 22.