ST. CLAIR EROSION.

Evening Star, Issue 23326, 24 July 1939, Page 10

ST. CLAIR EROSION.

. TO THE EDITOR. Sir—ln an article published in, your issue of July 21, you give some opinions of a resident in respect to the causes of the erosion recently made by the sea adjacent to the pile groins. I have watched this cutting of the sandhills since 1878. when in front, of St. Clair was Smith's original wall. At the end of our recently completed esplanade more than a chain of sandhill has disappeared since 1878. Every now and again, according to the bed of the ocean some chains out and the prevailing wind and tide, this portion of the sandhills is scoured out. In 1914, through the medium of the Otago Expansion League, a drive was constructed from St. Clair at considerable expense. This was. swept away entirely, although a small portion is still visible from the face to-day. The Domain Board is not worried about the present scour; we still have the old footpath for the use of the public. What is gone is what we have reclaimed and will reclaim again. Indeed, the sand is now returning. Your informant blames the extension of the esplanade, but that argument is disproved to-day, when the loose walling at the , end of the esplanade is standing, while a scour at a lower level would have swept it away in a few hours. It might have been better to have a sloping wall, but the board referred the matter .to the _ city engineer and Habour Board engineer, who advised that the extension should be carried out on similar lines to those of the first esplanade. In front of the wall there* is a good apron of stone to break the force of the waves. As soon as funds are available the board will be asked to consider the construction of six or ©ight chains of protection on the Dutch system of stepped terrace. To help us in this matter the, St; Clair Improvement Association might, with the approval of the public, run a monster carnival successfully.—l am, etc., Jons Wilson, (Chairman of the Ocean Beach Domain Board). July 24.