DREDGING EXPERT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22079, 22 July 1946, Page 4

DREDGING EXPERT

ADVICE AVAILABLE VISITOR TO GISBORNE WORK ON INDIAN COAST Expert technical and practical knowledge of dredging methods gained over a number of years is available in Gisborne to the authorities if they should contemplate the deepening of the Gisborne harbour channel to take overseas vessels. In temporary residence in Gisborne is Lieutenant-Colonel J. W. Day, until lately deputy port conservator of Vizagapa.tam, midway between Madras and Calcutta, on the east coast of India, and he has offered his views, should they be required, on the possibilities of the Gisborne port extension. The cost of any such project depended largely on the method used to dispose of the spoil moved in the dredging, and Lieutenant-Colonel Day explained that the cheapest way was to pump the spoil from the dredge to an area required as reclaimed land. The channel in the case of Gisborne probaolv would need to be about 25Uft wide, but any further details would require study of local conditions to determine the type of spoil to be removed and a knowledge of tides and currents. Studied Dredging At Hull A sailor by profession, LieutenantColonel Day left the sea as a shipmaster in 1924 and studied dredging methods for three years at Hull. At the completion of his studies he secured an appointment with the Calcutta Port Commission and from 1928 to 1932 was in charge of dredging work and the construction of a breakwater for the semi-artificial port at Vizagapatam. The dredging programme for the port was extensive and rock clearing also had to be carried out. A channel was made through a swamp and an area of the swamp was reclaimed by the use of the sandy spoil, from the bottom of the swamp and creek bed. This spoil was ideally suitable as it consolidated quickly, and LieutenantColonel Day said that within three months buildings were erected on the new ground. Nine berths for 15,000 to 16,000-ton vessels and a naval base for small craft resulted from these efforts. The largest vessel berthed since was one drawing 33ft. Annual maintenance involved the dredging of 1,000,000 tons of material. The port enjoys a good trade in manganese ore and is widely used by shipping. Efficient Fort Section In 1942 Lieutenant-Colonel Day joined the Indian Army when certain ports and railways were militarised. He took command of the port section at Vizagapatam with a strength of 1500 men. The men in the unit were mainly port workers and fishermen, and they rook readily to army discipline and were exceptionally keen. In a very short time the unit became efficient because of their amenability to discipline. Vizagapatam was in the news on April 6, 1942, as the first part of India to be bombed by the Japanese. The attack against the port was by carrierborne planes. Some Indian naval vessels were in the port at the time and in all 50 to 60 approximately 50kilo bombs were dropped. Twelve people were killed and about 40 injured by a direct hit on a shelter, otherwise .there was little damage. Lieutenant-Colonel Day said the town was one of the quietest parts of India, although he understood there had been strikes in Vizagapatam since he left four or five months ago. Although unsettled as to his future plans, Lieutenant-Colonel Day said he would stay in New Zealand at least until December and had decided to make GisbornJ his headquarters while travelling in the Dominion. It was his first visit to New Zealand, but he had met several New Zealanders in the air force while they were stationed in India. He came to Gisborne accompanied by Mrs. Day and their two daughters.