DREDGE ADRIFT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22289, 26 March 1947, Page 6

DREDGE ADRIFT

SURGE OF WATER NO DAMAGE CAUSED SHIPS RISE AT WHARVES Although there were three large surges of approximately 12ft. in variation, no damage was done to any vessels in the Gisborne harbour. The wave, which could be seen coming across the bay from the direction of Muriwai, rushed up the diversion cut and the Turanganui River. The Pukeko, which was tied up at No. 3 wharf, and fishing vessels received a severe jolt as they suddenly rose on the wave. Lines tying the ships to the wharves were strained, but all held. Further strain was imposed on them as the water rushed out, the drop being estimated at approximately 12ft. by the harbourmaster, Captain G. McK. Smart. This meant that the level of the water fell to below the low tide mark. The Gisborne Harbour Board’s auxiliary dredge, which was dredging in the channel opposite No. 4 wharf, dragged her moorings at this juncture, but the Harbour Board launch was quickly on the scene and she was soon moored to the wharf with little trouble. Two other large bores came up the harbour channel, but other than jolting the ships, did no damage. Later in the morning a number of smaller fluctuations in the water level were observed by a large number of people who quickly gathered on the Gladstone road bridge and the wharves.

At Kaiti Beach the water swirled up around the base of the Cook monument and over the road. The water entered batches on the road level at the far end of Kaiti Beach, and it is believed a small amount of structural damage was caused.

No damage has been reported to properties backing on to the Waimata or Taruheru rivers. A small wave travelled up the rivers and driftwood, which had collected against the piles of the bridges, was swirled back upstream before the sudden drop in the water level and the outflow of the tide brought it down to the sea.

The picture gathered from various points along the coast support the theory that the disturbance h’ad its origin a few miles off-shore from Gisborne, and that its movement was northerly and north-westerly. One report from Wainui referred to a huge patch of sea lashed to a white froth, some miles out from Tuahine Point, where the water remained disturbed and frothy for some time after the last tremors of the morning quake had subsided. Reports from the south were negative as to damage either by the quake or Rom the effects of the tidal-wave. Waikaremoana power supply suffered no interruption during the morning, indicating that the quake had no effects at the headworks of the scheme, and Wellington reports that the earth tremor was not felt in the southern portion of the North Island.