WHARF COLLAPSE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 November 1924, Page 5

WHARF COLLAPSE.

AUCKLAND MISHAP. ENGINEER’S OPINION. (by telegraph—press association. * AUCKLAND, Nov. 26. The inquiry into the collapse of Western -wharf was continued to-day. Hugh G. Young, for nineteen years in the Hiailbour Board’s employ, in which he was appointed inspector of works over contractors for the building of works,, said the foundations in the harbour were very treacherous. He attributed the disaster to the piles breaking the ground beneath; Witness had resigned his position. George Smith, mechanical engineer, said his opinion was that the ground under the wharf was higher than that outside it, causing a flow of water through the bottom layer of the bank, which was of ooarst large stones. Drummond Holdemess, the board's assistant engineer, recalled, . said he considered the design satisfactory, but personally he thought the building of the wall might have been delayed . . The wall showed indications of a bodily advance, His view was that the part of the wall that collapsed sloped forward over an accumulation of silt. The plans of the wharf were submitted to witness when he was in Featherston Camp, and he emphasised that the stop© for the wall should 'he deposited as soqn as possible after the dredging had been done. , , . Witness called .the cbmmissiori’s attention to the fact that, owing to the. labour and material being hard to get, the work had to be stopped for about four and a half months, and storie-tip-ping was delayed for probably / six months. It was an extraordinary thing that it was the part of the wharf ./built after the delay that collapsed. v Mr. Williams: Did the delay' take away the effect of your benches ? : Witness: Not necessarily, but it actually allowed the stone bank to “float.” Your benches disappeared? Well partially. I think myself that, had not the; piles been present, I would have dredged over them agiain. Would you not to-day feel any anxiety about the bank under your wharf being low on one side and high on the other? That is a difficult question to answer. , Yes, hut it is vital. ' Witness said the collapse had not the appearance of a slow creep. It had all the look of a quick collapse within a few minutes. You will admit that there is evi T denoe if side pressure? ' Ye®. ' • , • Arid you will admit that this wharf was never built to withstand a great side pressure? Yes, the wall was built on a loose rubble wall because ( it was felt that settlement w'ould continue for sometime. The wharf was intended to withstand a certain amount of lateral pressure, and a certain amount would not be considered as a serious menace. Is not that pressure in existence all along the wharf at present ? We see the result arid we conclude there, is a big 'Strain, on the piles. We ask do you not think the same? The witness, after hesitation, said he thought, that some of the piles might be carrying a considerable weight. /

The hearing was at this stage- adjourned.