NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6281, 21 June 1882, Page 3

NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

Tuesday. Junk 20. The Board met at 2.30 p.m. Present— The Chairman (Mr J. D. Ormond), Messrs J. A. Smith, E. Lyndon, M. K. Miller, and J. N. Williams. VACANCY/. Tho Chairman stated that, Mr Tanner having been absent from four meetings of the Board, his seat had become vacant, and as he was one of the nominated members, the vacancy would have to bo notified to the Government.

The Secretary wa3 directed to send the required intimation to the Government. COJiRESPONDBNCB. The following correspondence was read : — From tho Mayor, explaining that his absence from the meeting of the Board was caused by his being called away on an urgent professional case.

From Mr A. D. Fraser, acting agent for the Union Steamship Company, applying for a pilotage exemption cortifioate for Captain John Bernech, master of the Southern Cross. — Granted.

From Messrs Waterworth and Willis, requesting permission to cart shingle from the back of the Shakespeare-road for tho new reservoir. — Granted on the usual conditions. .

From the engineer of the Wanganui Harbor Board, requesting information with regard to the working of the dredge, cost, &c. — The Socretary stated that ho had furnished the required information.

From the Marine Department, acknowledging receipt of new bye-law and covering a copy of the British Code List for 1882. ■■.■':

From the harbor-master reporting thai, in consequence of the recent bad weather, the channel on the bar was narrow and shallow, and the greatest draught of water at which he could bring in a vessel was 10ft. 6in. . engineeb's rbpobt. The following progress report from tho Board's engineer was read : — During the past month dredging operations have been carried on at the breastwork, but considerable delay was caused through the inclemency of the weather. All the matex-ial that could be lifted by the dredger from the breastwork has been raiaed, and the crane is now being fixed in the punt.

The piling at the breastwork has been examined by a direr, and it was found that a few of the sheet piles had boon broken in driving, and cut off before they had reached the proper depth, and that some of the piles had been driven in askow, leaving openings below the water line. It was through the openings thus left th *-t the loose filling at the iback was washed out, thus causing the road to fall. I have had piles driven in front of the openings, and the loose earth has been replaced by stone.

Tonclers have boan called for the supply of timber for the extension of th» breastwork. The specifications for the labor are completed, and the plans will bo finished in a few days. Tender* will b» called this week for the .labor and ironwork, bo that the work can be started by the and of July, whon part of the timber will be on the ground. The material on the top of tie Btons wall has been removed by the dredging maohine and used for raising the road along the proposed work. . : -

- - Tlie hits easterly weather which prevailed for several days brought a heavy sea into the bay, which remove* a considerable quantity of shingle from, the beach of the town and .Eastern. Spit, and carried large masses of shingle to the ilangatfra bank. The bar, which previously ran out in a N.W. by N. direction haa been driven more in t«wvrdi the piers, and it now runs N.W. by. W. from the light on the pier-head. The bank inside th# pier r head has thus bean considerably in* creased, but the scour caused by frh« f re«het and the ebb tide is now fast reducing the quantity of . shingle upon the bank, and during low water I have had mon reducing the boulders that were too large to be scoured away by . the current. The freshet caused by the heavy rainfall has had a beneficial action upon the channel between the piers, having completely removed all the loose shingle which had accumulated along the western pier. The damage to the fascine work by the Snoods was trifling. The groin on tho Poraito ohannel on the lower side of the bridge was not at all injured, and tho only damage* to the Battery Point groin was a slight banding over Ln two places for a distance of 15 feet, and the scouring of a few eapliugs where the fa«cines had not been fixed, thus allowing the water to rush through them. The effect of the groin above the bridge has bnen to materially improve the channel at that part, the bank which projeefced "into the water- way having been scoured, and thore is sow deep water along the outer face of the groin. Inside the work the silting has been very favorable, fully two feet of silt having been deposited behind the fascines. With regard to tho currents, it v quite apparent that when there is a heavy fresh in the Tutaekuri the Poraiie our rent is not strong enough to deflect the stream and cause it to run along the breastwork, although in the ordinary state of the river the Poraite current is the strongest and diverts the stream. This has been fully shown lately, as during the freshet the water alongside the breastwork was almost slaok, the stream running towards the western side of the channel, but as the river became reduced the stream came more towards tha breastwork, and it is now running sufficiently strong at the lower end to remove some of the silt which hat been deposited. Ac it is in times of freshets that silting is most liable to take plaae it is evident that the stream must be sufficiently diverted to prevent its leaving the breastwork during those periods. I would reepmmend that the Poraite groin be lengthened about 20 feet in the direction shown on the accompanying plan. The coßt of the extension will bo about £70. At the breastwork where there had beea dredging, it was fouad after the fresh that a part of the bank on the outer side of the excavation had been washed in towards the breastwork, thus reducing the depth of water, but making the channel wider. There has also been a deposit of silt caused by tho bank not having been complotely cut through at tho lower end, and also by tho stream leaving the breastwork during the freshet. Such changes as the<o must be expected in the event of heavy freshets until the whole of the bank is removed, when the stream will have a clear course and there will be no obstructions to promota a depositing of silt.

It was defcided fhat the expenditure of £70, as recommended by the engineer, be authorised. XrMBEE SUPPLY. A joint tender from Messrs A. Bryson and F. H. Drower was opened, offering to deliver timber at the Spit at the rate of 22s per 100 feet. The rate was considered too high, and after some consideration it was decided to, ; endeavor to make a moro favorable arrangement privately, failing which that fresh tenders do called for.

ACCOUNTS. The month's accounts, amounting to £380, were passed far payment, and ordered to be paid. The Board then adjourned.