NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9681, 16 May 1894, Page 4

NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

Tuesday, May 15. Thn Board met at 2 p.tn. Present— Tbe Hon. J. D. Ormond, M.L.C. (in the chair), Messrs S. Carnell, M.H.K., J. W. ileal, 11. Williams, P. Dolbel, W. K. White, A. Davidson, J. H. Vautier, F, W. William?, and G. H. Swan. ANNUAL HATE. The speciil statutory meeting for striking the minimi rate was held. The foimal striking of a rate of a halfpenny in the £1 on property within the borough of Napier, and a Urthin-j- in the £1 in tbe county, was agreed to" on the motion of tho chairman, seconded hy Mr Vauiier. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence wns read BDd dealt with :— From Mr K. Harding, res-ipning bis Beat on the Hoard.— The Waipawa au.i Patangata Connty Couucils, represented by Mr {larding, tv bs notjiiid-

I _ From the Town Clerk oi Napier, asking permission for the Borough Council to lay a drain through tho western quay. —Permission granted. From Mr J. 11. Smith, asking to be allowed to moor a live-ton yacht under tho breakwater. — Referred to the engineer to report upon. From Mr W. Dinwiddie, secretary of the Hawko's I', iy Lawn Tennis Club, asking for Ihe lea^e for 14 years of a ;pite for a recreation ai.d tennis ground on the reclnime.t land i;.\r the Port Ahuriri i-chonl.— Srer. ir.iy In meet deputation re-pren-iiiin," iln- c'lib to fix upon the site, and the ..|,pp<ci*i.iii io be brought before thu Ro;\id nt tin: next mcetiu;;. The secretary mis al.ii/ Instructed lo procure tho opinion of tlie 1! -aril's solicitors ou thu question nf Icaniu;' thu land. Fiom Mr K. l''orni:, assistant pilot, Asking for an increase of salary. — The Hoard decided to increase the writer's salary from £150 to £175 per annum. From tho samo, as acting harbormaster, reporting that 51 vessels had nriived in port since the last meeting, 41 berthed in the inner harbor, and IS in the outer harbor. The depth of water in the channel between the piers at high water Hack was 13ft 6in, Tind 12fo 6in at low water slack. The depth of water at the western cjnay nnd in the Iron Pot continued good. During the heavy sea ou Saturday, 12th instant, two of tho ironb.irk piles nt the end of the eastern pier were broken. — Report received, and engineer anlhoriie.l to have necessnry repairs tfficted. From the committee appointed to report upon the proposal to make a cut from nenr the sewer ontfall to divert tbe Tutaekuri stream at that point through the middle bridge on the Taradale-roa-J. The committee reported that they met the committeer appointed by the Hawke'a Bay County Council and Napier Borough Council, and that it was agreed to make the following recommendation-.— "That the Napier Harbor Board and the Napier Municipal Council make the cut between them, and that the same bodies join the Hawke's Bay County Council in the cost of erecting a new bridge at tho middle channel, to the extent of £150, payable by the Harbor Board and Municipal Council, the style and cost of bridge to be approved by the three local bodies, and the Hawke's Bay Connty Coancil to proceed with the construction of the bridge at snch time as they may consider* necessary." — The Chairman opposed the adoption of the report on the ground that to carry ont the work was outside the dnty of the Board. Ha could see the advantage to the Borough and County Council, bnt the question was ono for them. — Messrs Vantier, Swsd, Neal, H. Williams, and Dolhel favored the adoption of the report, — Messrs F. W. Williams and Carnell urged that the work devolved upon the two other local bodies. —Mr Vantier moved and Mr Swan seconded tbe adoption of the report. The resnlt of the voting was as follows : — Ayes : Messrs Swan, Vautier, Davidson, Dolbel, H. Williams, acd Neal. Noes : Messrs Ormond, White, F. Williams, and S. Carnell. The report was therefore adopted. — The Chairman said be wonld take steps to put before tbe Board at the next meeting a motion to test tbe question as to whether an indefinite liability of the kind should be undertaken, — Mr Carnell gave notice to move at the next meeting that the motion be rescinded, The committee appointed to meet a deputation re the Customs examination shed recommended as follows :—" Yoar committee, after duly considering the question, and in view of the fact that in a short time fresh arrangements will have to be made, swing to the landing of goods at the breakwater, recommend that bo alteration be made by tbe Board at present. Your committee further recommend that the Cnstoms authorities be asked to see thai no goods are removed from the examination sheds without an order from the agents of the vessel."— Mt Tantier explained that he did not think the Customs would move iv the direction Indicated. He moved the adoption ol the report.^-The Chairman doubted the advlaableness of asking the Customs to do what it was practically known they would not do. — Mr Neal stated that tho Customs were now acting more stringently. He had got over the difficulty by getting carters to sign receipts on his firm's behalf.— Mr F. W. Williams said there was no difficulty about receipts from well-known consignees. There were, however, great difficulties in connection with other consignees' goods, Tbere was also the difficulty as to tbe condition ol goods landed, and of pilotage, He advocated tbe appointment of an officer of the Board to attend to the examination shed and be in control ol the goods stared in tbe shed and give delivery. — Mr Vautiei opposed placing snch a responsibility upon the Board. — Mr Carnell considered that tho responsibility for goods landed ought to attach lo the people lo whom the goods were consigned, and that il was their business to fee to their own property. — Mr H. Williams, who seconded the adoption of the report, thonght that the proper plan was to defer the question, on the grounds stated in the recommendation. — The report was adopted on the voices. engineer's report. The following report by the englneei wbb read : — Contract No. 35, Third Section of Breakwater.—Since the last meeting the contractors have pushed on woll with the repairs to the breakwater, rendered necessary by tho great storm of April Ist and 2nd, and by the 9th Inst, had complelod all repairs to (he gap near the end, and preparations wore made- to rebuild tho llrst of the four damaged monoliths at tho end on the 12th lust., bul on the previous evening a heavy se* commenced to come in from about north-east by east, and that sea has been pounding on and dashing over the breakwater over since, a period o( over ninety hours. Jt has not yet been possiblo to get along the breakwater, but us far as can bo seen no damage has been dono fo the structure. After the previous storm, careful soundings were taken all along the seaward side of breakwater, to ascertain tho position of tho foundation protection apron, and it was found to bo generally in a very good condition. Wherever nny considerable settlement had taken place in this apron, concrete blocks nnd rubble were put over to strengthen it, in places the pell-moll blocks being visiblo abovo the surfaco of the wator. In accordance witli a resolution of tho Board, the contractors were rolioved of all liability on the portion of their contract up to the gap nx-ai the end on the Sth inst. Contract No. 39, Root of Mole.— Since the storm of Ist and 2nd April, the contractors had rebuilt 270 fter. of the main body of concrete sea-wall, and 9tj feet of the top lift of wall, and had backed up the wall with rubble, leaving a gap of between 40 and 50 feet of wall to rebuild. Tho staging was re-erected to tbo ond, and it was anticipated that the main body ot the wall would havo been rebuilt by to-day, hut tho sea of lust Saturday and Sunday has again swept away the wholo of tho staging, and overturned 153 foet of tho work again out of tho 276 tool rebuilt, and also scattered the rubble backing. It ls moro and more ovident that the breakwater is not yet far enough advanced to afford protection to thn wertern mole from north-easterly and easterly seas, and it will be necessary, in building tho portion overturned, to widen the base of the wall to givo it weight, lo withstand (he force of thoso seas. It will also bo necessary to completely reclaim the space enclosed by the root of the wall and mound ns recommended in my last report. As this reclaimed land is to be used as a block making and block stacking ground hereafler, it will be nocossurv to concrete tho surface for a width of 30 fiiet from the concrete sea wall, and I bog to roconiiijond that thia work be dono now as rar as the reclamation has been done, and that as Ihe wall is ru-bullt it should bo backod up in the Bame manner. This will save the wall and reclamation from future damage. I havo received a reasonable ofler from tho contractors for tho reclamation, and for tlie concreting of the surface as proposod. The tost of roclamalion would he Gd a cubic yard, and the cost of concreting the surface, which will have to be done sooner or later, would be about £350. Plan of Ifarbor.— A fresh survey of the bottom of the harbor where rocks and reefs exist ed is being made whenever the woathor permits, to enable the compiling of a correct | Uinri, showing ihe depth of water and position of rocks, &<-., for the information of (he Marino Dupa. liucnl and of tho shipping companies. Drudgo J.D.O.— Tho dredtro lifted 450 cubic yards of rooks oil' the reefs miring the month, and deposited namo on tho foundation of breakwater. She was also ongagod re-laj Ing Iho buoy on the Pania reef, and on other duties. She is now on tho Blip for an overhaul, having beon nino months in tho water. Certain work requires to bo dono to hor, and I prepared a speciljcation and havo obtained tenders from tho local foundries for I ho work, which tenders am attached hereto, also tho speeillcatton. Silt Punta.— Tho heavy soa on Friday night Inst shifted two of tho silt punts out of the Iron Pot and drove them up through tho Petane bridge, damaging their ends slightly. Cribwork Protection. — The late storm damaged tin; cribwork slightly in several S laces between tlle engine shed and the Spit. U-ps are being taken lo repair Die damage. Mast crn Mole —Two of the ironbark piles lately driven at tho end of the eastern moloal the Spit were broken by the late storm nn-1 will havo to bo rc-placod. breastwork.— Tho repairs to the breast work nt the h'pit have been completepi as far ai tho portion thai waa broken away li concerned. Tut aokui-i Kiver.— The rep.iir.-i to the weir have been satisfactorily completed under the charge of Mr Jbirges-.. Cutting flap-, in Embankments. -The gatß authorised lobe out in Ihe embankment-, in (he Meaneo district are now being cut under Mr Unrges's supervision. With regard to the mole, the engineer was instructed to provide for extra backing to the wall, to the extent of GO feet, and a'so to carry out the proposed strengthening of the wall and the concrete facing of thp. reclamation. In reply to the Chairman the ensinepr said that he could complete the survey referred to in his repoit in another week if the weather held fine. The proposals witb reference to the dredge were agreed to. The tender of Messrs Niven and Co. for the repairs set out in the report), nt a total of £l.'j'2 10s, was nnc-'ptcl. The other tender, from the Vulcin Foundry, was £138 7a 6d. The remain- ler oi the report wai adopted. The following a.Mci.da to lo 'he report were handed in by ihe engineer, nnd read : —

I tho storms of j\pr-l la slightly .ill cr ihe arrangement for Uing back the outer raw ul' piles to the centre ones, and ll»ding that the time for receiving lenders was too short, I did noi call them for ihi^ meet ing. It was decided that the contractors ahould hi required to push on the rubble work, aud the engineer was instructed to bave tender.! for the new whart ready to ] lay before the next meeting ot the li.i.ir.i, THE GRECIAN I'.KN'D. On the motion of Mr Cirnell it wis decided that Mr Carr or some other officer cf the Board might go with tlio Te Kapn to supervise the blowing up nf the wreck of tbe Grecian Ben. l. The pronoial caused some discussion, a-, tin- u.-ppii-'-i---bility rested entirely on tho Marirc D ■- liartment, which bad acted, it wai urjrd, with great rcniirsne" 1 . The llo.ird, however, decided that lioni :» humanitarian point of view they would allow oue tt their officers to assist ns requested, account^. Vouchers to the amount of £187S 7s ld were passed for payment, imi.lc up of £1435 133 3-1 loin account unit 11 (2 13. lOd general account, i MR DOLHEI.'S MOTION. '■ Pursuant to notic-?, Mr lbill-el moved, "That the propoaed entianco of Napier , harbor on the east side ol tbe Auckland '. rock be re-considered "—The mover sprke , at considerable length in favor ot the motion. He refeucd to his great cinstal • experience, both in Kurope as well as . in New Zealand, as testimony to the , fact that he was entitled to speak with some amount of authority on the 3 subject. He dwelt npon the con- _ struction of the breakwater generally, aud , urged that it would be necessary to carry | ouo his proposal to carry the breakwater to the Auckland rock to ensure absolute ', safety to tbe structure. He exhibited \ plans aud diagrams lo explain his ineaui ing. , The Chairman suggested that as at t,ie next meeting plans and specifications for I the next cDutract would have to be coni sidered, that would be a favorable oppor- , tnnlty to discuss any line" of deviation , which the engineer might lay down aiter • having heard Mr Dolbel's reasons. , Mr Carnell seconded the motion pro ■ forma, but opposed its adoption. , Captnln Davidson and Messrs F. W. _ Williams, 11. Williams, and Swan having ', spoken, it was decided to adjourn the . discussion. i The Hoard then adjourned.