DRY DOCKS AGAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 1127, 25 June 1867, Page 7

DRY DOCKS AGAIN.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Herald. Put,—'As I was the first person who drew public attention to the great want of Dry Dock accommodation in tho port of Auckland, I am sure you will not refuse me space for a second letter on the subject. I waited patiently to hear what engineers had to say, when I pointed out the breakwater as being, perhaps, capable of forming one side of the dock. This scheme did not Beem to attract much attention, in consequence, I suppose, of the amount of puddling that would be required. One person recommended the foot of Hobson-street, on the ground of having a rocky foundation. That site, I think, need not again be referred to, as such a dock would have to be built in the flea, and in the most shallow part of the harbour. Another gentleman tells u9, in a very long letter, that docks here would be very expensive, and that other kinds of docks are built elsewhere. The Engineer-in-Chief in a very able and guarded letter tells us that deep water was found near Stanley Point. But I cannot find out where Stanley Point is. It may be O'Neill's Point, or that table mountain opposite Queen-street Wharf, which, of course, would be found considerably higher than necessary, above high water mark—you can easily fancy a boiler 30 ton 3 weight, made in Auckland and parbuckled up an inclined piano from the deck of some lighter and landed on a bank, just level with the ship's rojal mast-head—to put such a monster in the hold of a steamer is the work of a sailor, and may easily escape tho memory of a Civil Engineer. I have seen very large floating docks used and moored close up to the steep and slimy banks of the Mississippi; in Auckland it is very different, we have no deep water in our sheltered bays, indeed, all our bays are manifestly shallow—therefore floating docks in Auckland w.,uld have to be moored in the stream where they would be exposed to the full force of the wind and tide, and that is 'the only fault in our harbour ; it is too large with the wind at E.N.E. : exposed for nine miles, and with tho wind at West exposed from the Whau Flats ; the Kawau would be a more suitable place for a floating dock, but the idea is too absurd, and I will say no more about floating dockß, the best are only for one generation. A steamer in dock, the engineers can do no more work until they go to the shop for something ; the same may be said of the blacksmith, the joiner, the painter, the plumber, and the whole army of mechanics that are in motion day and night until the ship is again afloat. Enough, when I tell you Mr. Editor, that if Auckland had a dry dock at Kanri Point, I would take a ship of mine to Sydney, where I could have the whole army under my eye, go ashore and dine, and be on the spot with the meu I when the work commenced again. | There is a street in Mechanics' Bay, I think it is called Stanley-street, leading past Fraser & Tinnu's foundry, fn my opinion a dry dock, that would be good for ICOO years, could be built alongside of that street, the expense could be easily calculated, it would be simply how much per yard for digging out the earth, and how mneh per yard for masonry, an engine, Bay 20 horse.power, would have to be set in motion during the process of excavation, to keep the ground ory ; and a draw-bridge across Mechanics' Bay road ; the dock could be completed, and tho gate fixed, whilst another party of labourers would be emplo3'ed digging a wide and deep channel down Mechanics' Bay beach, The splendid Bute Docks at Cardiff were built in the fields, situated something like Stanley-street fiat; and, tho approach is by a wide deep channel through a mud bank, into Penorth | Roads, I think more than two miles long ; and it is called to this day, the Cardiff New Cut; and, I often felt astonished at the cut not Glling up, as the very small stream of water is not much more than what may be collected from the domain, to keep the cut clean, all the dirt taken out of the cut would have to be taken away, this cut would do for wet docks hereafter, a3 surely we will have docks some day up to the cricketing ground at the foot of the domain. The keel blocks of this dock should not bo less than 17 feet below low water mark. But I do sincerely trust that people will refrain from abusing our Engineer-in-Chief. If we cannot afford to employ an engineer of that class, say so ; but don't abuse him, nor lißten to any yarn from any halfstarved out of job engineer. I may have to return to the excavation of the channel below low water at a future day.—l am, &c., Old RorEVAitx.