DREDGING OPERATIONS AT RAILWAY WHARF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9327, 10 October 1893, Page 5

DREDGING OPERATIONS AT RAILWAY WHARF.

UNSAVOURY DISCLOSURES, The Harbour Board dredger has been at work near the commencement of the Railway Wharf, deepening the water in the vicinity of the outfall of the city drainage. The idea was to remove the silt supposed to have accumulated from the drainage, but, as a matter of fact, the silt does not appear to extend beyond the second set of piles, when the mud commences. An astounding discovery has, however, been made, which shows how some people have been utterly regardless of the public health, and should lead to steps being taken for their detection and punishment, as a warning to others. During the operations of dredging no less than four puntloads of putrid fish heads and mussels were brought up, and were deposited in the Freeman's Bay reclamations, before Mr. Crowther (chairman of the Harbour Board) became aware of it. Yesterday afternoon he went to the Railway Wharf, accompanied by Messrs. Devore and Farrell, members of the Board, and a fifth puntload was ready for transfer to Freeman's Bay of fish heads, etc. The smell of the putrid mass was something dreadful, and the sight sickening. Mr. Crowther at once took the responsibility of stopping any further deposit of the hideous compound in the Freeman's Bay reclamation, where the result could only be with the present warm weather of breeding disease and death. He directed sand to be placed over the deposits already there to deodorise the heap, and directed the Foreman of Works (Mr. Taylor) to incur the necessary extra expense for taking any further punt loads to sea, outside the Rangitoto Channel. From the immense mass of fish heads dredged up, it is evident that a number of persons have been in the habit ior some considerable time of dumping the refuse of their fish-cleaning operations over the wharf into ' the harbour. In the interests of the public health a salutary example should be made of them as the practice has been carried on wholesale. It seems incredible that anyone could be so reckless of consequences, and show such disregard for sanitary laws as has been shown in this case. Messrs. Devore and Farrell thoroughly endorse the action of the chairman of the Harbour Board, who will report to the Board to-day the interim action which he has been obliged to take in the* interests of the public health. The Foreman ofWorks has made such arrangements at the outfall of the city drainage from the main sewer as will enable him to calculate with some degree of accuracy the amount of drainage passing into the harbour, and the quantity of silt being deposited, and this data will settle some points in dispute in a recent controversy. Meanwhile a lurid light has been thrown by the dredging operations upon the way in which the harbour is being silted up in the vicinity of the Railway Wharf, without either the acquiescence or knowledge of the city authorities.