HIDDEN DANGERS OF THE HAURAKI GULF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12210, 4 March 1903, Page 6

HIDDEN DANGERS OF THE HAURAKI GULF.

At the ordinary meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday the following letter from the Secretary of the Marine Department, dated February 17, was read by the secretary:—"l lave the honour, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4-th inst., forwarding copy of a resolution passed by your Board, requesting tho Government to ask the Admiralty to employ H.M.s.' Penguin for a fresh survey of the Hauraki Gulf, and in reply I have been directed by the Minister for Marine to state that it is the duty of the Board to make the necessary survey within the limits of the harbour, and that outside those limits this Department will attend to the matter when the v urgent work on hand is finished. As regards the bumping of . tho s.s. Sierra in Rangitoto Channel in November last, I am to request the Board to havo soundings taken in the locality so' that any errors in the chart may be notifiedto the Admiral prior to the visit of the warships to Auckland. I shall be glad if you will arrange to have this done as early as possible, and furnish information as to the result of the soundings, in order that the Admiral may be advised and a notice to mariners may be issued without delay." The harbourmaster, dealing with this question, reported: "There is no cause for alarm as to the water in the channel where the Sierra touched, for:she was not in the proper part of the channel for heavy draught vessels, and was going nearly full speed at low water, spring. Soundings were taken about the spot, which : showed slightly less water than on the chart, but there is ample water for the Royal Arthur and others at dead low water in the best part of the channel." The harbourmaster further stated that the spot where the Sierra bumped had two feet less water than was shown on the chart.

After some little discussion the matter was referred to the Works and Tariff Committee.