THE RATTRAY STREET JETTY EXTENSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4174, 5 July 1875, Page 7

THE RATTRAY STREET JETTY EXTENSION.

'■.Thursday, 24thult., witnessed the active initiation of a very important work, namely, the commencement of the contract let by the Harbour Board for the extuusiou of the Eattray street Jetty. The contractors are Messrs Hawkins & Co., who have.acquived a Colonial reputation through carrying out extensive harbour works at Lyttelton. Preliminary operations have been proceeded with for S'Jino time past, but it was not till yesterday that business was actively entered on in the shape of bringing the first pile iuto position, and making a commencement to drive it down. There have been some delays through not being able to get the barque .lames Hanne!l, which had all Messrs Hawkins and Col's plant on board, alongside of the jetty. However, these difficulties are now over, and a practical beginning was effected yesterday. The pile-engine is far and away ahead ofanythiug of thu kind ever seen hire before—in fact, tho same is to be said of the whole of the plant, and. it is well worth while to go through a little mud, and endure the inconvenience of a walk along a' narrow and crowded wharf, to inspect the apparatus. The pile-engine is a structure no less than 42 feet high, and can drive down four piles at a time. The pilt s aie to be driven five, in a row, of which four can be put down akthe same time, and the fifth can be driven by shil': - ing the pile-engine 18 inches sideways. On the five piles forming the rovy being driven, the pile-engine is moved forward and the next row is driven. It may be mentioned that the .pileeug"ne. together with the framework on which it stands, is fixed pn rollers, 1G in number, aud the wholefabric is moved forward to drive another row iv less than two minutes It will be thus seen that in this-carry ing out of this work cross shifting of the pile-engine will be almost done away with, as it will require to be moved only 18 inches sideways to drive the fifth pile of each row, and the engine can be shifted from one position to another in two minntes. The process we have described is a strong contrast to the antiquated arrangements that; have hitherto obtained here. . Messrs Hawkins and (Jo. \s system is the same as that which thi y have pursued in Lyttelton, where they have found it to answer well. " They havo ther.: built a jetty 336 feet long and GO feet wide, and are now constructing the breakwater. The piles are driven by two powerful donkey-engines. The present contract ia for the extension of the wharf 1160 feet, but the contractors have provided plant of an expensive and superior description, as they anticipate having to carry out an extension of their present work. At a distance of ten feet inside each row-of piles wil! be driven a sixth pile (a stay pile), which will bj connected with the row, and will take the strain of the earth-work off them. The piles now being put down are from 38 feet to 42 feet long, which lengths will enable tl c berths along the line of .extension to l.c dredged to a considerable depth. . Tho work will be carried out under the direction of experienced overseers. From the way the firm have gone about their business, we are impressed with the opinion that their advent among us will be a great advantage to a numerous portion of the industrial community not alone as regards their particular branch of busint ss, but because the introduction of one new idea ia sure to be followed by other- ( and to generate a desire for improvement. Messrs Hawkins and Co. have shown a spirit of entetpriee,-and have- set a good example by discarding old and cumbrous methods, and therefore, we heartily welcome them to our tnidht. *