CONTEMPLATED HARBOUR WORKS AT MILFORD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5347, 9 April 1879, Page 7

CONTEMPLATED HARBOUR WORKS AT MILFORD.

A member of our staff, when on a visit, recently, to Temuka, Canterbury, had an interview with Mr Alexander Wilson, a merchant of that place, who is Chairman of the Milfoid Harbour Board, with the object of obtaining information as to the probability of the carrying out of the scheme of the proposed harbour works at the Milford Lagoon. Although we have already referred at length to this l.ivject, still the fol lowing particulars may be interesting:—Mr Wils in has every confidence in the undertaking, and he believes that if ths feasibility of formins a safe and commodious bar bour at Milf. rd at a very moderate outlay <f capital werj generally known, there woull bo vtry litle delay in commencing the wurlr. Milford Lagoon is situated four miles east from the township of Temuka, and 10 or 12 miles north o£ Timaru. It is a sheet of water no le3S than three miles long, aid about an eighth of a mile in width. Its average depth of water is 12 f;et. This expanse of water is ln\, or rather is formed, by three rivers—the Opsihi, tie Temuka, and the Waihi — is well as by numerous creeks, and it is separated frcm the ocean by & bank or spit of gieat sirergth, through which, however, at times of fl md an opening is f roed, when a com-iderable amo n' of shingle ia cair'ed to aea, and the d-pth of water is increwel. This channel i< formed at the weakest part of the bank, and ia c r linarily suffic ent to admit of thoingresi and egrets if the ocean tide. After ft seas..n of dry weather— the flood tido bems? stronger than the ebb—tMs channel is partially filled up ; hut it is coufideatly asserted, upon the best of engineering authority, that this opening may be formed intj a harbour mouth, at veiy moderate expense, which will admit the full fl >w of the tide, and afford every facility for na'ural scouring. Immediately outride of the spit the depth of water is four fathoms, half a mile out it is five to 3ix fathom*, and th rj is good anchorage ground in the vicinity. Tha projected works are: —To faca up a certain amount cf the shmttla bank by means of shi et.pi!ing, and m ike a permanent opening 300 feet in width, of pies and concrete —the mole on.thesiuth side to extend into the sea GOO feet, and that on the north 300 feet. The local committee invited Sir John Coode to viait the works, and that gentleman did no, taking with him Mr Hardy Johnston's plans and specifications. His opinion was extremeiy favourable as to the practicability of the work. A bill has passed Parliament calling a Board into existence, and investing it with the shingle spit, and borrowing powers to the extent of L 27.000. This Board is compoied of Messrs Alexander Wilsjn (ch«rman), W. Postlethwaite, W. Ralston, John Hayhurat, Charles Tripp, W. C. Ben wick, John Taliot, J. T. Smith, and Julius Mendlesjn. The projected works, according to Mr Johnston's estimate, would cost some L 82.000. Mr Wilson directed particu'sr atten ti'in to the fact that similar works on a Bmall scale having proved successful at the mouth of the Kakanui River, there was no reason why they should n->t succeed at Milford, especially as, instead of one small stream, two large rivers arid several creeks have their confluence there.

A sad occurrence took place at Mullocky Gully, beyond North Taiari, on Wednesday the 2nd. We ruftr to the death, after a very short illnaiS, of Mr C. E. Pratt, assistant engineer in the Public Works Department, who wa3 en-

giged in that neighbourhood as held of a party surveying a section of the Otago Central Railway. He besame ill in camp, and was at once conveyed by his party to WebVs accommo-dition-house at Mullccky Gully, where he became too ill to be taken on to North. Taieri,

as was intended. A doctor from Duaedin, and one from Mosgiel, were sent for, and attended, but although everything that was possible was done, he gradually s ink, and expired ag stated. Mr Pratt was only 25 years old, and had been in eervicj in connection with the Dunedin office for about a couple of years. He was much esteemed by his fellow officials, and gave every promise of success in his profession. His relatives, we understand, resida in Christchurch.