THE SANDHILLS AND ST. CLAIR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9300, 16 December 1891, Page 3

THE SANDHILLS AND ST. CLAIR.

to the editor.

Sir, —I read to-day with much interest in your supplement the report of Mr L. Reynolds on the Ocean Beach and Sandhills, and I gather from it that Mr Reynolds considers the destruction which has taken place is ' due to the S.W. winds being in excess of the N.E. winds, or rather the southerly winds in excess of the northerly and blowing more sand away than the northerly winds bring back. Now, as Mr Reynolds says that the source from which the hills derive their sand is from the sea, and as- the southerly winds are the sea winds, I cannot see how an execss of southerly winds will diminish the amount of sand on the sandhills. - Traffic, of course, by destroying the vegetation which binds the sand together, and leaving the loose saud exposed to the power of the wind, will cause the sandhills eventually to be blown away. But I think Mr Reynolds has omitted any reference to the three most important factors in the destruction of the St. Clair esplanade and encroachment of the sea on the Sandhills, which encroachment is chiefly confined to the vicinity of the St. Clair wall, and does not extend much beyond where Kingston's old refreshment rooms used to be. These three factors are—--Ist. A general encroachment of the sea which was chiefly noticeable in 1885-86. 2nd. The box drain entering the sea close to the eastern termination of the esplanade. 3rd. The rocks at present resting on the sand derived from the ruins of Mr Smith's wall and the wall built by the Caversham Council. As to No. 1. I saw the sea in 1886 in a few "weeks take away two and a-half chains of the sandhills, including the ground occupied by Kingston's buildings; and Mr Adams, the. chief surveyor, has informed me that similar encroachments of the sea occurred at that time elsewhere on the coast of Otago. As to No. 2. AVell, it is obvious that a drain discharging a large body of water on to a bed of sand must carry a good deal of it away, and it is notorious that the first evidence of destruction occurred iv the vicinity of the box drain. No. 3. The stones from the ruins of the two walls resting on the sand are lowering the level of the whole beach—every tide scours about them and sinks them a little. Iv fine weather sand accumulates about them, but it is all swept away by the first heavy sea. I have taken careful notes for some years of this matter, and have ascertained that the level of the beach in the vicinity of the esplanade is being steadily lowered, while there is no difference farther to the east. The level at present is from three to four feet lower than it was last February, and should a heavy sea with a high tide come in next autumn great destruction must ensue. AVere these stones removed the sand would come back to its old level. In proof of this, anyone can see where, last winter, a section owner near the tram termiuus put on* men to gather the rocks off the sand aud place them in crates for the protection of the section. AA rhere those stones were gathered from is now the only patch of sand adjacent to the esplanade. Mr Reynolds says that a wall would not likely stand, because it would get undermined. He is apparently unaware that a considerable portion of the foundation of Mr Smith's wall, which stood for 14 years, is still ih situ, and lhat more of it was removed by the Caversham Council. Had a little attention been paid to this wall when it showed signs of going it would be standing yet. AVere the loose stones gathered up and built behind the lines of Smith's wall, set in a concrete foundation, and the wall faced with concrete, the saud would assume its old position, and the wall, with a little attention, would be permanent. The salvation of the esplanade and the arrestment of the sea's approach in its vicinity are the most important questions to be considered, which Mr Reynolds, in his report, does not seem to specially deal with. Such remedies as he proposes for the preservation of the sandhills (and which are already being tried) would take certainly many years before they in any way acted on the sea's encroachment at St. Clair, and probably would never act on it all. — I am, kc, December 12. Robert Paulin.