PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF DUNEDIN HARBOUR, &c. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11188, 10 August 1898, Page 6

PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF DUNEDIN HARBOUR, &c. TO THE EDITOR.

i Six,—Prom. repqftß amd letters that appear > in the .papers frora • time to tims; it in evideufc thafc (ihe st»te;of the harbour ii canning spnie itDxiety, riot only to the - Harbour Board, but to ; ,; others,l'ijbo. tnke;;»ta = interest ip. the ,welfar'e-of '"piago. !Among thesp 1a95 I may clais^ mygelf, ■ Mand, wifchont being, thought ■ pref uroptnous, I ■ intend to pt)intbnS'ii ( way--and, I am confideat,' . the'only, >ff.ctußl: way—to remedy" the -evil arising from the silting up of the harbour. This1 .., i« caused, by.the «Ht\ brought in by the ti^e .^being^epoeited during the i time of-slack water" ■ (arid' moire-especially when it is blowing strongly up'the.harbour^tjriring the ebb. To remedy . th|? apd'countetaiti -the evil a strong body of ' swater; is required to. pour in atthe head of the . harbour/ Now;" 1: sim,;likß"f Civis',"-not in' j epgifaeefi' 'and' I 'hold the game ■ opiriioh":iß i-,' rCi*i( "■ does' iii ire'gatd'to;the bar that1 would ' j-be !f6rmed';in Vrihjivng'in the iea 'from' St. I C]air':. you mighi have more of the.',ocean ! coining in tb,»n,was desirable. .'The bar which ] ['would \,be formed; might be dealt with ] jif' ib wa» sure, be-found .at all i i (jmsi! Jh • the, (time place, bat it would ; shift, about.' according to the winds.. ;I think it will be about arscore of.years since, in '< a talk with the' late. Mr Macandrew, I pointed I out a way whereby the evil of the »ilting up of 1 the-harbourcould:b« overcome; I can well"re-'j njemberthe incredulous smile with which that . gentletoaiijligteiiedltomysUtemenlithat 1 conld i point "oui a remedy; as if a "cockatoo" could : dp that which all the talent of the ; colony .had.'.failed, in. Tfly plan, I, told him, "| ! wis to'form a cjicalithrqugh the flats of South ! : Danedin to,the fo'ofc df the hill at Caversham ; Rise,'.and; then.tiiune! right on through both ; : hills to the TaierTfPlain and continue the canal : throngh' toe' p!ain,.to; where the Taieri 'River j : emerges from :the' hills; and bring that river in i to the head'of the'harbour—say, somewhere about the Gasworks.'. He was silent for a short! time, arid then emphatically exclaimed, v'A j rnosd>ffectuaiireniedy,.but!a costly one." Now, there -*s nothing impossible about carrying ous' Aich apian-; "it "only requites time and money, The fiftt is'of little consequence if the nione? ia forthcoming. :. TSaf I- think the. Government should find, and carry out (.he work under their own control, or grant spch coriceesions either by a grant of laud or guarantee of .funds, or both, to'a: company that would carry out the ; works; ngcessary. ■ ;The banal should be formed I at Bu'ch' a level' that the waters fropj'the Waihbliv Like could' be brpught; into, the-carjal. .This (iculd'-be done by forming a' iiafii across ",the Taien';Rive>*'at "(A'e niost suitable p!ac« before. it rr'anhes-the• sea,.' apd 'thereby caiiiing the ; i'tver! *s(£ v«u" bt'cfe 19 'its cpuriW and Jntoithe; canal. This would brinjt a' head of water; into.," the harbour that would scour out the channel required to a depth that ships of any tonriafee cou!jd ..come rip toll he wharf at Danedin. Such is the plan that should be adopted, and it remains to be Rein if" the people of Ofcago will give.'effect/to jt.' ' Now, I will point out some j <:ther advantageg which, will be gained if the canal is formed an I have suggested. ■ Fjrst, the Government; ar« talking, of forming, ad(iuble line of rail from Duaedin to Mosgiel. ,' By forminp the/embankments and cutting the tunnels wide enough space could be made to lay ; doWu:a.dQub!e.linß of rails, if necessary. The L tnnne'l4 should, or could; bn takan through the ;. hills, so that' no iuterfererioe would take place , with the present; railway tunnel; or if it wera | poisible. to take it alongside of the present li"f, ] it would savo no much cutting. | Secondly.—The city fathers ar« hunting for ] hu additional supply of water for Dunedin. If j trie waters of ■ the canal are not-pnre etlough i oven when filtered, pip'e^ could b« laid down j alongside and!Q»rrie>:l as far as the Taieri Lake ! if ...it, ;; waV thqngiiti.'flt;.-' ! A reservoir could bu ■ e.-ecte'd ;at tome ;p!aca suitable,.> and the water could be pumped high enough to supply the lower pai'ts of the town as well as the suburos on the flats.. ' ' '. ' ..■-.■■■■ Thirdly.-^Tanks could be erected at the ; outlet, of the sewers of the city, and by pro' vidicg barges into whica the. ordure of the city' ."could ;bo' cblleetsd, arid,' "pumping the flewage into the bargeV, they could be" taken ;, out to ' the Taieri Piain and pnmped. »ito ; ,, settliug: tanks "anc!,mixed i ;.witli"any silt that j. may .;be' lodged in/the .canal in- its, course.: j through the-pliiuj,>ud which could be dredged "j: Vp. ft would'pr'Qdu'ce a flr'it-dass ma;rin.rt, ' aud for such' there' will be via eVe'r-increasini' • demand, as it could be taken by rail to many i places in this islariiS. Fourthly.—The.excavated material from the canal could be used for- the following put- ; potes,:r-'' . ■ -," ' '" ' ■ • i (a) to form a rubble wall and embankment ( on"'this "Peninsula side of" the channel as far | down as the iilands.: ■ (b) By layibg down a line of rails, to thfl Ocean Beach an embankment could be formed inside.the Sandhills from St. Clair to the Tomabawk, if it was judged necessary ; and (c) By raising the whole of the surface of the townships bin the by at least and thersbr enabling the people there to secure good drainage'for-their properties. v It will bo seen from, the foregoing th&t there are various interests to be served. Could it be possible to get all these interests to form "a great combiae" aud to use every effort to carry out the works required ?—I am. &c., Portobello, August 9. The Motlodi.