THE ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16809, 26 September 1916, Page 8

THE ST. CLAIR ESPLANADE.

Sib, —Tho damage caused to the embankment at St. Clair is only trifling- if attended to by timeoua repair. Having carried out several works of J. similar nature I would suggest a simple and inexpensive mode of repairing tho breaches: To dig a trench, 3ft in depth and 2ft broad, along the base ono yard distant from tho slope, 3ft in depth, and put into it tree branches, brought up to ordinary ground surface level. These would arrest the sand movement at present taking place, and practically eating away and minimising the original breadth of roadway, which is damaged for only a few chains in length, to the extent of 3ft 6in and 9ft. All of this would not entail an outlay worth, mentioning under ordinary watchfulness, which every embankment should have so as to make good the subsidence entailed by erosion. I do not hesitate to say that both groins and large stones are valueless. Groins have long ago been proved to be valueless, and jthe friction causod by the use of large stones sets tho sand or other material in motion. Tho smaller the stones tho more conveniently may they bo carted on to the slope of tho roadway, wbirh is altogether too abrupt, but this defect can be easily remedied by extending tho slope—a progressive work which does not entail engineering beyond that of ordinary maintenance. —I am, etc., J. M.