OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 35

OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

ESTIMATED COST OF NEW DOCK, £75,000.

A special meeting of the Otago Dock Trust was held in the office's of the trust, Port Chalmers, on Thursday afternoon ; present — Messrs E. G. Allen, M.H.R. (chairman), Hon. H. Gouriey, E. A. De Mans, Captain Hodge, J. Thomson, A. Cable, R. M. Clark, and N.- Dodds. An apology was received from- the town clerk "for the absence of the" Mayor of Dunedin. • Mr R. Hay; engineer to the trust, was present with plans, etc.. of the proposed new dock; The Chairman - said : This is a special meeting called for the purpose of giving members the earliest opportunity of inspecting, the plans and specifications of the new dock. As soon as I was advised by MiHay, our engineer, that they were completed I thought you would like to see them. I asked Mr Hay to attend this meeting, and he is now present and will give any information that may be desired. I have looked over the numerous drawings, and they appear to me to be very complete, clean, and exceedingly ' well executed. This is the first step towards providing the much-needed dry dock accommodation for the Port. The next step will b© to raise the necessary loan for constructing it, I do not anticipate that there will be any difficulty in doing so. It is estimated that the dock will cost £75,000. The interest on that sum, together with a sinking fund, will require £4000 a year, and I am glad to state that the financial position of the trust will enable it to provide that amount and still have a surplus of over £1500. It will be noticed that the complete set of borings which the trust has had made on the dock site discloses an excellent foundation, and no difficulty in excavation. In order to place the matter formally before you, I will now read a letter from our engineer, giving a general description of the dock, and after that Mr Hay will, place the plans upon the. table, and will give members any explanation thereof that may be necessary. The letter is as follows: —

Dunedin, December 14, 1904. — The Chairman, Otago Dock Trust. Dear sir, — In forwarding plans and specifications of the proposed new graving dock at Port Chalmers, sonte general description of ths work will be of interest to your board. The dock is 500 ft in length inside the invert, 67ft in width over the keel-blooks, and 90ft wide at ground level. The entrance is 70ft wide at cope, level, aiid the depth of •water available at* ordinary high water (spring tides) is 22ft. The dock entrance is operated by a steel rolling caisson, which is withdrawn into a chamber' when a vessel^ reqriires to enter the dock. The duty of 'moving the caisson into ihe chamber or to close the dock entrance devolves on c, hydraulic engine, the power for which is obtained from the town water mains. Pumping out the dock is to be performed by two 22in centrifugal pumps, steam for this work to be obtained from the two present boilers and an additional one that it is proposed to construct and install alongside those now in use. An extension of the present building will accommodate the new engines. The above proposal will allow of the pumping work for both docks being carried cut without any addition to the present staff of engineer and fireman. The dock, generally speaking, will be constructed in concrete, except parts where stone is necessary, and it is also provided that the greater part of the dock floor surface shall b8 built in stone. Sluices for filling dock are provided, together with capstans, bollards, mooringrings, keel-blooks, and the sundry works necessary for the completion of a graving dock arc also provided for in the plans and specificaiione.—l am, etc., R. Hay, Engineer to the Trust.

The plans were then laid on the table and explained in detail by the engineer. In reply to a question from Mr Thomson, Mr Hay said he estimated that the construction of the dock would probably take about two years. If the work was completed in a less time the cost would be greater. The first work to be tmdertaken would be to proceed with the dredging of the site. "

Mr Cable : We might be able to get the use of the Harbour Board's bisc dredge for that purpose. Mr Gouriey thought tho first thing the trust had to do was to approve of the plans and specifications, and proceed without delay to raise by way of loan the money necessary for the work. He favoured

I placing the loan immediately upon tfctf market. He moved that the plans, as 6ub> mitted, be approved. Mr Cable suggestod that to adopt ths plans at that meeting would be a too hurried! ! proceeding. Members of the trust _bad nofi had time to familiarise themselves with ■ them, and, in addition to m-embe.rs of the j trust, there were others who had taken considerable interest in the dock, and who were interested in its construction, and should be afforded an. opportunity of inspecting the- piaiis. After a conversational discussion it was decided to defer the adoption of the plans till next meeting— on Wednesday next. This concluded tho business, and the trust went into committee to consider, some routine business.