Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAR. 5, 1910. THE HARBOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 23089, 5 March 1910, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAR. 5, 1910. THE HARBOR.

The position of the. Gisborne Harbor Board in regard to the river entrance; is i\ot dissimilar to that -of theHarbor Board respecting the state of Rangitoto Ohannoi, and if the Board desires to insure itself against tho possibility of severe public and judicial censure in the event of any accident occuring in consequence of the state of the channel it must , take some immediate action to make the position thoroughly '.safe. The passenger traffic to and from (1 isborne is growing rapidly, and when ..he Tuatea conies in crowded as she did this morning men, women, and children, one ( shudders' to think, of what night happen should any mishap take phv.ee in the midst of the tuniultous seas that in the winter season frequently occur within the limits of the training walls, ihe Board cannot claim- that it has not been advised of tho danger. Every nautijal mai^ belonging- to the port has cried »ut that the confusion of waters Caused >y the «ea« strikipg the groyne and refunding backwards and. forwards across channel is a -.ibsitivc menace. An experienced engineer' such, us Mr Marcliant ;ias admitted tbos -danger, and hiis posi:ively declared that the only effective remedy will be'dii extension of the Jreak-water," to bring the groyne into -•belter. . The damage is accentuated by .lie shoaling of the water at $be / river •ntrance, which despite the great - expenditure during, the last decade and ill the efforts of the present dredging dant is surety increasing, as the following end of the breiik^yat-er sounduigs for mccessive years indisputably, prove : '900 13ft 7in, 1902' 10ft 6in, 1903 lift sin, 1904 12ft '8fn;- 1905 12ft 6iri ; December 1909, 10ft, February .1010,' Bft. I'lie Avpsterly sand .drift "has piled up iccumulations almost to the end of the •vostern wall, aiid that' a considerable irriount of sand, probably stirred up by ihe cut in the groyne; conies round, is ihown by the bank forming between the noles. No doubt the new dredge Maui, when she arrives, will be capable of 'lF^ctiiifj a. very considerable improvenent in the depth of water and coping -o a great extent with the drift of sand ind deposit of river silt, but to enable '.hat dredge to do effective work it is 'imperative she should be afforded smooth water at the entrance, suid this can only 0© obtitined by the extension of the breakwater. Unless the Board immediilely proceeds to? make the chitainel safe ''riie of two things will happen. The dredge when she arrives wili be laid up r or considerable periods.through inability negotiate the channel, or if., she attempts to do so. will/ stand a. risk of disablement through collision '.vith one of the piers, in which eventuality it would be quite possiblo that dip might cau.se, a complete blockade tJo navigation. Tho Board cannot afford to. regard the cost of the proposed , extension, which may j*un into £10,000 or ,315,000, when the safety of human life md the good reputation of our port-are >t stake. Mr Marchant is at present 'isiting. Gisborne, and we should yreatly like to see the Board give him instructions to i)roceed with the preparation df the specifications, so that tenders ipay forthwith be called for the necessary work. Some modification of Mr Alarchant's original suggestion as- to the •nethod of construction may be necessary hi view of. the doubt expressed as to the practicability obtaining stone from Pah. Hill, but' we. have. no doubt .tliat difficulty can be overcome by the substitution of .concrete piles or in sonie?other '■nanner" satisfactory -to the. engiiiieer. No time should bo* lost. The Board : ha« dready been, appealed, to by a? strong deputation .of biiisiness people; and, dripping representatives to put - its river ■ihannel in a safe' fitate, and it would 'j-e the height of folly to wait until some accident, impresses upon the • minds of mepibei*s the imperative necessity of the work-