THE HARBOR.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11966, 20 June 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HARBOR.

THE NEW ENTRANCE.. HIGHLY SATISFACTORY REPORT. At the Harbor Board's monthly meeting on June 3, Mr John fira-ham the Chairmau, presented the fallowing report which the mombfira deemed to be highly satisfactory: — "lam glad to be aole ta report that the s -uthern portion of tun cut through the Boulder Bank, alongside the mole, upon wbich the dredge has been working for some time past has now been completed ri^ht through to the outsid? fairway. "For tbo purpose of obtaining, as nearly aa possible, an accurate ostimato of the position at which the work of cutting thfi new entrance hns arrived, the Engineer, the DreJgomastor, and the Pilot, accompanied by the Chairman, made soundings through the channel at nearly low water of 9pring tide on Thursday last, May 30th, there boing about" l% feet of tide on the tide gauge at the time. Thus to obtain the" depth at dead low water of spring tides 18 inohes has to be deducted from the depths given below, and the approximate course of the soundings aro marked in pencil on the accompanying plan of tho work. "Chief boatman Morrson had charge of the sounding gear, and the depths were taken as called by him. "Tho first set oi soundings were taken about through the centre of the 150 feet bench just completed, commencing for abont opposite the crane and working outwards: and on tbo line 27 soundings were taker at regular intervals, with the following results in feet, viz: — 24, 18, 17%. 18, 18. 17, 16, 17%, 16%, 16, m. J6, IC, 15, 15, 16, 13, 15, 19, 27, 25, 21%. 19U, 19, 16%, 16, and IS feet. "The second line wag taker through about the centre of the channel, commencing at the boulder bank side of the mud bank inside tho harbour, to an estimated distance of about 900 feet beyond the outer mole; tbe result of the 41 soundiuas on this line being aa follows: 10. 21, 22. 28, 34, 37, 27, 33, 30, 26, 24, 22, 13, 17, 18, 18, 17%, 17, 13. 18, 18, 18, 18, 17, 16, 17, 17, JB, (10, 14%, 13, 15),. 18, 28, 35, 32, 26. 24, 23, 20, and 18 feet. "The dredge is at present working on that portion of this centre line shown by tbe depths stated within parentheses, which, given suitable weather, Mr McHag expects to complete with a few days' work. The distance along the Jine of the last given set; of soundings is approximately 1600 feet from the inner mud bank to the outer edge of the cut through the boulder back. "A third set of soundings, 25 in number, taken towards the north side of the obanneJ, from tbe inside, gave the following results, viz:— 22, 24, 32, 36, 24, 17, 16, 17, 17, 16%, 17, 18, 15 15, 17, 17, (15, "11, 10, 10, 10, 11%, 14, 16, and 17 feet). "The cut at its outer end being bellmounthed, its width beingjnearly five hundred feet, the portion remaining to be dredged will be somewhat in the shape of a V, commencing at a width of about 50 feet, and widening out to nearly 150 feet at its mouth. The last nine soundings given above are included within that triangle. A fourth and shorter set of soundings were taken along the northern side of the triangle above described (and are shown on the plan) within which is situated nearly all the outside dredgio* still to be done, and the 11 soundings taken at thia part of the work (at. about the same intervals as the others) and commencing at its narrowrat end were!-5%, 5%, 4%, 6, 7, 7, 7%, 8, 9| a>od 10 feet. --„ "On the same day that the above information was obtained, the ILSTB. Go's steamers "Penguin" and "Poherua" were brought in by the Pilot through tee 150 feet portion of the cut recently completed, without in any way inconveniencing or delaying *he work of the dredge, which was at the time engaged at the outer end of the adjoining portion of the cut, the reason being, in the case of tbe "Penguin," to save that steamer's time, and in that of the "Poherua," which is a large cargo steamer, because of the greater facility afforded for navigation through the new entrance. "The "Poherua" was alao taken out through the cut, after dark, the same evening, almost immediately after low water, the dredge at the same time bein? moored in the channel, without the slightest hitch. "Pilot Collins is so well satisfied with the j.resent position of the work that he has assured me steamers of the "Gothic" class could be brought into port without any difficulty. "The information contained in this report, being of an Important character, l submited a draft of it, for the purpose of verification, to the officers (collectively) who took part io obtaining the information contained in it, and it was confirmed by them. "The chaiacter of the work, as members are aware, 'has for some time past been such that it could not be proceeded with continuously, nor during ordinary hours at all s'tatea of the tide ; but the Dredgemaster has zealously taken advantage of every opportunity that tides and weather permit of, and although I have never heard one word of com- 1 plaint, I fee! it my duty to report that during; a portion of every fort- ; night he and his men have to turn out as early as 3 o'clock in the ■morning to enable the best possible results to be obtained. I know also that the Dredgemaster is as anxious as tbe members of the Board and myself can possibly be to complete the outside portion of the work, so that he and his men may return to instda the harbour and t3 more regular working hours. And although the workmen (not including the Dredgemaster) are paid for their well-earned overturn outside regular working hours, I am sure their ser* vices in this re3pect are properly appreciated by the Board ; especially at this season of the year, wh9n they are at work hours before most of us are out uf bed. "I have little doubt that, especially in view of the many difficulties that have had to be surmounted during the progress of the work, members will be as gratified with the result so far achieved, as shown by this report, as I am myself and as I am cure all well-wishers of the Nelson district will be also. "It may not be uninteresting to record the fact, as reported to me by Pilot Collins, that," as compared with the depth of the new entrance as-recorded herein, the depth of the old entrance at low water of spring tides is seven feet while the depth on the bar to reach that is no* only about four feet five inches. "JOHN GRAHAM, "Chairman. "Nelson, June 3rd, 1907.