NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1920, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. Tlio ordinary meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held at the Board's office yesterday, when there were preßent Messrs. Newton King (chairman), J. S. Consett, C. H. Burgess, I'. Maxwell, D. J, Hughes, and .1. MeCluggage. Apologies were received from Messrs. C. A. Wilkinson and C. K. MeGulnesi. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. , The Harbormaster (Captain Waller) reported that for the four weeks ending September 11, eighteen vessels had entered the port of an aggregate tonnage of 22,371 tons. Imports had totalled 9\U tons, and exports 1737 tons, being a total of 10,911 tons. Government coal landed totalled 3050 tons. The New Zealand Shiprjlng Company's steamer, Otarnma arrived from Newcastle nt 8.30 n.im. on August 22nd„ length overall 470 ft, beanTs6ft., draugli't inwards 17ft. forward, 21ft. aft. She loaded 1350 tons of frozen, meat, etc., leafing again for Woltara roadstead at 4 p.m. on August 30th., loaded draught 21ft forward, 21ft Gin aft. She was alongside the wharf for nine dayt. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineers (Messrs. Blair Mason and Lee) reported as follows on the Board's works lor the period from August 16th to Sept. 17th. Dredging.—Dredging has been confined to deepening and widening the fairway ahead of the wharf. Dredging has been delayed considerably by bad weather, by traffic, quarterly overhaul of boilers, overhauling of hopper doors, and shifting of moorings. The dredging returns for the month ending August 31st, 1820, are as follows: Dredged by buckets 1800 tons, by pump 27,800 tons: total, 29,600 tons—74 loads. Of the above, 9600 tons were deposited on the line of the Breakwater and 20,000 tons nt sea. The average time worked was 223hrs lOmin., 181 miles being steamed, and 07% tons of coal were used. Thomas King.—The Thomas King, which was under annual overhaul, was ready for refloating on August 20, but owing to poor tides, and also a heavy south-east gale, the vessel could not be got off until Sept. 3. During the gale some slight damage was done to the rudder shank and propellor which lost a blade, necessitating the fitting of a spare propellor. The overhaul and repairs were completed on the 3rd inst, but owing to adverse weather, did not start tipping stone until the 7th inst. Up to Saturday, lib. inst., the vessel deposited 920 tons of stone on the line of the Breakwater out to a distance of 300 ft. Quarries.—During the overhaul of the Thomas King the men have been engaged in Quarrying stone, placing railway lines in order, assisting In slipping the Thomas King, and vepnirs and overhaul of cranes. During the gale on August 26th., the Moturoa Island jetty was carried ayray and washed Up on the beach north of the New Plymouth railway station. Owing to a shortage of labor, the men from Moturoa Island have been placed in the Pishing Rock Quarry. Eight new trucks are now completed and In use for loading, the Thomas King thus ensuring a larger output of stone, Wharf Renewals.—The heavy gale that was experience on August 26 caused damage to the wharf through the heave and humping of the vessels lying alongside. Six of the fender piles were broken and an equal number of the inside bearing piles wero split. To effect repairs, ironbark piles have been obtained from the Wanganui Harbor Board, and turpentine piles are arriving from the Otago Harbor Board. Breakwater.—Tlie gale of August 20th. washed out and broke up some of the outside blocks of the Breakwater about the middle of the bend, and loosened two more. The heart and Inner blocks are quite solid and ] no further damage Is apprehended. Permission has been obtained from the Board of Trade to effect repairs and application made for 14 tons of cement, eight of. which has been delivered. It Is expected that the structure will be made good again in a few days. In the meantime, some large stone is being placed In the gap. The protecting apron near the end of the Breakwater has suffered some displacement. Heavy stone will be placed there as soon as the gap at the bend Is concreted and set hard enough allow the 40-ton crane to cross it in safety. As the result of the last gale, the stone thrown into the sea from the various blasts at Moturoa Island has been shifted by the unprecedented seas then running, and now forms a bank or ridge projecting easterly from the Island in the direction of Mikotahl. The bank Is dry at low water a considerable distance out from the Island. (Teneral.—The No. 2 shelter shed on the wharf Is still uncompleted. A promise has been given that the balance of the limber will be to hand next week. A Btart will be made to eroct the shed as soon as the carpenters can be spared from the wharf repairs.. The workshop staff aro employed on tlie repairs to the dredge ladder. To keep the dredge working during the day the repairs are being carried out on the night shift. Two new floating fenders have been prepared for the Harbormaster's department. * ALLEGED DELAY IN UNLOADING. The Harbormaster (Captadn Waller) reported that the delay In unloading the schooner Ysabel, was owing to the congeslion of shipping, the nature of the cargo, and lack of resource exhibited by those in charge on board. She arrived at 12.30 p.m. on July 9th from San Francisco with a cargo of bezinc, and was placed in the Parltutu's berth. As she had no engine or winch on board, the cargo was discharged by the Board's crane, which was placed on the first line of rails. No work was done on the day of arrival, but on the following day, Saturday, a full day was worked and about half the cargo discharged. The crane was ordered away on Monday to give access to the liner Kumara, also the Railway Department would not allow the trucks to pass the crane with steam up, on account of the Are, whilst the cargo of benzine was being discharged from the C. S. Holmes, berthed on the west side of the wharf, and which arrived a few days prior to the Ysabel. I suggested to overcome the difficulty, that the balance of the cargo be discharged by hand gear, and offered to get a hand winch for the purpose, but the master of the ship and most of the crew leaving, left only a small number of the crew on board, and the offer was not accepted. Tlie vessel was discharged at the first convenient opportunity, and the owners of tho vessel should be well satisfied that she was allowed to remain at the wharf in safety, without | her full complement of hands, when to' have taken her out to an anchorage, until a discharging berth was available, would have exposed her to considerable risk. GENERAL. It was agreed to rent a portion of the sheds erected on the wharf to the Railway Department at an annual rental of £25 per nniiuiu, subject to three months' notice. Mr. P. Watson, on behalf of various overseas shipping companies, applied for tlie use of a portion of the shelter shed for the storage of gear used In connection with loading and unloading overseas liners. —Agreed to. It was resolved to subscribe £lO towards the funds of the Tnranakl Progressive League. It was decided to endeavour to make arrangements with the Postal Department for cashing tho Board's interest coupons at any post office. Accounts amounting to £4849 were passed for payment.