DAMAGE FROM HEAVY SEAS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 5

DAMAGE FROM HEAVY SEAS

HARBOUR WORKS AT TIMARU

REPAIRS TO COST OVER £20,000.

SAFETY OE PORT NOT AFFECTED.

Timaru, Jan. 26.

Damage estimated to cost at least £20,006 to repair was done to the eastern extension at Tiniaru Harbour in the early hours of yesterday morning by mountainous seas which rolled up from the south in unprecedented force and spent their fury on x the extension which is made of huge stones and for moie than 20 years has afforded all the protection that the inner harbour required. The extension has been rightly termed tho salvation of the harbour, and although hcavv seas have done a little damage to it on previous occasions, it lias never before been damaged to anything like the extent to which it suffered yesterdav. The heavy sea on this occasion was accompanied by an abnormally’ hi"h tide, the difference between high and low tides when the storm wits on being between 7 ft. and Bft. About 100 ft. of the staging ot the extension was carried away, and as tms was very heavy timber bolted together, it was at first feared that some of it might have been carried in the way of shipping. As it was impossible to make a survey of the position yesterday while the heavy sea was still running, a warning was issued to shipping not to come to°Timaru until the extent of the damage was known.

NO DANGER TO SHIPPING. Happily the sea abated last night and beautiful weather and a calm sea prevailed to-day, so that the harbourmaster, Captain McDougall, and the board’s resident engineer, Mr. W. F. Clarke, were able to ascertain the full extent of the damage. It was ascertained that none of the staging had been washed in the wav of shipping and that the big stones which had been washed out ot the extension, some of them weighing eight to ten tons, had not been carried more than 30ft. or 40ft., and they were well clear of the track of shipping. Tho channel was dragged and was found clear. This being so, a big ship which was due at Timaru on Monday’ was advised that there was to prevent it from coming in with perfect safety. This applies to. all shipping, so the work of the port will proceed as usual from Monday.

In addition to the breach which has been made in about the centre of the extension, some big stones were washed away from two bays at the outer end. When the harbour officials left their post at the .usual hour on Thursday night there was only a moderate sea running, with a light south-easterly wind. Toward midnight, however, both wind and sea increased. Those who were astir at that, hour heard the roar of the waves as they broke over the extension and of the pounding of the breakers on Dashing Racks.

BEACON . EXTINGUISHED. The tide reached its highest about 3 a.m. and it is presumed that it was about that time that some hundreds of feet of the timber structure were torn from their fastenings and hundreds of tons of stone which had resisted the force of the waters for many years were dislodged. The green beacon light, which is located at the extreme end of the extension, went out a few minutes after 3 a.m,

Huge stones were used in the construction of the rubble wall and the disappearance of large quantities of these gives some idea of the fury of the storm. The timber structure was solidly bolted together, the main piles being firmly embedded in the seabed, and the parting of these timbers brought about the destruction of the railway track, a considerable stretch of which has been destroyed. It is estimated that hundreds of tons of shingle have been washed over tiie extension into the outer harbour, but no damage is expected. No damage was done inside the harbour. The harbour board decided some months ag'O to strengthen the extension by raising it to the full height of the timber’ stage and they let a contract to a Wellington firm to do the work. The firm started quarrying the stone and carried on this work for several weeks, but then asked the board to relieve it of its contract. The board agreed to do this and decided to do the work itself by day labour. It lost n time in carrying on when the contractors left off and but for the altered circumstances caused by Friday's storm would have delivered the first of the new stone to the extension on Alonday. The eastern extension was completed in 1&0G, and for the past 22 years it lias served the purpose for which it was built admirably. No time Mill be lost in repairing the damage.