DEPTHS IN NAPIER HARBOUR

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1931, Page 7

DEPTHS IN NAPIER HARBOUR

SOUNDINGS BY THE MATAI.

SHALLOWER WATER RECORDED.

Hastings, March 15. Soundings taken from the Go\ eminent steamer Matai reveal that as a result of the earthquake the depth of water at Napier breakwater is less by six feet, m the inner harbour by nine feet, and in the roadstead by a similar depth, the minima 22 feet at the breakwater, 11 feet at the inner harbour and 36 feet in the roadstead. These figures were secured from a chart which was made available by Mr. J. S. Barton, chairman of the Napier Copimission, on Saturday. Before the earthquake there was 29 feet of water on the breakwater side of the Glasgow wharf at the seaward end, but this has now been reduced to 22 feet, while on the same side, but at the other end, the depth is now 25 feet, which is five feet less than originally. • At the other berth opposite there are 25 feet of water at thb seawf’.’M end and 22feet at the beach side, compared with 30 and 25 feet at those places before the earthquake. Commencing from a point off the end of the breakwater and ■miner in a circular direction toward the Glasgow wharf, depths on the edge of the basin are as follows, the original figures being shown in parentheses:— 27ft (31ft), 22ft (32ft), 22ft (28ft), 20ft (26ft), 19ft (24ft), 20ft (33ft), 20ft (26ft), 21ft (20ft), 24ft (29ft), 20ft (32ft), 28ft (35ft), and 25ft (33ft,).

In the iiiner harbour the uplift is even orcater. Two soundings which e were taken off the West Quay are lift and 12ft, compared with the former depths of 20ft and 21ft. The entrance to the Iron Pot, however, is 16ft, which is only a foot less than formerly. _ Going down channel beside the cattle wharf the depths are:—lift, 13ft, lift and 13ft, against 21ft, 2|)ft, 17ft and 16ft.'Where"the dragline excavator was working the depth rapidly increases to 26ft, which is about . 3ft I'ess than the previous depth. The outer channel cut to the roadstead anchorage has the following depths, those existing before the earthquake being shown in parentheses: lift (18ft),’ 12ft (17ft), 16ft (20ft), 16ft (23ft), ISft (24ft), 21ft (28ft), 23ft (30ft), 29ft (31ft), 26ft (32ft), 13ft (20ft), 15ft (22ft), 25ft (31ft), 15ft (22ft), 15ft (21ft), 15ft (22ft), 16ft (26ft), 26ft (35ft), and 35ft (40ft). At the anchorage, itself the depth varies from 36ft to 42ft,.compared with 41ft to 48ft before. The navigation line to the open sea also allows of a depth of between about 36ft to 43ft.