SANDBANK AT END OF BREAKWATER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8274, 21 September 1888, Page 3

SANDBANK AT END OF BREAKWATER.

Is the New Zealand Gazelle of September 6th there appears a aotico to mariners received from the New Plymouth Harbormaster. This notice, the part o£ which dealing with the sandbank is given below, • has been commented on by Homo outside papers, and, as usual, the inferences thgy have drawn from the notice are quite incorrect. Tho part dealing with the sandbank runs as follows: — "An extensive sandbank has formed across the entrance to th 3 port of New Plymouth, nn:l directly across tho approach to the end of the wharf. This bank extends 750 ft in a south-easterly direction from tho end of tbe breakwater, and 500 ft parallel with it, its soathern end being nenrly ia lino with the outer ond of tho wharf, which is 540 ft io from tho end of the brenkwa>er. From tbe end of the whnrf to within 200 ft of the end of the breakwater, nnd 200 ft wi.Jo, there ia 12Ct, 13Et, and 14ft of water at low water springs, while on the bank there is only from 18in to 4ft, the drepest bein!? ia Hue midway between the breakwater and wharf, and the phoniest at its southern end. Vessels^ drawing Bft can cioss tho bank at half-tide, 10ft at high water neaps, and 12ft at springs, in moderate weather (the Bea breaks heavy on the bank in bad weather), by keeping the flagstaff just open to the westward of the end of the wharf. This ia tho deepest water over the shoal." After this comr.n the rocomraendations to masters enteiing the harbor. From the obove figures one paper infers that vessels drawing more than ten feet cannot lie alongside the wharf with safety, yet those ia authority at the breakwater state that there aro 14 feet of water nround tho structure at buch tiles, and this is exemplified by the clusj of vessels that onload and load there. At to the sandbank that is a matter for regret, but now th<it it has been definitely decided to begin the 'eroin wurk in a week, it is to db hoped tbat the progress of the sandbank will be Btoppod within a short space of time. Tbe Board nre now making arrangements for the purchase of a enno for tbe dredger, Mr McQ'iecn biing expected in a few days to inspect tho barge, and once this dredge gnts to work, there cannot but soon be on apparent disappearance of tbe bank.