The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1920. BERTHAGE AT MOTUROA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16876, 25 October 1920, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1920. BERTHAGE AT MOTUROA.

The possibility of vessels arriving at New Plymouth and not being able to secure berths immediately appears to have caused alarm to some people interested in the progress of the port and they are therefore inclined to regard the provision of new wharfage at the first essential. This feeling is largely due to ignorance of the facts about what • happens- in larger ports. Shipping companies and captains naturally like to have their vessels discharged as rapidly as possible, hut as the chairman of the New Plymouth Harbour Board pointed out in his speech on Friday, shortage of berthage is not uncommon at the larger centres. Last Monday the Auckland Herald reported: “The port of Auckland is exceptionally busy at pi sent, there being not. enough berths to accommodate all the vessels in the harbour. The Japanese steamer Tensho Maru, which arrived from Newcastle on Friday with a cargo of coal, is still anchored in the stream waiting for a berth. On Saturday the' Port Stephens arrived from New York and was compelled to anchor in the stream, where she will remain until a berth is available. Yesterday the Matatua arrived from Wellington and anchored in the stream. The congestion will be intensified to-day by the arrival of the Eiverina from Sydney.” This sort of thing is not unusual in the biggest harbours.

all over the world and it need cause no anxiety if for the next year 015 two it is not possible to berth two ocean liners at New at the same time. The essential work for the Harbour Board at the present time, is the extension of the breakwater so as to afford greater protection. The chairman of the board Stated that the work done on the breakwater extension had already diminished the range and that this effect would be more marked as the work proceeded. There will be general agreement with the, view taken by the chairman that with the money and labour available The main attention should be devoted to this part of the work. It may be of interest to the public to learn the method the engineers are adopting in the construction of the new portion of the breakwater, as there has been a certain amount of ignorant criticism on the subject. The older portion of the breakwater was formed by tipping large stones over the end and the drift of sand covered these and kppt them from being washed away. The breakwater was thus built on a foundation of sand which the constant drift maintained in position. The proposed wall from the breakwater to Moturoa is, however, intended to trap the sand drift and therefore an extension of the, breakwater on the old lines would not be stable, owing to the support of the sand drift being removed. It was therefore necessary to form a foundation for the new work, and for this comparatively small stone is most suitable. According to the engineer’s report this substructure is now nearing completion and it will now be possible to use larger stones to build up The breakwater to the level at which concrete blocks may b® superposed. The smaller stone from the Pishing Rock quarry and from the new quarry at Moturoa Island, if sufficient men can be obtained to work it, will be used to form the foundation of the wall from the breakwater to Moturoa and, as this wall grows in height, it will begin to trap the sand and throw the sea back from the breakwater. The process of building under water is not a rapid one and results are not always apparent to the casual observer, but much good work has alreadv been done and its effects will become more and more apparent as time goes on.