THE HARBOR WORKS AND THE RAILWAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1477, 16 June 1879, Page 3

THE HARBOR WORKS AND THE RAIL WAY.

TO THE HDITOB OB TIIE TIMAIHT HERALD. Sir, —lt is high tine that those whose duly it is t'j do bd should pay serious attention to the action of tlio tea on the beach nt Le (Jien's Gully, for it threatens toneccssit-ite tlio construction of protective works of come kind, lo preserve the railway viad .ct at lliut point intact, and even m situ. Hitherto tlrs viaduct, though built quite near 'he edge of n baiik of cluy formerly washed by the sea, has been safe enough, owing to a large quantity of shingle hating accumulated botween it und the Eca, forming a most efficient protection lo its foundation, liut tbu breakwater having effectually dammed the shingle stream, and the short) from the Breakwater to the Gully having been cleared of slung c, the surf begun to act upon that accumulation, and under its influence it lias rapidly diminished m extent and threatens Boon to be altogether removed. Two months ago, or less, the ohingle bank was at least a ohuin ami a half wide; yesterday, at high water, the waves wcro washing up to, and removing materinl fiom, within twelve foet of one of the piles. If the process of removal continues as rapid as during tlio past week, n few days will see tlie clay sub beach laid quite bare, and though the clay will not yield co easily as the loose shingle, it cannot, withstand the heuvy waves which strike that corner, but must go m its turn. Even before the whole of tlio Bhingle is removed, the safety of tl'e viaduct, will be endangered, for the waves will reach and act destructively upon the upper purt of the bank, while their mere concussion will probubly tend to loosen the hold of the piles m the ground. Ho time should bo lost m determining upon some course of action. Either protective works must be undertaken, or the line removed further inland, and whichever course is adopted it muet be acted upon speedily. If protective works are decided on, some prd.minury (lamination of the Bite will bo necessary, m order to determine what kind of work will be most likely to prove efficient and lasting, and the moro so as such works will require to be of a very substantial kiud. There being no rocks or kelp m the vicinity to mitigate their force, the waves strike the Bhore there with greater force than they do at or nt«r the landing places. No line of concrete block*, no dim sheet-piling such as the Harbor Board uro now putting down, will answer here. But lam not an engineer, and, therefore, must not assume to teach what ■hould bo done. It does not need more than ordinary powers of observation, though, to see plainly that something must be done, and with little delay. It would be the utmost folly to hope- that the ehinglo may return, and, trusting that hope, do nothing to avert the datiger which threatens the viaduct. Nothing but a heavy swell from the north-cast could possibly bring back a single etone, and I ooubt very much whether that would produce much effect. A short time ago there was euch a swell, and I carefully watched its effect on the beach at lie Creu's Gully. It did not appreciably, if at all, add to the extent of the accumulation already there. At this season, I suppose, we may look for winds and seas from the south rather than from the north, and a sea frum any other than a high northerly direction will inevitably carry any movable matter northwards from theGully. I would again urge that there is no time to be lost if we would not have our railway communication interrupted. Indeed, i( the eea continues to act as energetically as it has done during the last day or two, it will allow but little time to do anything at all before it has actually damaged the viaduct. I am, &c, A. M.