TIMARU HARBOR WORKS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1891, 13 October 1880, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOR WORKS.

(Ffbthbb Rrobt of ths Colonial Habihb EHOIKBEB AS TO THE L> AM AGB C AUBBD BT BUTLBISG A BBRAKWATBB AT TIMABV, AMD THB FUBTHBB DiHAOB THAT MAY ACOBTJB THBEBFBOM.)

"The Colonial Marino Engineer to tbe Hod the Mioiiter having charge of the Marine Department. "Public Works Office, " Wellington, 19th August, ISBO. " I reported on the Ximaru Harbor Works on the 2nd February last, and detcribed the nature of the damage suffered by th» coast to the north of these works, and the consequent neceisity for protective works to ensnre the safety of tbe railway line. I also recommended that the farther execution of the Harbor Worki should be stopped. "No action was taken m the latter direction ; but a copy of the report was sent to tbe Timaru Harbor Board, m order that they might make such remarks and observations on it as the case might demand. " The Chairman of the Harbor Board accordingly sent a reply, dated the 10th June, remarking on such portions of the report as demanded notice, and enclosing notes of evidence taken by the Board ; as also a report on the subject by the Board's Engineer. "On this reply I was invited to report ; but, before doing so, sent a copy of it to Mr J. H. Lowe, Engineer for Working .Railways, Middle Island, m order that he might be allowed to make his remarks on it, and also that he might faraisb, m support of my first report, auch additional evidence as be might have collected since his former.reports on the snbiect.

" Mr Lowe bat oolleoted additional evidence (which I felt «uro would be forthcoming), showing that the work of destruction is (till going on, and at inch a rate as cam leave no doubt on the mind of an impartial observer that the cause o£ it is what I before insisted on — the stoppage of the flow of shingle by the Breakwater, the coast being that deprived of its' natural protection. ''Mr Lowe's report, whioh is simply a record of observed factt, substantiated by actual and careful measurement*, -will obviate, (he necessity of my replying m detail to the numerous objections to my last report made by. the Board and those gentlemen whose eridence they hare incorporated m tbeir 11 1 shall therefore simply remark that I consider tbe additional eridence now submitted fully confirms the position I took up m .my last report; and the position of 'affairs may be fairly rioted m follows, namely :— " The railway was opened for traffio between Timaru and Temuka on 26th October, 1875. "From that time until September, 1878, when the Breakwater was commenced, there was no expense incurred m protecting the viaduct* and the shore to the north of it. '< Since th«n, and notably sines the gales m ■Time, 1879, an expenditure of £2700 has been incurred for protective works at and near Whale's ' Cree k; and later, at tbe end of July, tbe inroads of tbe sea became to rapid that the teoond viaduct was m danger, and an application wat made for a further ram of £1000, the most of which hat also been expended ; and farther demands will doubtless be -made before long. The cliffs at and near these viaducts are certainly being destroyed at a rate far beyond that of which any evidenoe has yet been given as relating to previous years. " The sbingle*beaoh across the Waimataitai lagoon is steadily and rarely being lessened m width at a rate that can be measured (e.g., 20,000 cubic yards m three months), and which mast lead to tbe result before predicted. Tbe obaoget m the shore-line at the cliff* and the shingle-beach are well thown m the plan attached to Mr Lowe's report. "The shingle is gradually and certainly gathering to the south of the Breakwater," necessitating the removal seaward of '.the southern landing service j a process which', doubtless, will have to be repeated before- long, and from time to time: and, until the line of the shingle has advanced so far seaward as to allow it to pass the end of the Breakwater, the denudation of tbe coast to the north must go on, and protective works . add more expenditure will be required as a 1 ' : " The dote connection of these changes with the building of th* Breakwater is so apparent .that the responsibility for the expenditure described above clearly rests trith the builders of it % and a demand can therefore be fairly made on them to contribute a very large proportion, if not the whole, of the expense now devolving on Hie Government m protecting the railway works. ; -■■■;:. - « John ßlacxbtt, •' : ■_"■'■■: " Marine Bngiseer." Memorandum from Mr'J.H. Lowe, for tho Marine Engineer, Wellington." (Beport • Ho. 4, Timara Harbor Works.) ' "Duntain, 10th Anguit, 1880. "• I have pernted : tbe reply of the Timaru Harbor Board to yonr report on the above, together with the notes of evidence given before the Committee of the Harbor Board by various witnesses, and also the report by Mr John Grobdall) Engineer to the Board, on the same subject. The statement* advanced by Mr Goodalland tbe. witnesse* examined are very comprehensively summed up m the Board's" letter, to the Hon the Minister of Mari«e,:da^d 10th June, 1880. The bearing of all^ foots elioited i« therein shown m tbe atrongett light favorable to the views of the Board. , ; • , •..-.,., ..• /

"The main fact relied upon is that the denudation <■( the coast by encroachment of the tea bus taken place from time to time as long at the earliest settlers c«n r»"mem!)?r, and m extont reachii-g from the Waitaki river northward to tho Dashing Rockt; and th* deduction is that therefore the recurreiire of such enoroaohments within tho tpao-- indicti'ed should not be attributable to the Breakwater works. Tbattuoh enoroaolimentsbaveooourred formerly, and m other places betides the northern vicinily of the Breakwater, at doscribed, is nnt denied. In my report to you of the 4th October last I remarked upon jour own observations m this respaot. The statements of Captain Woollcomba on the subject are of great value iv enabling a just apprehension of tbe real position of the case to be nrrived at. Captain Woolleombe gives a definite idea of the rate of encroachment upon the cliff between the pretent sites of the two railway viaducts m the earlier period of the settlement. A pole placed 10 tee t from the edge of the cliff m 1858 was washed away three or four years afterwards, giviuga raUof enoroaohment of 10 feet m about four years. A pole ertcted m another place, 4 or 5 feet from tbe edge of the cliff, m 1858, was carried away' shortly after 1869, and so determined the rate of encroaobment at that place as about 6 feet m those eleven years. This gives a definite idea of the extent of. enoroachment m earlier times. Then, as to the more recent enoroaebments, you will see by a reference to my report of measurements recorded between July and December, 1879, on the same part lof the coast where Mr Woollcombe's firstmentioned pole was placed— namely, between the two railway viaducts — shows the actual enoroaohment m those five months to be 24 feet. This rapid enoroachment was only stopped by the laying down of the breastwork of rubble stone.

" Again, the denudation of the oliff further northward is now progressing at a rate exceeding all previous observations. I hare had pegs driven along this part of the coast, and measurements taken from them at various times between the 16th April last and the 4th August current, the results of whioh are shown on the cross-sections on tracing attached hereto. It will be Been that a breadth varying from 12 feet to 27 feet of cliff, of a height varying from 14 feet to 22 feet, baa been carried away m little more than three months.

" So greatly has the process of denudation increased, that during the fortnight between tbe more recent measurements there bat been a loss of ground from 4 feet m some places to 10 feet m others. This it an extent of encroachment m two weeks but just past, greater than that recorded by Captain Woolleombe at taking place m eleven years between 1858 and 1869 m the immediate neighborhood. " I notice that the Harbor Board admit that tome acceleration m tbe denudation hat been caused by the Breakwater. The above companion of actual measurements taken m former and recent times shows the rate of this acceleration.

" The faot is not disputed that the supply of shingle is intermittent. I have observed parts of the shore some miles to the southward of the Breakwater occasionally bare of thingle, or alternated with' sand. This has been referred to ia previous reports. I have no doubt that, if southerly winds prevail for long periods, without floods m the large thingle-carrying rivers, the supply of shiagle along the coast diminishes until patches beeimo bare ; and, again, after heavy floods the beach is replenished. This, however, does not controvert the fuct that there is a general supply of shingle and land sufficient to protect the clay bluffs m » great measure ; and the abrasion of tbe cliffs where to protected it only occasional, limited m extent, and at itolated points. But the abrasion where the shingle. has been entirely cutoff, as it is to the north of the Timarn Breakwater, is continuous, rapid, and of so serious an extent as to be beyond all comparison with the former. " The railway from Timaru to Temuka was opened for traffic on 26th October, 1875. From that time till the commencement of tho Breakwater m September, 1878, there was no expense entailed for the protection of this foreshore. Prior to the gales that occurred m June, 1879, there was a breach of shingle fully 6 feet m depth covering the clay subbeach j and the high- water mark was about a chain distant from the foot of tbe cliff. The whole of this beach was swept away at tbst time. ~ The serious encroachments about Whale's Oreek and northward commenced immediately that beach was carried away, and have continued ever sine*, excepting where stayed by protective works.

"In place ef the natnral shingle-beaoh, an artificial beach of rubbleetono has been formed. This work was commenced m July, 1879, soon after the natural beach was swept away, and has been continued at intervals, as found to be required. The cost of this breastwork has been, up to the present time, £2700, This has protected tbe shore from the south end of the southern viaduct to the south end of the second viaduct. The encroachment is now proceeding so rapidly m front of the tecond viaduct, and along the oliff between it and the next gully, that further works have been ordered for the protection of the shore on account of the railway. " It is stated that the Committee have m evidence that neither the shingle-bank across the Waimataitai nor the Washdyke Lagoons has percaptibly changed. This is derived from the evidence of a witness living close. to the spot. It can be readily understood that the gradual change going on is lets likely to be perceived by a person seeing the place daily than by one visiting the place occasionally. It will, however, be seen by reference tbe to crott-tections taken m April and July of this year that the bank at the Wairaataitsi has very considerably deoreased. Tbe loss of material on this beach it at least 20,000 oubis ysrdt m the three months.

"The accumulation of shingle to the southward of the Breakwater is not so great as was anticipated ; but that is attributable to the unusually prolonged period of fine and northerly weather, and the ah«enc» of large floods m the shingle-rivers. The banking-up, although less than expected, is still increasing so much at to greatly incoovenienoe the southern landing-service, notwithstanding that it has been removed a considerable diitance seaward. At a rough estimate, there has been about four acres reolaimed by the accumulttion of shingle. '.' In the reports I have made on tbe encroachments of the sea, I have confined myself to the discharge of my duties m seeing to the protection of tbe railway placed Under' my charge. I have nothing to do with the location of it, and doubt not the Government is advised of the reasons which led to the choice of site and the feasibility or otherwise of diverting the line away from the shore. All these quottions raited by the Board do not fall within my instructions to go into ; neither have Ia desire to take up a position inimical to the interests of tbe Timaru Harbor Board': but I think it is better for all parties concerned that the true position of the subjeot should be recognised. and dealt with accordingly. No arguments;. Will slay the steady process of nature which every resident m Timaru can see gradually progressing under his eyes : on the one hand the accumulation at shingle on the south of the Breakwater, gradually but inevitably closing over it s and on the other hand the denudation of the more northward, whioh can only be checked at very great expense. It seems fri me apparent that these two effeott are now obtaining a magnitude never approaohed m former times, the work of years m the past beiog aoeomplished m about at many dayt at present ; and that thit change is entirely due[to the complete stoppage of shingle at the Timaru Breakwater. " J. Hbhb* Lows, " Engineer for Constructed Railways, „„„ ."■'" "Middle Island." P.S.— Mr Kirfay't evidence en the relative oost of the Lyttolton and Timaru stone appear* to be based on some understanding be has obtained of the oott of loading and' haulage. How h« arrived at such figures he doe* not state. Mr Kirby states his price wm. 9»:per yard ; bnt we have another contract after his at 7s 6d per yard. The cost of the Lyttelton stone, quarried, loaded, and hauled to the works, all cost* and oharges inoluded, was less than the. cheapest Timaru •lone. As to the relative quality, there is no douht' the Timaru is tbe better stone for house-building, but it is inferior for the purpose of resitting the action of the tea, as any person can see for himselt by inspecting tbe stones at they lie side by side on the boaoh. Every stone with edges rounded- off ia from Timaru quarries, and those with sharp, defined edge* an from Lyttelton. The Timarn

stone loses all its edges by "ear m three or four weeks; the Lyttelton shows no sign of Wrar m at many months. The Ijttellon stone being just, now lest easily procured than formerly, we ari> calling for lenders for a farther supj ly of Timaru stone; Trnd.rs have boon called for m su h a munner at to allow of competition between the large and small quarries, whether metr or remote from the works. A very full opportunity is there* fore giveu to tbe Timaru quarry-owners to show whether they are prepared to supply none of required tize at a reasonable prioe. -J.H.L."