THE EASTERN MOLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13867, 1 April 1909, Page 4

THE EASTERN MOLE.

The damage done to the eastern mold by the sea of Tuesday by the shifting of some of the rubble was but slight,, yet not insignificant. The sea was a heavy one, but not by any means tha heaviest that has been experienced at Timaru, and such heavier seas majg

agpin he experienced. The significance of the-slight damage done is the hint that is given that the mole is not strong. enough to be left in its present condition for all time, unless it be held that, the mole would be as good as need be if the top of it is tumbled over. If this is not held, and a sea which did not reach the maximum of power in disturbing the material of the mole tumbled some of it about, this fact seems to bo a practical form of advice to the Harbour Board to con-, sider the whole position. There are several important factors to be taken into account. There is the necessity, which lias been recognised by the Board and its professional advisers, that any damage done by disturbance of the rubble should be made good. There is the cost of maintaining the staging, the tram-line and the running plant in readiness or near to readiness for carrying out such repairs. There is the certainty that the staging cannot be kept in siich repair for a great many years without practically reconstructing it, because the piling on which the whole depends cannot beexpected to last. There is the question whether the mole can be " made up " to such a height and solidity that there need be no fear of future damage, being done to it by heavy seas. .-upposing this to be affirmatively answered —and that seems ■to be the commonly held opinion—there is the cost of the" operation to consider. And in this connection, there is the important set- : off against that cost, of the value of the material, piles, beams, sleepers, rails, and the tramway material and plant, that could be removed and sold if the mole were finally made secure. There has been a suggestion made —we forget whether at the Board's table or elsewhere —that before' the staging becomes useless through decay, the mole should be extended a few hundred feet further, to give additional security for smoothness of the inner harbour." from, heavy seas from the eastward. The mole now gives an adequate shelter from soiith-easterly seas, but it is a little short of doing so from the rarer and fortunately less powerful seas with more easting in them. If the Board do undertake the consideration of the final " making up"- of the present mole, this suggestion about perfecting bv lengthening it would be worthy of consideration at the same time. It has been pointed out that if the mole were " made up" one or two of the tracks could be removed as unnecessary, and that the material could be used for extending the work, and new piles only would be needed. It would not be reasonable to put this aside as something to be done in the future; tor if the mole should be extended, it should be done while the means of doing it exist, and they will not reliably last for many years. Apart from this, the two main questions to be set against each other are: What would it"cost to make up the mole to a state of final security ?. and What would the material in the staging and the quarry plant sell for? The difference might be found to be a sum well within the means of the Board; and if the mole were raised, that subject of controversy would be got rid of.