Lyttelton Harbour Board.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5171, 28 November 1884, Page 4

Lyttelton Harbour Board.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board met yesterday afternoon in their Christchurch offices • present — The Hon J. T. Peacock (Chairman), Messrs E. G. Wright, C. W. Turner, H. Allwright, T. M'Clatehie, J. D. Macpherson, W. B. Tosswill, W. White, S. E. Webb, and C. E. Blakiston. , Leave of absence was given to Mr M. Dixon. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The Chairman made the following statement : — Since our last meeting the following sums have been paid into the Board's account js— Wharfage dues, -82249 13s Sd ; pilotage and port charges, J2425 15s sd ; towages, dock dues, &c.,.£214 17s Gd; total, .£2890 6s 7d. It will be necessary to transfer -32000 from our fixed deposits to meet the payments due to-day, amounting to _34239 14s sd. The accounts have been carefully examined by the Finance Committee. The Harbour Improvement Committee's report (No. 38) will be brought up to-day, and may be dealt with at the same time as the Engineer's report, which will be read. The tenders for leasing sites on the reclamation land are due to-day. A contract has been let to J. W. Thomas for the shed on the Pigeon Bay jetty. The cost of building the shed will be .£132. The Select Committee appointed to deal with the tenders for the tug boilers, after full consideration of the matter, decided to accept Mr John Anderson's tender of -21530 for two steel boilers with patent corrugated flues, &c. The Harbour Master recommends that 20 additional iron tressels be obtained for dock. A letter has been received from the Sumner Town Board, pointing out the damage being done to the foreshore, near Whitewash Head, by reason of Mr S. L. Bell causing large pieces of rock fco be deposited on it. Mr Bell has been written to, pointing out the penalty Tinder Act for SUCh Offence. Our Engineer will inspect and report on the matter. The Wellington Harbour Hoard have written in reference to hiring our dredging plant. Their Secretary has, within the past few days, inspected it. I think it would be desirable that the Board should again write to the Government iv reference to a lifeboat for Akaroa harbour. The necessity has again been made but too painfully apparent by the late wreck of the barque Clyde. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE. The- following was read : — " Your Committee have considered the tenders for boiler for patent slip, referred to them by the Board, and the Engineer, after having an interview with Messrs Anderson on the subject, recommended the Committee to accept Mr Anderson's tender of .£240 for the boiler and flues, &c, in terms of the Engineer's specification. Since our last meeting, Mr Bell has made several inspections of the dock, and he proposes to further consider the matter, and make a recommendation for preventing the accumulation of mud in the dock before the next Board meeting, and in the meantime he suggests that the dock be pumped out several times, and the mud removed from it to the reclaimed land. The Committee have authorised the boiler and steam pipes of the electric lighting engine being covered with patent asbestos non-conduct-ing composition. The cost will not exceed ,£25. The Engineer reports on the electric lighting installation as completed by Messrs Miles and Co. under agreement with Board. The staff have been temporarily engaged for a month, pending the Board's decision. Plans have been prepared by the Engineer for the proposed shed on reclaimed laud. The only question now remaining fib be determined, is whether it shall have a raised or lowfloor. The material is on hand for a raised floor, but should the Board decide to pnt in a concrete one, it will very considerably increase the Co3t of the shed. Mr Bell's report on the subject will be read." The report as a whole was adopted. ELECTRIC LIGHTING STAFF. Mr Wright suggested that the question of the electric lighting staff be referred to the Harbour Improvement Committee. The Chairman said ifc would of course be necessary to refer the matter to the Committee, but at the same time it was desirable that the Board should give some indication of their desires. . It was decided to leave the question to the Committee, who are to report to the Board at the next meeting. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The following was read : — " Sir, — I havo the honour to roport ou tho contracts in hand that : — The work on the steamer-wharf is still detained for want of timber, but the contractor is push-' ing on with all that he can do ; at present the planking is being laid over that portion which he has been able to finish. The erection of a goods shed at Pigeon Bay is being carried out by the contractor, who has the wharves in hand, upon a scale of prices agreed to by me; as directed by a Committee of the Board. The shed stands on a stone embankment between high and low Avatei*. Good progress is being made with the Pert Levy wharf. I submit two plans for shed at Lyttelton, one with raised, and one with low floor, for selection by the Board. From information colleoted by mo, I am able to submit the following considerations on the subject : That a wooden floor is mostly preferred to one of concrete ; that the question of a raised or low floor depends on the nature of the shed traffic, but both aro used in produce sheds, and from the evidence, I inferred that it was not of much consequence which was adopted, and therefore, taking into consideration the extra cost of a raised floor, I would recommend that a shed with a low wooden floor be adopted. . The electric plant is now in full working order. Mr Meddings examined the lamps and machine while working, and he. authorises me to state that he had no other means of testing the power of the lights thau by the intensity of the current in the wires, from which we deduce that the lights are fully up to the required standard of brightness, that is, on the average, about 2300 candle-power ; but, to make an actual test of brightness compared with standard candles, require- apparatus and instruments which we had not at hand on the occasion. On that occasion 11 lamps were burning. Subsequently, 16 lamps were lighted, but he was not jn-esent. |Mr S. Derbidge says that the lamps appeared quite as bright as when 11 only we:e tried, and that the machine was running at the required specd — 110 revolutions per minute — aud did not plat the coils to much. The above tests, such as they j are, prove that the plant is equal to the re- j quirements stipulated. The engines work j very well, and are much in excess of the • power required ; they run at from 100 to I 114 revolutions per minute, and burn about ! 1.911 b of coal per hour at the maximum '■ speed, with GOlb of steam in the boiler, j Thi_ consumption is very nearly what j the engines are stipulated to use, but i as we did not get a diagraixuef the power in ( tho cylinders, the exact consumption per I horse-power per hour is not determined, j The new road to the ocean steamer jetty ! is finished, and that portion of it which is : embanked, having consolidated and settled, : it is now necessary to metal it, -which I would suggest be done by contract. In . company with the Harbour Master I examined the time-ball tower and flag staff. ' There are numerous small repairs required, ' which can scarcely bo submitted for con- ] tract, and I would recommend they be done by day work; the cost might amount to .£25 • such are, fixing and mending the mast, with < new concrete round th- ba-o. Painting :

door and windows, patching the plastor, some pieces of new papering, battens on windows to keep out rain, new putty to do, repairs to kitchen ranges, &c. Before making any further suggestions for dealing with the mud in the dock, I wish time to carefully examine the water round the sluices at L.W.S.T. when the dock is filling. I find there is much light half-float-ing mud all round tho sluice, and some relief would he afforded by pttmping out the dock several times when no ship was in it, drying the mud, aud removing it in wheelbarrows and hoistiug.it out of the dock. Tho ILarbour Master has represented the great improvement and convenience to shipwrights if the dock floor. were dressed. The cost of doing this would be about .£3OO. The reason urged for it is that the floor is more wet and dirty now than it would be if the floor wore dressed, and if it were possible to got rid of the mud these objections might be obviated. The necessity 'is felt of a small shed, say 25ft by 12ft, to be placed between dock and slip, "in which shipwrights may lock up tools, paints and materials ; also of two pitch pots of 10 gallons each, with brick fireplace. The shed would cost about .£3O, and the pots about £25. The river has encroached very much on the shore under the new jetty at Sumner, there being 10 feet of water now where there was only three feet when the jetty was built. In consequence some of the piles are undermined, and have sunk eight inches. It is necessary to unbolt bolts and caps, and knock them down as far as they will go.— l have the honour to be, &c., " C. Napier Bell, Engineer." SHED ON RECLAIMED LAND. The Board resolved to adopt a low wooden floor for this shed, and approved of Mr Bell's plan ; tenders to be called for without delay. The Engineer's report, as a whole, was adopted, but the Board did not agree to have the dock floor dressed. THE DREDGE. The "Wellington Harbour Board wrote asking if they could hire the dredge and plant for about six months. The Board resolved to refer the question to the Harbour Improvement Committee to report to the Board. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting was now held to pass the by-law, to come into force on Dec. 5, determining the new scale of dock charges. These were formally passed. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of .£4339 14s 5d were passed for payment. Included in the amount was .£lB-3 on account of the electric lighting. REDUCTION IN STjVFF. Mr Wright moved — " That the Harbour Improvement Committee be requested to consider and report whether any reduction can be made, and if so how, in the amount now paid for salaries to the staff, and for oflice expenses." Mr "White seconded the motion, which was agreed to. LIFE BOAT FOR AKAROA. Mr Tosswill moved—" Th.at the Chairman be requested to communicate with the Minister of Marine, pointing out that the recent disaster to the Clyde conclusively shows the urgent necessity of at once replacing the present life boat at Akaroa with one of a better class." He did not suppose that he need say anything in support, of the motion, as he was sure that the terrible loss of life the other day must prove to every one that it was absolutely necessary that something* should be done to prevent the recurrence of a similar disaster. It was quite true that the Clyde, being an old boat, broke up very quickly, but if she had been a much stronger boat, she might very easily have lost her crew and passengers, simply because there was no boat to bring them off in, and this would have been even more distressing, if possiblo, than the loss that had occurred. It was not as if this was an uncommon thing, one not likely to occur again. A similar accident happened to the Tararua, and, though the vessels lost were heard of, nothing was heard of the numbers of vessels which drifted in and nearly got ashore. He knew that the ship he himself came out in, the Hadpshire, having on board 100 passengers, found itself in the bight of Lake Ellesmere ; and a gentleman in Lytteiton had that day told him the same thing happened when he came out. If there was any placo where there should be a thoroughly good boat it was Akaroa. He did not think it should be exactly what wa3 called a lifeboat, but a long, light whaleboat, with cork or cylinders in her, and, if possible, selfrighting ; such a boat as could be lowered at a moment's notice, and one that would pull quickly. As to the present boat, he did not suppose that four of the best men going could possibly pull her off the land when anything like a sea was running. She was thoroughly bad. "With, regard to the expenditure, if the Government wonld provide a suitable boat he did not think there would be any difficulty among tho people on the Peninsula, and from the Insurance Companies and gentlemen in Christchurch sufficient could be raised. The Timaru boat cost only .£OO per annum. • There would have to be a small sum for a man to take proper care of the boat, but the whole expenditure need be very little. Allowing the matter to stop where it was was a disgrace to the Colony. The possible expenditure, he took it, could hardly be more than J2IOO, and the present state of things was scandalous. Whilst the Chairman was writing to the Minister it would be as well that special attention ' should be called to the indraft of the current on the Peninsula, which varied exceedingly. Aftor southerly weather it was much stronger than at other times, and after a flood tide it had double strength. The Clyde struck at about full tide. Tho fact of tho current was well known to ohipniasters ou the Peninsula, but it appeared to him that every possiblestep should be taken to make this fact known to all shipmasters. Mr S. K. "Webb had much pleasure iv seconding the motion of Mr Tosswill, who had said all he had intended to say, especially in calling attention to the current. The resolution was carried unanimously. FAREV/ELL. Mr Webb, r.3 this was the last meeting at wliich he would be present, thanked the Board for the courtesy they had extended to him while occupying a seat. The Chairman expressed pleasure at the remarks made by Mr Webb, and said he hoped his successor would deserve as well of the Board as that gentleman had done. The Board resolved to hold the next meeting on Monday, I>ec. 29, in Christchurch.