NOT A FAILURE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 809, 8 July 1933, Page 8

NOT A FAILURE.

Work at the Waimakariri Mouth. CUT TO BE WIDENED. The work done by the Waimakariri Harbour Board at the mouth of the Waimakariri River, in endeavouring to open up a cut to the sea, cannot yet be described as a failure, according to Mr R. F. Joyce, chairman of the Harbour Improvement Committee. He stated yesterday that the work done on Thursday' was. only the preparatory stages and that there still remained much to be done. The committee had had to contend with several difficul- | ties. Mr Joyce stated that if a deep cut were put through and the sea were calm the water from the river would flow through at the rate of half a mile an hour. The idea of the preparatory cut was to make use of the sea’s action in driving the sand from the cut in the spit into the river where it would be washed away. a flood was experienced in the river it would probably break through at the cut. It was not expected or intended that the water should flow through on the first day. Twenty men were engaged, but as they had only' four days to put in, the board had to proceed with the work on their last day', Thursday'. On that day' by' some mistake the barrows were taken away. Two members of the board had returned at midnight together with two volunteer.? and worked until 4 a.m., when the results were much more marked and the sea was sweeping; through. Even the tide conspired against the board on its initial attempt, as it did not comply' with the nautical almanac. It should have risen 6ft 6in, but actuj ally reached only 3ft. Meteorological conditions affected the tides either a? 1 to place or to time. j The board intended to engage more | men next week, when the cut would ! be widened and deepened. With a wider j front and depth in time of flood the i chances of making a new outlet were I more hopeful.