RIVER DANGER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20509, 10 January 1935, Page 15

RIVER DANGER.

Effect of New Weir on the Avon. “ A MENACE TO CITIZENS.” The construction of the weir in the River Avon at the Armagh Street bridge has raised the level of the water considerably, and in the opinion of some people this constitutes a danger to life. The subject was mentioned when the Royal Entertainment Committee yesterday was discussing arrangements for the river carnival to be held on the night of January 19 in honour of the Duke of Gloucester. Mr R. J. Hobbs (representing the Rowing Association) declared that the state of the river was a menace to the lives of hundreds of citizens. He pointed out that the depth of water had increased to about 6 feet and that the banks were slippery and very steep. There was nothing which a person in the water could grasp. Mr Hobbs received a certain amount of support from the City Engineer (Mr A. R. Galbraith) and the chairman of the Drainage Board (Mr 11. G. Livingstone) . After a lengthy discussion, during

which it was stressed that the danger existed only on the Park Terrace side and that a better view of the proceedings could be obtained from the Hagley Park side of the stream, a sub-commit-tee, consisting of Messrs Hobbs, Galbraith, V. Hean and H. Kitson, was appointed to examine the river and make recommendations to the next meeting of the committee as to what steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the public. In raising the subject, Mr Hobbs said that there was no one with a greater desire to see the depth of the river increased than himself, but he considered that the construction of the weir had created a menace to the lives of hundreds of citizens. The Mayor (Mr D. G, Sullivan, M.P.) asked if the remarks of Mr Hobbs would not apply to any river bank. “This bank is very, very slippery,” replied Mr Hobbs. “There* is nothing like it anywhere else, and if a child slipped in there would be nothing to grasp.” Mr Galbraith said that the river was very bad at the Carlton Mill bridge end and that even when the river was a normal height there was a hole deep enough for a child to drown in. He certainly thought that something should be done. The Mayor: Will a fence hold the ! crowd back? Mr Galbraith: That is a point that j can be considered. Life Savers Arranged. The honorary organiser (Mr IT. Brad- |

ley) suggested that it might be advisable to rope the area off and use a military guard to protect the audience. He said that he had already arranged for a detachment of the St John Ambulance Brigade and the surf life-saving organisations to be present. If the crowd were well spread along *both banks of the river it would not be more than twelve persons deep at any one point. “I do not think that a rope would be anything like sufficient,” said Mr Hobbs. “I don’t want to be an alarmist, but I do see serious trouble sticking out.” The chairman (Mr T. Milliken) expressed the view that there would not be such a crowd at any one point as to push spectators into the river. He did not think that statements such as those made by Mr should be allowed to go without contradiction. He suggested that a subcommittee should be set up to consider the distribution of the crowd and the risks that might occur. The Mayor said that it would be necessary to have patrols on the river whose work it would be to lend a hand in the event of an accident. Mr Hobbs said that patrols could not travel up and down the river when I rowing races were in progress. He anticipated that trouble would begin early in the evening, when parents with children sat down on the bank near to the edge of the water. Children would slip in and there would be a drowning before the carnival had begun, t On the motion of the Mayor, the sub-

committee was set up to investigate the position. The sub-committee was given power to arrange for assistance from the military authorities. Later in the meeting Mr Livingstone, who had not been present when the discussion took place, was asked for his opinion on the amount of danger involved. “I am quite satisfied that someone is going to get wet,” said Mr Livingstone. “I am not worrying about the night of the carnival, as someone will be there to fish them out. There is greater danger there now, as the children are accustomed to playing in one foot of water and there is now between five and eight feet there. That is the biggest risk I can see.”