AUCKLAND RECLAMATION WALL COLLAPSE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10020, 16 April 1910, Page 6

AUCKLAND RECLAMATION WALL COLLAPSE.

THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.^

The final stage in the enquiry of . ih 1 ? Auckland, Harbour Board concerning the cause of the recent collapse of portion or* the reclamation wall at Freeman's Bay was reached on Tuesday, when a .report was placed before the board by the sub-com-mittee, consisting of the chairman (Mr A. J. Entrican), and Messrs W. J. Napier, J. H. Bradney and J. H. Gunson, which was set up to draft a report embodying the points agreed upon by the board in committee contained a digest of the report of the expert engineers, Messrs R. W. Holmes and H. D. Walsh, and concluded: —"Your committee, after making a very careful examination ot the evidepce, must put on record their astonishment at the testimony given as to the careles3 and unworkmanlike way in which some of the piles were driven, and there can be no doubt that' the failing to drive many of the piles to the depth specified is responsible for the accident. They also think that the-supervision of the work was inadequate, though the confidence felt in the clerk of works in charge seemed to be justified by his record. "The committee recommends the board (a) that in future the men employed by the board as clerks of works, or in the supervision of any of the board's work, be apppointed by the board on the recommendation of the engineer, and that in large and important constructive works an experienced supervising engineer should be placed in charge of such works. "That the worx of reparation of the damaged wall be proceeded with as expeditiously as possible on the original site, in accordance with the detailed recommendation ot the advising engineers. "Ihat it is only fajr to say thathe men who made and spliced trie piles did their worn weH, as stated by tha advising engineers, ""tour committea agrees with the fkdinn of the advising engineers that no blame for the accident lie*? against the engineer or any officer or employee of the buard, outside those who were engaged in the driving of the piles."