THE TIMARU BREAKWATER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 9138, 15 June 1880, Page 2

THE TIMARU BREAKWATER.

'-* The following extracts from Mr Blackett'g report will give tho reader-.a very fair idea of thatgenfctemau'aground* j for advocating the destruction of the Timaru Breakwater. With a knowledge that BUch adverse opinions were in existence, the Government must have been sleeping when they sanctioned its commencement: —" My last report on the Timaru Harbour Board works was on July 3, 1879, aad was intended to reply to certain questions asked by the Minister of Public Works, viz.: —What amount of damage was inflicted .on tho railway, and how much of this was due to the Harbour Bonrd's operations; what action is necessary, and its probable cost, in order to prevent further encroachments, and to arrange that the Harbour Board, if thought responsible, should undertake the repairs P The reply to the above questions was unqualified, namely, that there could be no doubt that the damage to the railway line north of Timaru harbour works was due largely to the erection of a breakwater, but until further evidence was obtained it was difficult to state how much of the damage was due to the works, arid how much to the violence of storms. Since this the action of the sea .has been closely watched by Mr W. H. Lowe, the Eesident Engineer for Railways, who has twice reported on the subject. A perusal of these report* shows the prejudicial action of the breakwater in so clear, and strong a light that there need now be, no, uncertainty in the mind of anyone who is capable of justly estimating the importance of the. effects therein recorded.". The, facts, are, briefly these: —Before any breakwater w,as erected the sea beach was. covered , W'th a coating of shingle of, such, depth and quantity as to act as a protection to the softer parts, of which the beach on which it lay was composed. This shingle, or the upper layer of it; was :in an almost constant state of motion along the beach northwards, due to the action of the Bea. When the breakwater, was erected, it acted as a stop to the flow of shingle, « hich became backed up on its southern face, while the shingle which had already passed the line of break-' water atill continued its motion gradually; as it moved, laying bare, and deprived of" its "natural protection' ~of clothing of shingle, its denudation and destruction by the sea became rapid, as described in Mr Lowe's report. This action, if the building of the breakwater is proceeded with, will go on; the shingle will be moved northwards, and no further supply following, the spits or breaches across the mouths of the lagoons will disappear, and the railway embankments across these lagoons will be laid open to the attacks of the sea. This action will not be confined to the locality'of Timaru. It will be felt in due course of time (shorter or longer according to circumstances) along -the whole stretch of coast line to Lake Ellesmere, working changes, the nature, but not the l- 1 full extent, of which can readily be/prseen." : Mr,.Blackett then proceeds to quote Mr Carruthers' report to the Timaru arid Gladstone Board of Works in 1871. His words were: —" The shingle being thus stopped it would collect on the south side of the breakwater, until in the course of time it had pushed out to the .end of the latter, when the northerly mption r would begin again. la the meantime the Bhingle to the north, be,ybnd the protecting influence of the breakwater, would have been still moving northwards, and as no new shingle could come to supply the place of that which had moved, the coast would soon be bare, and the sea would to cut it down. The first effect of the above works would be the degra dation of the coast to the north. The detatched shingle beach across Washdyke lagoon would next begin to disappear. I strongly recommend the Board not to undertake the work." After quoting Mr Balfour and Sir John Coode in support of his views, Mr Blaokett urges Legislative action to restrain the progress of the works, and concludes: —" This being done,the shingle would, in course of time, find its way round the end of the breakwater, destroying the so-called harbour in its passage, and eventually gain the northeast beach, where, after a while, the normal state of affairs would again be restored." The beach would be again clothed with, its natural protection, and further damage would be arrested. This desirable result would be hastened if the breakwater were wholly or partially removed or broken up. My recommendation, therefore, is this : To stop the building of the breakwater at once, and afterwards to remove or break it up so as to lessen its prejudicial effects on the beach, the adjoining lands, and railway works to the north."