HARBOUR BOARD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11953, 3 April 1894, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD

, The folio wing are the extraots of the Board's minutes referred to and read by Mr Thatcher at the special meeting on Saturday last :— " January 29, 1877— First election to Board. May 3, lß77— Tenders for office of Engineer to the Board opened. May 23, 1877— Messrs Barr and Oliver's offer accepted. [Note— The highest tender of the whole.] June 7, 1877— Bari' and OJ>ys£ J appointed after some, , private ter^ rangements made by the Chairman (details not made public). August 24, 1877 — Mr Barr attended Board with plan of river and report; estimate total, ' £87,527 ; for first series of works, £67,854. August 27i 1877 — 'Eoport and plan from Messrs Barr and Oliver adopted. December 9, 1877— A report from Messrs Barr and Oliver on - deepening of the bar received, January 10, 1878— Messrs Barr and Oliver authorised by Board to prepare plans and speoi- i • fications for works they recommended, to protect S spit and Castleoliff, and the first section of river channel works, for which their estimates were— S spit £4500 ; Castlecliff, £1500 ; channel works from a quarter to 2J miles from bridge, £20,686. March 7, 1878 — Messrs Barr and Oliver's plans and specifications for remainder of works they proposed adopted, excepting that part recommending the Board to buy a steamer ; total estimate, including above, £87,527 ; less steamer and light dredge if necessary, £12,000— .£75,527. March 30, 1878— Motion carried : ' That it be represented to the Government that this Board is about to contract for harbour improvements to the value of :£30,000, and that other works of a more extensive character are contemplated ; the Board re? spectfully asks that Sir J.' Coode be senj here to examine and report.on the questiqq of harbour works.' The secretary was in r strtictcd to advise Messrs Barr and Oliver of the above. May 2, 1878— Letter was read from Secretary of Customs, informing the Board that Wanganui was out of tlje ports which Sir J, Coodp was instruoted'to, visit and report upon. June (j, 18.78— Letter from Marine Department; with Sir J. Coodo's report. June 10, 1878— rMessrg Barr and Oliver sent a long letter to the, Board, directly opposing Sir J. Coode's prot posed line of training walls. After perusing, the Board passed the following resolution (Peat — Morgan) ',—' That, having had under consideration the report of Sir J. Coode, with accompanying plan and report by Messrs Barr and Oliver thereon, adhere to tho original scheme of river improvements as proposed by Messrs Barr and Oliver, with the modifications suggested in their report of June 10th, }878.' ten ; dor of ftfessrs Hendersqn and Fergus, fqr stone at 7s 3d— £3s,l97— accented, July i, 1878— Letter from Marino Department, covering requisition for information for Sir J. Coodo. July 8, 1878— Motion carried : 1 That a reply be sent, stating that it will be impossibly to supply tho information required for Sir J. Coodo until mid-summer. but so soon as the matter is sufficienflt settled to admit of soundings the Boavßfc^ will take the necessary steps? Messr^^P^ Bamber and Duthie appointed a deputation to wait on the Government re Messrs Barr and Oliver's plans, &o; At this emergency meeting the Chairman explained the meeting had been called to enable the Board to confer with Mr Barr. Mr Barr said ho had rend the letter requiring tho information for Sir J. Coode. This work might be done in about thveo months. The cost of ■* tho information of tho borings, soundings, etc., would be about £400. Motion carried : 1 For revision of contract by Board's solicitor, and that fresh tenders bo called for Nos. 1, 2, and 3, to close by August 21st.; July 13, 1878— Special meoting of the Board with reference to tho departure by Sir J. Coode from tho lines proposed by Messrs Barr and Oliver. August 5,1878--Spec-iil meeting of tho Board. Mr Denby's

tender of £28,442, for contracts No. 1, 2, and 3 accepted. Mr Ban- attended at Board's meeting. He explained that even if Sir J. Coodc's lines at the Spit were adopted for the training walls, the protec tive works provided for in tho contract No. 1 (protection S Spit) would still be necessary, August 24, 1878— Report of deputation to tho Government— • We explained the difficulty to accomplish the borings until next autumn, and the Board is recommended to furnish at present such informa- ; Uon as is available. 1 September 9, 1878— i Later from Marine Department, stating i ■Rnded plans to meet Sir J. Coode's lines i < ' "WB? railway embankment would bo prepared I for Governor's approval ; with reference to j contract No. 3, • the Marine Engineer is of opinion that the lino of training walls I should coincide with thoso laid down by < SirJ.Coodo. 1 October 3, 1878— (Peat— < Watt) amendment carried : ' That, taking i into consideration the persistent efforts df the Government to get the Board to adopt ( Sir J. Coode's lines, a special meeting of < the Board beheld to consult with him, with J ft view to adopting Sir J. Coode's lines.' t " October 3rd, 1878— Contract No. 3— [ Motion carried : ' That it is desirable to ( proceed with the training walls' contract at ( once, and that the Chairman be empowered , to confer with Mr Denby, with a view to . giving extended time for the Spit Contract. 1 November 7, 1878. — Board accepts re- j arrangement of time for Denby's contract. ( November 12, 1878.— Special Meeting ; Mr } Barr present. Motion carried;—' That, j whilst fully satisfied with the line of train- ] ing walls laid down by Mr Barr, the Board • resolves, in deference to the Government, j to request Mr Barr to adopt Sir J. Coode's . lines of training walls of Contract No. 3.' '. Deoember 6, lß7B— Messrs Barr and Oliver's \ account (£568 15s) paid. February 6, 1879 , —Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (£SO . 133 4d) paid. April 3, 1879— Motion car- { ried : ' That Mr Barr be instructed to make j the necessary borings and soundings re- j quired to be dono on the bar, with a view to ; enable him to report to the Board how far the same can be improved, and at what cost.' j Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (.£B9 Is ] "' 6d)paid. May I, lß79— Letter from Messrs ] Barr and Oliver, asking for the use of ( steamer, boats, and men to enable them to ( take soundings outside the Heads ; requisi- . tion granted, and for providing boring tools, j June 5, 1879— Messrs Barr and Oliver's , account (£83 12s 4d) paid. August 7, 1879 ( —Messrs Barr and Oliver's report and plans ( for the improvement of the bar received. ( Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (£B3 Cs ( 8d) paid. August 21, 1879— Special meet- , jng. Motion carried : ' That Messrs Barr , and Oliver's plan and report for improving j the mouth of the river be forwarded to the , Government for the approval of the Gover- ( toor. 1 October 2, 1879— Letter from Marine j Department read at this meeting and held , over.— Acknowledging the receipt of Messrs . Barr and Oliver's report and plans for im- ( provementof the bar: 'As this appears to , be in leply to requirements of Sir J. Coodc , in his memo, dated May, 1878, 1 have to f request that you will send a duplicate of ( the plan and report as required by the , letter above quoted, so that it may be trans- ( mitted to Sir J. Coode by the next mail. 1 , Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (£G3 Cs , -«§ifr>paid. October 13, 1879 -Special meetTHA Letter from Marine Department held j over from previous meeting read. Motion j carried (Peat-Laird) : ' That a letter be sent , to the Marine Department, enquiring | ■whether the information required by them j to be placed before Sir J. Coode will incur •V any amount of cost to the Board from him for report, &o.' December 4, lß79— Letter from Mr Barr, informing Board he would | be up in a few days. Messrs Barr and | Oliver's account (£43 Gs 8d) paid. Janu- ] ary 9, 1880— Motion carried : ' That Mr . Barr be asked to furnish a plan and esti- , mate for a harrow.' February 5, 1880— • Messrs Barr and Oliver's report and esti- , mate for a harrow were adopted. Barr and , Oliver's account (£63 6s 8d) paid. April 1, , 1880— Messrs Barr and Oliver's account j (£63 6s 8d) paid. May 6, 1880 -Messrs j Barr and Oliver's report on the harrow was . read and received. Motion carried : • That the Mayor and Engineer be left to try the harrow again, with permission to order the one suggested by Mr Barr at once, 1 Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (£4l 13s 4d) paid), May 18, 1880— Letters on tho subject of a dredge were read. Motion carried : • That the Board is in favour of ordering a dredge. 1 Motion carried: 'That tenders be called for a self-propelling iron dredge capable and guaranteed to lift 75 to 100 tons per hour, etc. 1 June 3, lßßo— Messrs Barr and Oliver's report read. Motion carried : • That the report be accepted, and the additional quantity of stone agreed to. Messrs Duthie and Peat resigned. July 1, 1880— Letter from Marine Department, of June 22nd 3 was read, asking the Board to supply -5 the data required by Sir J. Coode, and informing the Board the Government would bear the expense. Motion carried t ' That the Secretary be instructed to write to tho Marine Department, drawing attention to the fact that the Board does not wish to engage Sir J. Coode as a consulting engineer. The Board would also bring to the notice o£ the Department that much time will be lost in sending Home the data required, and would respectfully ask that the consent of the Governor-in-Council be asked to the plans of the Engineer to the Board. 1 Messrs Barr and Oliver's account (£63 6s 8d) paid. July 5, 1880— Motion carried : • That Messrs Kincaid and McQueen's ten- - aer for a dredge be accepted on the Engineer being satisfied, &c. ; tender £2700." Mr Bart's report on the Castlecliff road ; ordered that the recommendation to protect part with scrub should be carried out. August 5, 1880— Letter from Marine Department read, imforming the Board that the Governor had sanctioned the alteration in the training walls. A telegram from JJfissrs Barr and Oliver read, informing the ►■ that the contract for the dredge hap accTnt, £1242 2s 2d, paid ; do., No. 2, £380 Is 9d, paid. September 2, lßßo— Letter from been signed. Messrs Barr and Oliver's No. 1 Messrs Barr and Oliver, informing the Board that Mr Barr was not able to attend the meeting, and that the contractors for the dredge were making good progress ; reJ ceWed. Telegram from Engineer-in-Chief, ■ informing the Board he would look into the plans for bar improvements as soon as possible. Messrs Barr and Oliver's No. 1 account, £1221 12s 9d, paid ; do., No. 2, £275 8s Id, paid. October 7, 1880— Mr Barr's report on the improvement of the bar was read, Motion carried :—' That, in order to give effect to the Engineer's report on the improvement works outside the Heads, a Finance Committee of three members be appointed for the purpose of considering the question of 'Ways and Means, to report to a special meeting of the Board as soon as possible.' A telegram from the Marine Department on the same subject was read. H Motion carried : ' That Mr Barr prepare H plars and specifications for as many punts I as he may think necessary, and that ten- ■ ders be called." Messrs Barr and Oliver's ■ account (£BS) paid. December 2, 1880— B Mr Barr was in attendance. Letter from B Mr Denby, asking payment of the sum of H £98 13s 6d, loss sustained by him owing to B paving to place a quantity of stone on the B t| wall instead upon S spit. Motion H parried : ' That, on the Engineer's certiflB fite, a sum of £30 bo offered Mr Denby. 1 ■ Messrs Barr and Oliver 1 ? No. 1 account, £83, H <>s, Bd. paid ; do., No. 2, £39 9s, paid. DeB pember 14, 188Q— Amendment carried : B ' That th.c matter of the training wall outB §ide $he river be postponed for six months, B Until tb,e effect of the working of the dredge B be observed in t})e' Channel, 1 January G, B YJBBI— An account was received from Messrs B Barr stnd Oliver, amounting to .£3OB Bs, for B engineering services in connection with tho B bar improvements, Motion carried : ' That B this account be referred to the Committee B to report at next meeting.' The Chairman B having reported that the dredge would re, B qu«e some modification, it was resolved ! H ' That the members in town be a cgmmitteo H to take into consideration any modifications B proposed.' January 6, 1881 — Motion H parried : 'To instruct the secretary to H prepare' a statement for the next meeting H showing the amounts paid for engineering ■ Bervioes. 1 . January 14, 1881— Letter from H Messrs Barr and Oliver, suggesting some H alterations in the delivery of the dredge, was SB read. Motion carried : ' That the work bo ■Bj a one ,> January 18, 1881— Tender of KinH ~-<y"< r <r»and Co., £45, for alteration in tho BLriß^V> accepted. Letter from Harbour BBIBmK suggesting that the delivery of H^^^j^ should be retained as at present, was HI rjr J(l i adopted. Motion carrkd : ' That Bf the Harbour Master have power to have the Bi winch altered as suggested in his report. 1 H February 3, 1881— Letter from Messrs Ban B 8 and Oliver, with suggestions as to the H| dredging, was read, and referred to tht H Harbour Master. Motion carried : ' Thai Ota the above accounts, with the exception oi Bl^£~that of Messrs Barr and Oliver, £0!) Us, b( paid; that Messrs Barr and Oliver be paic WmW £11 13s 4d for one month's inspection, bu HH not for the 2-3rds of a month charged, ai H9 the dredge was ready to be passed on Jam.' fIH avy Ist. June 2, 1881— On Messrs Bar and Oliver's account for £308 8s beinj HM rea d i motion carried : ' That the sum o ■BB £138 8s be paid Mesrs Barr and Oliver, ani HH that a letter bo sent to them informin HB t^em the Board is not prepared at prcsen

to go on with tho works, but on prosecuting them the Board expects the 2 per cent to cover the charges stated in the telegram of December 11th, 1880.' Motion carried 1 That the secretary obtain such informa'tiouasho can respecting the acliou of a I crane in removing the spoil from the dredge punts.' July 12, 1881— Motion carried : 1 That it be an instruction to the Public Works Committee to arrange about procuring a crane to facilitate dredging operations.' August 12, 1881— Tender of Davidson and Conyers— .£oso— for crane accepted. September 1, 1881— Motion carried : ' That specifications be prepared and tenders called for building three pontoons and one spoil-box, with alternato tenders for 18 spoil-boxes.' November 3, 1881 — Motion carried : ' That tenders be called for the formation of 1800 ft. of the wall outside the Heads.' Motion carried : • That plans and specifications for the works outside the Heads be prepared by Messrs Barr and Oliver, under terms of original letter.' December 1, 1881— Telegram from Messrs Barr and Oliver, informing the Board that two copies of the plans and specifications of the bar improvements would be sent off on Tuesday. January 15, 1882— Motion carried ; ' That advertisements be issued, calling for applications for the office of engineer to the Board.' February 7, 1882 —Tender of W, Armstrong, for repairs and fixing the crane— £67— accepted. February 14, 1882— Tender of Messrs Davidson and Conyers, for the work at tho bar— £l7,9l7 17s 2d— accepted. Motion carried : ' That Mr Lloyd Hassell, C.E., be appointed Engineer at a salary ot £350 per annum.' Tenders for office of Engineer :— Mr -. Caiman, £250 per annum ; Mr H. C. Field, £300, ana 3 per cent on expenditure over £5000 ; Mr J. B. Bees, £200, and 3 per cent on expenditure ; Mr J. W. Brown. .£3OO per annum ; Barr and Oliver, 3 per cent for plans and estimated cost and 2 per cent on contracts, and £500 per annum ; Mr B. M. Starke, £400 per annum ; Mr J. T. Sweyets. £500 per annum ; Mr A. Dobson, £450 per ennum.' The following are the questions formulated by the Board, and wired to Mr Reynolds on Saturday :— Mr Robertson :— Ist, if tho channel through the present channel walls be dredged to the normal depth of the bar and the training walls repaired, would the scour thus induced maintain the channel during and after floods, without further dredging? 2nd, do yon consider the deepening of this channel to the bar would tend to coutract the tidal compartment to the detriment of the depth of water on the bar— if so, could you state approximately, how much? 3rd, in your report you state that a deeper and better harbour could be obtained at Castleoliff, than can over be obtained higher up the estuary. Would the formation of such a harbour in the future, in any way, injure tLe present navigation channel to the wharf. 4th, do we understand your report to indicate that if the South training wall were extended, as shown by the red line on your chart, further protection work to the South spit would be unnecessary, except at the extreme N.W. end. fith, (Mr Hatrick) : If we dredged the channel over the flats to a depth of Gft at L.W.S. tides as per your report, are we to understand that you considor it would have the effect of shoaling the bar— if so, to what extent ? 6th, (Mr Stevenson) : If the channel over the flats between the walls be dredged to Gft would the river below the Languard Bluff continue to shoal without the continuation of the South wall? TO TUE EDITOR. Sir,— ln thanking you for publishing the paper I read before the Boar.; on Saturday, may I ask you to correct in a local the following printer's errors, which are really of moment to the sense of the matter :-Rc stone pitching on the South Spit, " £60(1 " should be " £6000 " ; re " harrow " at tho bottom of the third column, 'harbour" is printed in two places in place of " harrow " ; and in the last paragraph "generously asked Sir J. Coode'B advice" Ghould be "genuinely." . illow me to compliment you on having printed at short notxe such a technical subject so free from errors.— l am, &c, 1. Thatcueb. Wanganui, April 2nd.