THE HARBOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19358, 13 July 1925, Page 4

THE HARBOUR

DISCUSSED BY HARBOUR BOARD. . CONSULTING ENGINEER'S ADVICE. Mr. Blair Mason, consulting engineer 1 to the Harbour Board, was present at the board’s meeting on Friday evening, and discussed the present state of the harbour works and the best means of increasing the depth on the bar. Mr. Blair Mason said he had examined the works in company with the (resident engineer and the harbourI master. A tremendous amount of silt I I had found its way down the river durl ing the recent floods. The fresh had ! i shifted a good deal of material inside j I the moles. He considered the improve- ' inent to be about Ift. in depth all over. [ j Silting up outside could always be ex- j : pected after a flood. It was very i i gratifying, however, to see that the I I depth of the channel seaward had j shown a considerable improvement, and j I there was a clear 20ft. channel midway j I between the mole: seaward. The j amount of work done in the way of de- j positing stone had not been large on i account of the weather. He was glad i to see that the Kaione was doing good I work dredging, but no doubt better re- : suits could be. obtained if used for more 1 I extended pumping. He had made a ! j few suggestions to the resident engi- | ueer, and there was no reason why the : (Kaione could not be worked with (greater success if they obviated the ( (necessity of taking a great deal of the j ; stull to sea. They had debated the : matter of narrowing the basin, but would not do so at present. The mouth of the entrance governed the amount of siltation. It would not do to rush those matters, which required careful consideration, and the harbourmaster had to be in a position to take the vessels in and out. After heavy floods the -silt that went to make up the bar found I its way, on most occasions, south, and was gradually dissipated. A 20ft. channel ran out to sea, with a shoal [bank on cither side. He did not think I that they need apprehend anything ! from that sand, as the heavy seas all (helped to dissipate it. : In answer to a question as to whether jit would be possible to keep a channel clear by dredging, Mr. Mason said that as a policy he had advised that every effort should be made to maintain the channel by natural forces. When the board reduced the limits set out it was time then to discuss artificial means, but he hoped that the board would not have to do it. The work should be done so as to make the best possible use of the forces of Nature to keep the channel clear.

Captain Holm said that it was understood that the shoaling was now 1600 to 2000 feet outside further than before. They had deepened between the moles by building up the north mole. Would a narrow channel have any appreciable difference on the bar! Mr. Blair Mason said that up to last August they had two foot more on the bar than between the moles. It was no use having six feet more on the bar if

I _ , they could not get vessels in. If the ■ 'north wall was made tight deeper water (would follow it. That was why he ad- ■ vocated building up the north mole right to the end. Captain Holm asked whether a nar- ' rower entrance would have any effect on Ihe present shoaling? Mr. Blair Mason replied that there would be a lesser effect further sea- | ward. , Mr. Allen said he took it that ihe ;raising of the north inole would attain the object the board was striving for. j Mr. Blair Mason said that that was the logical and true way to proceed. (They could then note the effect, and 'consider what would be necessary to ; get more water. Dredging between .the moles would be very costly, and the : proper way was to narrow the channel In reply to questions by members as to whether an entrance 400 feet wide (would be sufficient, Mr. Blair Mason said that was a matter which Captain i Mclntyre could give an opinion on. i Captain Mclntyre said he did not (favour a 400 feet entrance, as sailors | would have to keep out in weather I where they could now come in. It. | would not make a difference in ordinary (weather, but; some days they would not ' be able to work.