OTAGO HARBOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 121, 25 May 1931, Page 8

OTAGO HARBOUR

SHELF OF ROCK REMOVED HEAVY EXPLOSIVE CHARGE USED. I Per Press Association. 1 DUNEDIN, May 24. The discharge of over 2000 pounds of explosives yesterday afternoon effectively removed one of the few remain ing obstructions to shipping in Otago Harbour. The charge, which was distributed over an area of approximately 3800 square feet of rock in the channel between Goat Island and Quarantine Island, was so arranged that at low water there would bo a minimum depth of 30 feet across the channel, which at its greatest depth is over 100 feet. The contractor (Mr F. Goodman) com menced his work in September of las year, and under the terms of his con tract was required to finish the work in a year, but such was the expedition with which the work was carried out, that the last charge, in 72 drilled holes in the shell of rock was tamped in yesterday afternoon. The charges were so placed that their simultaneous explosion would break the whole of the shelf into small frag meats, and it was quite obvious from the small amount of upward thrust from the discharge that the aim of the can tractor had been realised. Immediately after the explosion the main channel was trawled in order to ascertain that no portion of the shell of rock had caused any obstruction in the deeper water, the investigation proving that the blast had been a complete success.