WESTLAND ENGINEERING.

West Coast Times, Issue 352, 8 November 1866, Page 2

WESTLAND ENGINEERING.

(to the editor of thr west coast time s. Sir— During a professional tour to the principal towns of the Middle Island of New Zealand, commencing with Dunedin and terminating with Hokitika, it is with much regret that I have to state, that during a quarter of a century's practice in my profession it has never* before fallen to my lot to witness such imbecile attempts as are now being perpetrated here in the leading departments of the noble profession of which I have the honor to bo a disciple — a profession which is admitted throughout the civilised world to have contributed in a marked degree to the advancement of England's commercial greatness. My strictures shall chiefly apply to the abortive attempts which I find' in progress, evidently by the merest " tyro's" in hydraulic — railway — tramway — and marine engineerings, more particularly the latter, so far as Hokitika wharves are concerned. It is really melancholy to tlie reckless waste of public money in the mal-construction of the embankment now in course of execution hero — a more lamentable failure it is scarcely possible to conceive, although the finest timber for piles which I have ever seen are procurable from the adjoining forest, within . a pistol-shot of the river's margin. I prognosticate— unless other me.tns be taken — thai the short term of twelve months will prove this expensive work a failure, although it does Hot require a prophetic spirit to foretel this, as is already evidenced by the utter failure of the first edition, i. c., the embankment lying in ruins, and partially washed away. The new piled embankment being but an enlarged second edition" of the first— with all its faults repeated— simply having the piles stouter, deeper, and trebled in number, but still upon the old navvy system, entirely depending upon a good holding substratum, , and which I believe to be sound. The expenditure in carrying out this incomplete work would, if properly planned and under the surveillance of a professional engineer of previous experience in like works, execute a coinpl le barrier to the river for an age to come, alike defying the inroads ot even the Hikitikti during the greatest flood pressure, to which it is quite obvious to the most superficial observer it has been, and will continue to be subject to periodically. This work is so pregnant for good or evil to the interests of the rising city of Hokitika, and the preservation of tlie citizens' property, must be my apology for trespassing upon your space in bringing the subject — through the press — before the proper authorities. Time permitting, and with your sanction, I may, from my notes, trouble you at a future date wi'h some further remarks upon that terror to the shipping interest, the shifting" " Bar." I have the honor to be, Sir, truly yours, Millar, F.S.A., Consulting Engineer. Hokitika, Nov. 7, 1866. 4