GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2057, 30 April 1907, Page 2

GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD

The monthly meeting ol the Gistorue Harbor .Board was belli yesterlay afternoon, there being present: Messrs Town ley (in the chair), Hardtig, Hepburn, Lysnar, Clark, AintJiewson, Sievwright. Whinrny, and tlie Hon. Captain Tucker.

COR B ESP ON DIGNCE. Air. Corson, representative oi tho Flourmillers’ Association, wrote coinplaining of the depredations by rats to flour, oatmeal, mid other produce left at the Harbor Board shed. The damage was so great that the Association was unwilling to hear it—The matter was referred to the Overseer.

The Borough Council wrote re the election of Air. Townloy to tho Board.—Received. Two of the Harbor Board employes wrote ro wages. They stated that they were only getting 13Jd an hour, which was not what they were entitled to, according to the Carpenters’ Union award. Captain Tucker moved that the Board decline to interfere with any arrangement made between the Overseer and the employes. The letter was for the Overseer to ileal with anil not the Board.—The motion was oa i l’ied.

The Marino Department wrote staling that a sum would be placed oil tlio Estimates for the Tuahine lighthouse. 'l’lie Chairman said they should ask the Minister to have the wot'k done out of unauthorised expenditure, as tho work was urgently required before the winter sets in. It was decided to write to the Alblister for Marine, who is in Auckland, and ask him to visit Gisborne on his way South. The Shipwrecked Sailors’ Relief Society, Dunedin, wrote asking for tho Board’s assistance and support. The Society was in not sense local or provincial, but for shipwrecked people throughout the colony.—Captain Tucker said that the request of the letter should he acceded to. 11 ho were in order he would move that the mnnev thrown away oil the tariff on general merchandise bo granted as a subscription.—The matter was held over. FINANCIAL.* Tho cash statement to April 24th showed: Ordinary account. £7045 5s sd; harbor improvements, 19U7, £2263 8s llil ; current account as per bank book, £4864 9s 2d ; less unpresented cheques. £B2 12s Bd. Outstanding: Arrears of rates, 1906, £687 3s; do. 1905, £2J6 13s 5d ; wharfage current, £l9 15s 7il. OVERSEER’S REPORT. Air. AlcLood, Overseer, reported that tlio soundings ordered by the Board to be taken in the river -had been carefully obtained, and were shown .in the enclosed sections, extending from the end of the breakwater to tlie angle, ill the wharf atNio 2 shed, and were taken at distances of 10ft apart, both longitudinal and cross-sectional. The soundings indicated by rod figure showed the depth from low water by the Jvjuti tide milage to the surface ol tlio river bottom, anil tlio blue figures from same to the surface of the papa, rock. But the estimated amount of spoil to be removed was taken to low water by what was called tho Penguin tide guage, which was lft 6in lower, so that to get a straight channel, 50ft in width. 12ft in depth, at low water by the Penguin tide guage between the above named points there was 13,200 yards of spoil to be removed, which would give an average depth over the whole area of. 2ft Bm. Of this amount of spoil 7750 yards consisted of solid jiapa roe'k, anil would average lit 7jin in depth over tho same area.' The diflerence in the number of yards between 13.200 yards, being the whole, and 7750 yards, which was rock, was 5450 yards, and consisted ol loose papa rock, shingle, silt,, and mud, all of which, except tho papa rock, had come down from the bed of the river higher up. The soundings shown in sections on No. 6 shoot, from tho angle in the wharf at No. 2 shed to the Kaiti bridge were taken in a similar way, with the exception that onlv one line of soundings was taken, but as it was taken parallel to the wharf and at a distance from it of 40ft it sliould be a fair average of what the whole width of 501 k should be. This gave the amount of spoil to be removed in order to get, 12ft in depth, at low water, by the Penguin tide guage. at 12.300 yards, 2750 yards of which were rock, and would* need„to be either blasted or chopped. The total amount of spoil to be removed according to these soundings to get 12ft ill depth at low water by the Penguin tide guage and 50ft wide from the end of the breakwater to the Kaiti bridge, would bo 25,000 yards. This amount of spoil could be removed with tlie Board’s plant at present rate of progress in eight months, but while this was so lie did not expect that it would work out practically in less time than from twelve to fifteen months. As this would no doubt require some explanation he would bo pleased to give same at the meeting. The John Townley had taken 46 loads of spoil to sea that month, and the small dredge had lifted 650 yards of rock and 300 yards of silt, in all 950 yards, which had been deposited on the Kaiti reclamation; also 35 yards of gravel which were landed on the wharf to be put on the road. Tlio addition to No. 2 shell was finished, and made available for traffic. The blasting punt, No. 1, .was at work at the outer end of the river channel, and No. 3 punt near tbo slip. Progress with tlie wliarf extension was still much hindered through the shortage of timber. HARBORMASTER’S REPORT. Captain Gumming, Harbormaster, reported that the buoys in the bay had been overhauled, cleaned, and painted, and replaced in postion. The beacon in the channel had been cleaned and painted and all the life buoys anil standards on the breakwater and groyne had been painted. The lighthouse on the breakwater was finished and in use, and would be of great benefit to vessels working the channel at night, as they could now see the lights when leaving the wharf. The dredger had done good work along the town wliarf during tlio last month, but there were several patches of papa that should be blasted and removed as soon as possible. Soundings taken in the channel on the 25th inst. with the new tide guage at zero were,as follows: End of breakwater 13ft, third bollard from end or breakwater 9ft Gin, Spark’s landing Bft Gin, big crane Sft Gin, AVaikanae Sft, along wliarf 7ft to Oft. Since last meeting the shipping was: Steamers, arrivals 43. departures 43 ; sailing ships, arrivals 13, departures 12. Tlie moorage list showed that since March 30tli 20 vessels had worked at the wharf. The working days at the wharf were 47, and the full time at the wharf 68 (lavs. The amounts "paid totalled £33 15s. DU EDC EM ASTER'S REPORT.

Cl. !’. Soli ander, Dreilgemaster, reported that since last meeting the dredge John Town fey had linen constantly employed. The amount of spoil taken out was GOO cubic yards of clay from between the slip and tbo new wliarf, 1500 yards froiii along the breakwater, being sand anil rock, and 2200 yards mud front along the town wliarf ; in all 43t)0 cubic yards. On the 4tli and sth were employed cleaning anil painting buoys. AY. .11. Alaekie, engineer of tlio John Townley, reported that all tlie machinery on the dredge was working well and giving satisfaction.