THE RIVER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2558, 20 July 1909, Page 4

THE RIVER.

! THE SILT QUESTION. The condition, of tho river was the subject of much curiosity yesterday,ana many people took a walk along the wharf about midday, when it was low tide, to seo for themselves the dimcult ics tho larger craft have to encounter from the silt that has come down as a result of tho heavy rains. Jhe s.s. Hippie, which arrived from Napier yesterday morning, was lying opposite the shed at the Gisborne wharf, and at low tide was just touching the mud, in barely sft of water. Captain Sewell was unable to get the lighters out to the Mamari at low tide, owing to the danger of the fully-laden boats running aground for, as he told a “limes’ ’ reporter, there was not more than an average depth of oft in the river, and he did not know when one of the lighters might strike a bank of silt. Ihe Nautilus was, after discharging, lying out in the bay for some time waiting for high tide, as it was considered unsafe to bring the lighter up the liver in its present silted condition. jhe Gisborne Sheopfarmers’ Co.’s lighters only need 7ft of water, but Captain Sewell said lie wants to be certain that there is at least a 7ft channel before sending a loaded boat out. The river was very dirty yesterday, and silt, it was reported, had been stirred up all around the mouth of the i.aikanae creek, while timber and refuse of all kinds were floating down the •stream. A “Times” reporter also took walk . down the ■ groyne with a number _of .gentlemen interested in the shipping facilities of the port, to inspect the work that is being done there to cut away about 10ft of the concrete wall to break the range. At first it was intended to cut an opening at the extreme end of the groyne, which would have left the head, where it is enclosed by an iron railing, standing straight out of the sea. A start was made with this work, but it has been discontinued, and the opening will be cut about 60ft r.esrex - the beach. This should alloc the waves, as they come up the river, to break through, instead of we slung up the river' until they break at the entrance to the Waikanae creek. The opinion was expressed vesterdav t’at with tho waves’washing thvrugh tlie broken groyne, there might >'e a danger of suction to small craft such as yachts and oil launches, and that these, in a moderate swell, might he in danger of being bumped against the edges of the opening, but it was generally thought the innovation will prove of value for the navigation of the lighters, and of steamers such as the Ripple, Squall, and Tuatea.