, 1890-10-22

tXpend money Oh a crane as proposed: He
took a further view of the matter. and If, as
already remarked, We are to compete VITA
other places in the trade, VT must be able to
accommodate steamers by; qGick'a and prompt
despatch we must have b wharf afording
berths for vessels of greater draught. lie had
made some examinations and would beg to
state, that to have II feet water, we would re-
quire a pier $40 feet long; 20 feet water -312
feet pier; % feet water $50 and 20 feet
which is the depth we ought TO have, as steam.
ers, such as the Trinidad and the Bermuda"
draw 1923 or 182 ft,-would require. q. pier
720 feet. After getting out 800 feet the depth
increases geadrally / flthom, with q smooth
sandy bottom for which reason he should also
think, that concrete would not do for the
new STRUCTURE, as the sand will be washed
away and the e crete be apt to get cracked.
Wills he should think Iron would be
recommenuable for the pier, Taking the
annual revenue forthe last 10 years from wharf
age, namely S2,294l5, aud not taking into
account what is spent for lighters. it will be
seen that d wharf to cost $4,000 would pay
1147 per cent, a wharf at $4,000 would pay
7'64 per cent, and a wharf at $4,000 would
pay 573 per cent, If the money could be
raised on loan and the Government would ad-
vance the means at 4 per cent, while we could
reckon 10 per cent for the Revenue the bust
ness would be q pretty fair paying business,
especially as trade increases, and lighters be
saved. A pier 720 feet in length in b feet
water, made Of iron, could be built with u hook
to serve for steamers. and 2 others inside for
sailing vessels, and that would suit the re-
quirements of the place.
The G0rernor: said The honourab}e ,3rd
Member for Frederiksted's Country District
(Hewitt) had stated that the wharf is built M
a wrong place, end that it will be difficult tO
use it for shipping sugars and landing machi-
nerv; and the honorable Member further
objected to the construction proposed, while
he recommends that the wharf should be built
on iron piles. 1t will be seen from the plan
and estimate that the wharf is to be built in
order to restore the one broken down and
hitherto used for shipping Sugar; from this
last view it is natural that the wharf should be
opposite the CuStOmhouse, to meet the chief
object for which it is intended. When u
crane is put in the middle of the wharf, and
with sugar hOgsheads rolled on perhaps both
sides, he could not deny that it would not be
possible to land heavy machinery there at the
same time. If the Council object to the crane,
the wharf may be built without it, the purport
of which was certainly to accommodate the
shipping Of sugar besides the landing of
machinery; but if the wharf is to be used at
the same time TOR DOth thing IL mlSnt not
answer. None of the other wharves is at pre-
sent solid enough to admit heavy machinery.
THE question would then turn itself into that
Of building another wharf, but that question
is not before the Council. The question now
Is simply of building another wharf instead of
the old dismc tied one, and whether there
shall be q crane on it. AS regards the con-
s~truction, he would beg to assure honorable
Members that there is nothing to prevent the
cement from hardening in the water; it is no
difficult piece Of work in other places works
of far more difficult nature are completed
without obstacles. The sand would most
likely not collect found the head of the wharf,
as it is too narrow, but if so, it would be an
easy thing to sweep the sand eway.-The
honorable End Member for FFederiksteds
Country District (BIdcka00Od) had recommend
ed a crane of Is tons, and to build q pier OF
several hundred feet length with sufficient
depth of water to allow of larger vessels lying
alongside, and that the structure should be on
iron piles; now he 1.-THE Goyernor) could quite
agree that if a pier of those dimensions is to :
be built, it could not be O 'stone but OF iron
the honorable Member had furnished no
estimate to show the costs 1of such u. under.
taking. But has chief objection isg1that il we
were ever to come 80 far as to build q ~pier2ofn
that extent, we would have also to provide q
Break-water, which must be . solid stone
wall from the foundation; it would be very.
l.--Ao1~F - -~l-.A q L.