A Treatise On The Principles And Practice Of Harbour Engineering

34 HARBOUR ENGINEERING. entrance so placed ; others see none. We give it as our opinion that, although it may not be so easy of ingress, and ships may be detained outside more frequently than at present, the increased difficulty is not sufficient to condemn it.”1 The recommendation was, however, set aside by the Secretary of State, and the work proceeded in accordance with the original design. The allusion to the silting of the eastern entrance indicates another difficulty of the situation. Both prior to and since the completion of the works, the entrance has shown manifest indications of shoaling, at the rate of about one foot per annum. Although disquieting, this is not a cause of immediate anxiety, in that there is still at the present date something like 34 feet depth of water to meet the requirements of vessels which do not reach Fia. 32. —Madras Harbour. Proposais by Madras Special Committee, 1887. that draught by 10 feet or more. Still, in view of future increments, the matter called for attention. Dredging operations have been put in hand and the evil has been checked, one month’s work sufficing to remove a year’s deposit. Although shelved for the time, the project of a north-east entrance revived, and in 1902 practically the same recommendation as that put forward in 1883 was endorsed by an advisory committee, consisting of Sir Charles Hartley, Sir George Nares, and Sir William Matthews. An extension to the covering arm was added, making it 1600 feet long. The plan which is shown in fig. 30 has now received official sanction and is in course of execution. It is expected to be completed by the year 1910 or 1911. The objections which have been urged against the scheme are the follow- ing :—(1) That it will entail the removal of part of the existing breakwater— 1 Official Papers, Madras Harbour, 1902, p. 54