52 Papers connected with the construction [No. 31 



VI. — Papers connected with the Construction of a Pier 

 at Madras. 



[The situation of Madras on a low sandy shore against which a heavy surf 

 conknually breaks from an open and unsheltered roadstead, is singularly un- 

 fitted for commercial purposes. The intercourse between the shore and the 

 shipping always difficult, is oftentimes dangerous, and occasionally interrupted 

 for days together. Many projects have at different times been proposed to neu- 

 tralize or diminish these difficulties, but none of them have as yet been prose- 

 cuted to a successful issue. The earliest scheme on record, was that of Major 

 Lennon, of the Madras Engineers, in 1803, for the construction of a Pier on 

 wooden piles supporting a double rail-way, and for deepening the mouth of the 

 Cooum River. This was followed by Captain Cotton's plan of a Breakwater 

 in 1835, which was abandoned after having been partially carried into effect. 

 Besides which the matter has been discussed from time to time on the proposi- 

 tion of occasional schemes, which have perished before they reached maturity. 

 About the middle of 1843, the subject was revived by the exhibition of the 

 model of an iron Pier at the Master Attendant's Office, the invention of Monr. 

 Duval Piron, Chief Engineer of Pondicherry. Monr. Piron soon after visited 

 the Presidency himself, and public interest was sufficiently awakened to induce 

 the appointment of a Committee for the reception and examination of plans, 

 at a public meeting held on the 1st November. 



The Report of this body dated 16th December, 1844, was read at a subse- 

 quent public meeting assembled on the 21st December, having been previously 

 published in the Madras Spectator of the 18th, (No. 101, vol. viii. p. 807,) but 

 without the Appendix containing several valuable papers referred to in the 

 body of the Report. The following article is composed of a selection from 

 these. The first (Appendix U) is Major Lennon's statement of his scheme 

 above referred to, addressed to Lord Clive. It was referred by the Government 

 of the day for the consideration and opinion of the Military Board, and the 

 Board of Trade. The former body in returning the plans pronounced them 

 " impracticable," adding " that if practicable they would be destructive of the 

 best defences of Fort St. George, by removing the difficulty of approach by an 

 enemy from the sea ; and that for this reason, did no other objection present 

 itself, the Board would most strenuously oppose the adoption of any part of 

 Major Lennon's plans." The latter authority likewise viewed the project un- 

 favorably, one of their objections being, that it would deprive the poor boat- 

 men of their means of subsistence ! Major Lennon's Report was accompanied 

 by a series of propositions for raising the required capital by the Subscription 

 of 600 shares of 500 Pagodas each; for the election of a Committee of Su-' 



