Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-11 00:00:00

DOCK COMMITTEE.

The we kly meeting of this Committee was held at one
o'clock yesterday, Mr. Charles Turner in the chair. Toe
other members present we e, Mesqre. Rankin, Brock' ebank,
Lockett, Bold, Littledale. Hubback, Mondell, Chilton,
Smith, Holme, Clint, and Barber.'
The Marine Committee produced a report from the
Serval or of danuege done to the Crosby light-ship Me-eor,
on Thursday, the 27th ulr., by the ship John Barbour
running into her. She received considerable injuries,
which the com.rittee recommended to have repaired by
Messrs. Cato, Miller, & C.)., at th 3 cost of the owners,
3fesers Fernie B-others.
Mr. LocKerr believed the damage altogether would
come to between £3OO and £4OO.
The repairs were ord, red to be executed.
The following report was read from the Marine
Surveyor :

" The progress of ho chimes taken place in the nerthern
vhannels, having been traced in the partial survey of 1856,
the alterations new ir,d c itcd, consist chi 'fly in the'farther de-
Telopernent or those eh:seizes, ua.nely :
" VICTnRia CIINNNEL —L:ttle Barbs sited continues to
extend 83n,h-.:astern inaizins, so that the Buoy IT 2, black,
which last year was sh;f ed 45 fathoms to southward of i:s
former position, to plaee it in deep wate-c, is non agl:n 9 feet.
The dry part of the west middle continues to e.veud itself in
all directions, encroaching on the south side of the channel.
" Qua sees CtiaeiNir. continues to improve, the least depth
in the feirw..y on its ber. b,ing now l 0 feet, or one foot more
than last year ; and taking for the bar, that part where the
depths are 12 feet or less, it will ilyt scen that this has dimi-
nished in width, from near 93) yards to less than 4UO yards,
since last rat's survey.
" Zr_tnit% CtiANNef..—.l4 a channel this has disappeared,
the Zebra b.nk having spread until now it joins the Jordan
-flats, the area hitherto recogneed' as the:Zebra hank and
channel consisting at present of irregular sandy ridges, with
from five :o nine feet of w.i%er over it.

" CK SBY CHANNEL. —The general depth of this charm('
presents no !narked eban;e, but the north-east elbow of Great
Burl.° (marked by the buoy C 3, red) contißues to advance to
the northward.

Fon'tw ("miNtsEt...—A slight improvement in the narrow
swathway through the Formby bank, which was first shown in
last ybar's survey, is evident ; and another ru,i of water, in a
due north direction, from Crosby Light-ship, seems also to
present future promis-s cf. utili y.
"Rom( ANE HOSE CHANNELS —The sand banks forming
the northern' boundary of the Rock girthave advanced slightly
to tha sou h ward, the'remaining features of hese channels are

unaltered.
"HILBAR SWAIH —This entance to the Dee shows a
considerable increase in dcp h to the southward of the
present position cf the bar buoy.; an .1 that small portion of
the Dee above Hilbro I-Land, included in the char•, tichich is,
however, twyond .he jutisliction of your committee, presents
considerable c;tat,ge.
PILOP.•SED CHANGES IN LIGHT AND BUOYAGE.—The
most important consideration arising from the above refer
to the ptogressive narrowing and contortion of the Victoria
Channel, and the continued improvement of the Queen's
channel.

" QUEEN'S CR4NN7L.--The latter presenting, in the cha.

racteriwies of the width, simplicity and set of tide, a decided
superiority over the former. To meet thgse circums'ancea, it
was proposed to adopt the Qu.-en's Chancel as the principal
channel for night intercourse, by shifting the Formby Light-
ship so, as with the Crosby Shore Light, to lead in the fairway
over the bar, while the existing arrangement of buoys in the
'Vitt rig Chance', subject to such modifications as may be re-
quisite to suit their positions to the altered features of the
banks being preserved, safe guides for daylight navigation will
be afforded wherever the state of wind, tide, or other circum-
stances m iy give it a preference over the Queen's Channel.
"ZEBRA CHANNEL —This channel hiving disappeared,
the bu,y Z 1, black and white striped horizontally, is if no
use in i s pre,,ent position. I propose to remove it, leaving
Z Fy. and Z 1 vertical at their stations, where they serve
to indica'e the edge of the Jordan flits.
" FORMBY CHANNEL—Having observed the frequency

with which the small coasting vessels which resort to this
channel are brought up on the high part of Formby Bank,
it is proposed, by a re-arrangement of the red bugs of
this channel, to render available the swashway before
named."

M. MONDELL suggested that the committee should

consider the prooriet-yof placing a light-ship outside the
Queen's bar. At present the light-ship, was considerably
within it, and, initead of being a beacon to guard the
mariner against the danger he feared, it rather increased it
Mr. LocitErT b)ro testimony to the very efficient manner
in which the marine surveyor had executed the chart and
the report.
Mr. BOLD remarked that the salary of the marice
surveyor was exceedingly low, being only £3OO a year,
withiut a hlo.. 0a anything of trio hincl• 110 bh.oughe
after the services just rendered by the surveyor, it would
be a very graceful act to raise his salary to what Lieuf.
Lord had when he first became surveyor to that estate
He believed the subject was before the Marine Committee
on Tuesday, but in the chairman's absence they did not
report upon it _ _ _

-Mr. LOCKETT suggested that it would be better not to
to take the subject out of the hands of the Marine
Committee. (Hear, hear.)
The suggession was agreed to.
It was cydered that six life-buoys be provided for the
new landing stage.
Mr. BOLD remarked that the mas'as of the new stage
-had as yet no orders whatever for its regulation, and it
was quite time the subject should have the attention of the
committee. All the instructions which the master had,
were the existing regulations with regard to the landing
stage at St. George's pier, which was used for a total y
different purpose. He suggested that the Marine
Committee should recommend the bridges to be lengthened
st once. It was impossible to use them with
safety for more than two hours after high water.
He thought, as this would have to be done, the
sooner a requisition was presented to the Corporation of
Liverpool to do it the better. There would also be required
in his opinion, outside parapet', or foot passages for foot
'passengers along the bridges, as in the small landing.
stages. . _

Tar. LOCKETT said, the Marine Committee stood in a
somewhat anomalius p'sition with regard to the stage.
They really did not know who were the masters of it.
Mr. BOLD said the resolutiol of the Council in last May
was, that the management of the stage be placed in the
bands of the Dock Committee.
The CHkIIOI4.N : The Marine Bub-Committee have the
management of it no doubt.
Mr.. LOCKATV: But when we go to Mr. Hartley, and
-ask him about things: to be done, he has t 3 consult the
Corporation.
Mr. CLINT : The Corporation have merely to put it in
working order. , •
The CIIAIRMIN said, the state cf the question was really
this. The management of the stage was plaeed in the
bands of the Duck Committee, or in that of their Sub-
Committee, the Marine Committee. If there were any

expenses to be raised to put the step in proper working
order, these expenses w )uld hare to be defrayed by the
Cirpor;tion, which the Corporation were quite willing to
do. The dock sarveyor communicated wish the Corpora-

tion surveyor that they might agree as to what was
necessary to be done Mr. Hartley was out cf town at the
present mom3nt, and uutl he came back the question WAS
in abeyance.
Mr. Honur said it was well known when the plans were
prepared th .t part of the stage would require to be covered,
and he could not see why that had not been done by the
original contract.
Mr. LOCKSTT said Mr. Hartley stated that the footway
spoken of by Mr. Bold would cast £5,000.
Mr. CLINT hoped the Marine Committee would consider
whether there should be ehiins around the stage or not.
The CIIAI23IOiN said Mr- Hartley was of opinion that
the chains would render the stage m-re dangerous.
Mr. CLINT : The first tim3 an accident occurs there we
shall be called in question far net having chains up.
Mr. BROCKLARANK explained that the subjects mentioned
bad already been umler the c)nsideraticn of the Marine
Committee, who were fully alive to their importance.
The question then dropped.
A. letter was read from Mr. Rowland, Secretary to the
Pilot Committee, stating that several vessels had of late
grounded alongside the Albert and other pier-heads, when
it was indicated that there was abundant water over the
sills, and therefore suggesting that the Committee should
have an illuminated tidal guAe.e erected, showing the depth
of water by clay and n;ght: The letter was referred
to the Marine Committee.
The following report was real, upon the additional
woks neccessary at Birkenhead.
" The Chairman of the Birkenhead Dock Committee.
" Sir,—l am in receipt of a resolution of your cola-,
mittoe on the 24th of August last, to the effect, `That the
• gineer be requested to consider and report to what
extent works beyond 111°,0 now contracted fir can be
advantagcou,ly proceeded with previous to the let of Sanuary
flex', whin the nsw Board come into office, and w'ether anT,
and if eo, what preparations can bo now mails for enteting into
further contracts.
"I have given the subject of this Tesoln'ion much considera-
tion, and now beg to info' ru you that from not being in
possession of any of the detailed drawings of tho authorised
plans of 1353, and as before I could prepare such drawings
as would bo m.cessary, and take such steps as would
permit of this work being let by contract, the new
board would bave commenced be functions ; and bear-
ing in mind also that the clause in the set of last
Itilion referring to these works suppeses, from the use