The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-06 00:00:00

The NPw Docks at Millwall.

A curious illustration of the gigantic spread of
London and its suburbs is exemplified in the now
very modern history of the Isle of Dogs. The
dreariest and most marshy of all the islands of the
Thames has within the last few years sprung into a
scat of industry, and become the focus of the ship-
building trade. As recently as half a century ago
not a single inhabitant dwelt upon it; at the pre-
sent day it is covered with little villages, occupied
by thousands of artisans, and the ships turned out
from its building yards and wharves, Sic., compete
successsfully with those of the Tyne and the Clyde.
So much has its importance increased that recent
histories of London all seek for and all differ as to
the origin of its name—the Isle of Ducks, from the
sea-fowl which used to make it their resort, and the
Isle of Dogs, from the staghounds which were kept
there when the early Kings made Greenwich their
hunting seat, being equally claimed as authorities
for the name. The Isle of Docks, however, is more
likely than any to be its modern appellation, for on

this waste marsh some of the finest docks iu the
world are now in course of construction, and by the
end of autumn next will be finished and open to the
shipping of the 'Thames. For the formation of docks
this island offers peculiar advantages. Its frontage
faces Greenwich, and its rear almost looks upon
Deptford. To make docks here seemed easy enough,
for the great difficulty has hitherto been to koep the
water off the soil—not to bring it on. Yet these
very apparent facilities have, in fact, been causes of
serious delay in the works, for the soil was soft and
peaty, with now and then layers of clay and piles of
snail-shells, and beneath all, in spots, were found the
patches of a subterranean forest, nearly all the
gnarled and rotten trunks in which were those of fir
and oak, bedded in immense masses of decayed vege-
table matter. In such a soil it was a work of na or-
dinary difficulty at the same time to make enormous
excavations and keep the water down and out
while labour was going forward. This, however,
by the continuous employment of 3,000 men, has
been successfully accomplished, and the outline of
the great docks, with all their facilities for wharfing
and warehousing, can now be discerned, and it is
not too much to say that in all modern improve-
ments, and in all the conveniences required for the
enormous tonnages of modern ships, these works
will be, of their kind, unequalled in London. On
Saturday a long inspection of the whole plan was
made byalarge party of gentlemen and shareholders.
Every portion of the huge excavations was gone
over, the sites for the warehouses examined, and
the proposed route by which it is hereafter intended
to connect the whole of this series of water basins
with thel% est India Docks pointed out and explained
to the visitors. What has already been done in this
waste marsh may be briefly explained as follows :
The freehold property purchased by the company
comprises an area of 200 acres, having a circum-
ference of about two miles and a half. Thirty-five
and a half acres have been excavated for the purposes
of a floating dock, having two basins, one of 25
acres in extent, the remaining 10i being occupied
by the other. The depth of water in each will be
about 28ft. or 29ft., so that the largest ships afloat,
such as the Northumberland and the Royal Sovere-
reign can be accommodated. The Great Eastern
herself could be floated in the dock were it not that
her immense width with her paddles would not per-
mit her to pass the entrance locks, which will be
80ft. wide. The land on which the works are being
carried on is, as we have said, so situated that the
docks will have two entrances, of which, however,
it is contemplated at present to open only one—that
on the Millwall side of the property. The circum-
stances under which the present undertaking is
being carried are unusually favourable. The
land, with charges, cost only about £l,OOO an
acre —a very low price when it is taken into
consideration that the river entrance to the pro-
posed docks is only 31 miles below London-bridge,
and by land the distance is 4i miles from the
Royal Exchange. All the materials excavated have
been available for making embankments and a road-
way which is being constructed to compensate the
public for the loss of one of the ferry roads, which
will in a short time form part of the Company's es-
tate. In many other cases where similar works have

been promoted the contractors have been obliged
to remove everything that has been dug out, but in
this instance every foot of excavation has, in fact,
added 2ft. to the depth of the projected dock, for the
sand and mud dug out have been thrown up on the
embankment, so that in some places the surface has
been raised as much as 10ift. As a most valuable
and important adjunct to the other works, a large
graving dock is being constructed on a plan which
will add greatly to the facilities we now possess on
the river for examining and repairing ships, and will
also provide most carefully for the safety of the ves-
sels lying in its basin. A number of recesses have
been built for the reception of what are called " bilge
carriages," which, with the " altars," nine in num-
ber, which rise above them at either side, will super-
sede to a great extent the old system of propping,
which was at once inconvenient and comparatively
insecure. The bilge carriages can be run out and
so placed under the ship that the keel will be kept
off the ground, and there is also the advantage that
the vessel can be properly caulked, and at the same
time prevented from straining. The graving dock
is 420 ft. by 86ft., and will have an entrance 65ft.
wide. All the work, both in this and the other
basin, is solid and massive. The docks will have a
frontage of 7,700 ft., which is to be occupied as
wharves or sites for warehouses and manufactories,
while the other parts of the land will be hereafter made
available for dwelling houses. The portion that has
been quayed has been formed to a level of 4ft. above
high-water mark. All the gates, bridges,warping cap-
stans, and othermachinery are intended to be worked
by hydraulic power,so that vessels may enter and leave
the docks with the smallest pmsible amount of delay.
The Dock Company also intend to supply, on econo-
mical terms, hydraulic power to the users of late
wharves, either for working cranes, hoists, or, in
fact, warehouse machinery of any kind. The con-
tract, according to its terms, ought to be completed
on Sept. 1 ; and considering the present progress of
the construction and the favourable season which is
now approaching there is little doubt that the docks
will be finished in the specified time.