Star.
London, England, 1805-02-01 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE LONDON DOCKS.

On Tuefday evening lilt, preparations were
made for removing the reffel, whole head and (tern
pals, by fitting into a groove in the walls of the
entrance of the London Docks from the River
Thames, had ferved, and can hereafter be replaced
to ferve, as a flop gate againll the tide ; fume diffi-
culty attended this operation, owing to the twelling
of the wood fince the veffil was built, in the fitna.
Lion above tlefcribed ; and the aid of (crews was ue-
catty, lodides the amazing buoyancy of the veffel,
23 feet deep in the water, to tree tier f:om the grooves
in the walls. The tide (erring about eleven o'clock,
the water was, primped out of her, the cure, and was
towed to the North-call corner of the entrance Baron.
where the now lies.

Yefferday morning it nine o'clock, Otte htthdred
and fifty trading'veffeft'in the vicinity df lietinitage
Bridge, hoified their flags and pendarin upon a fa-
lute announcing the opening of the DOA ; and, at
ten, the vellel deftined to the honour of being the
first to enter this noble work, began to drefs herfelf in
her moB fplendid axle. At half part ten this kali-
nefs was completed, end the difprayed fifty-feven
edif-
ferent
flags, being the trading colcihrs of every port
and nation ez ed to ufe this Dock, and Rote their
merchandize the depofitaries prepared for their
reception. Infitis number we obfkrved the follow
ins :

The hags of the Ea* India Company moo the bowfprit.
Of the Weft India Company (moo the-yard arm.
AllltliC2D colours.
Rafts, Proffia, Damoarh, Sweden, Nerway.Napkos Ate. iipon
the (larboard.
Malta, Sardinia, larboard.

At eleven o'clock, three boats from the fhore, with
the Bond belonging to the Vial Regiment of Royal
1.,,nd0n Volunteers came on board ; being tested in
the boat, they confirmed playing loyal airs.

About the fame time "captain War.;roir and Cap-
tain Owen, principal dockers. went on board, and
gave Captain STOUDI, the miner of the veffel, the
neceffary intrusions for the ceremony, and accom-
modation of the company invited. The veffel was,
we underhand, the London Packet,and not the Perfe-
verance, as was reported, a beautiful two mailed
veffel, laden with wine, from Oporto ; and the Com-
pany being on board, the proceeded, under the care
of Mr. MARSHALL, the river pilot, to the entrance
of the outer lock, where he quitted her ; and Cap-
tains Wat.row, Ows a, and HODINIAT took charge
of her. The fwivel bridge was thrown open with
the affinance of eight men only. at twelve o'clock,
and at one the entered the Lock, leadin from the
River, to the entrance baton ;on board other were,
the band of the }lra London Volunteers, Mr. Rea-
ass, the Engineer, under whom thefe amazing works
have been conaruded, and a large party of Noble-
men, Ladies, and Gentlemen ; feversl guns were, at
the fame time, fired by the thiFs, to welcome the
event. The London Packet proceeded majeftically
acrofi the entrance bafon ; and. at thirty•five mi-
nutes pan one o'clock, entered the great Dock, the
immenfe concourfe of fpedators, who lined the banks
of the Locks and Docks, fainting her with nine
huzzas. Immediately on her entenng the Dock, the
band on board 'truck up " Rule Britannia."

Among the company on the quays were, the Duke
of Sr. ALBAN'S' Earl Tempts, the Portugnefe and
Hanoverian AmbalTadors, Sir AN oa ew HAM MONO,
Sir J. B. WARM, Aldermen Rowatorr and La
11/4111SURIEll, the Direitors, ace.—Five more (hips will
be towed this day.
The Dock was nearly covered with a thin ice, the
told being intenfe, and a confiderable fall of foow or
fleet at the time, together with the miferably dirty
hate of the banks of the Dock for want of pavement;
all thefe circumßances contributed to lean the died
and the pleafure of this truly gratifying fcene. 'topes
were previoufly laid acrofs the Dock for towing the
414 to the oppofite bank, where fhe was greeted by
the huzzat of an immenfe coocourfe of fpetlators of
the moll refpeaabie dais ; the band of the EaR In-
dia volunteers was Rationed there, and played re-
very' excellent and appropriate pieces of rank. The
London Packet was towed along the north bank of
the Dock, to the upper or north-oaf corner, where
Rue was about two o'clock moored for the purpofe of
unloading her cargo. About three o'clock it was
high water, and the tide flowed as feet above the
cif of the outer lock. _ _

We Mall now give an account of the works.
The piers or jetties, on each fide of the firil or
°user lock, projee near too feet further into the
river than the line of the wharfs above and below it;
intended, no doubt, to increafe the current in this
place, and keep the channel deep for the entrance of
!hips. The lock-gates are moll maffive pieces of
carpentry, and have four thuttles or flukes in each
pair of gates, for letting out the water, which are
drawn by rack-work moved by handles ; over each
lock gate, is a fate and convenient platform or ;ser-
fage for the tailors and other perfons; at the front
of each gate is a brats roller to leffen the friftioo of
the gate upon the bottom of the lock, which can be
adjulted from time to time by a (crew, as the gates
wear or fettle. Acrofs the entrance lock, but not
cutely in the line of Wapping-tlreet, is a call-iron
bridge, intended to be open, at all times, for the pall
lige of carriages and perfons, except when Chips are
going in or out of the Dock. The contrivance of
this bridge does great credit to the engineer : it is in
two divilons, turning on centres upon the oppofite
wall. of the Lock, and (butting into recelfes in the
top of the walls, while !hips are paffing. The top
is covered with bong planks ; two ribs of wood
ferve to guide the wheels of carriages, and leave a
convenient and fife foot-way on each fide for foot-
pafftngers, who are further fecured by a fubflantial
railing of wrought iron on the outlide. This bridge
is sompofed of fourteen ribs, about three tons weight
each, having alto fevetal crofs-pieces, and a circle of
call iron, which tuns on a great number of rollers,
fupported by the mafonry below ; five tons and up-
wards of pig iron are alto flowed at the (hotter, or
land end of each divifion of the bridge, by which it
is to exaely balanced, as to be moved with perfect
cafe. But the principalillikeellency of this bridge
confills in a frame of call-iron, moving on a joint,
about three feet from the top of the walls, on each
tide of the Lock, which, when the bridge is placed
ready for the 'mirage of carriages, is let down by
means of a fcrcty, turned by a winch, and completes

the abutments of the ribs of the bridge, in the molt
perfect manner, fo that carriages do not make it
tremble in the lean ; the fame fcrew takes op this
frame in a few feconds, when the bridge is intended
to he fwung round, or of the Lock, for the paWage
of (hips. On the banks of the Locks are revere
capftans for opening the dock-gates, and hauling
(hips in and out, which are compofed of a Rrong
calt-iron (haft, of confiderable length, the bottom
of which works in a centre, at the bottom of a well,
and working through a collar of iron, connected
with the mafenry at the top of the fame, by which
the utmoß firength is obtained, without any beam
or fupport above, and ropes can be hove over them
with the greatelt cafe.
In an elegant building, on the eaR fide of the en-
'trance bafon, are two molt capital Ream engines, of
Bolton and Watt's molt improved kind, and which
are kept in the neaten order polfible ; in the centre
of the building is a well, connected, by a range of
large can iron pipes, with the River, at the level of
low water, or nearly fo ; out of which well the wa-
ter is 'pumped by thefe engines, for fupplying the
great dock ; which, owing to the rife in the ground
towards Ratcliffe Highway, has its bottom, and the
&dice Of the water therein, three feet higher than
the entrance baton, at the ordinary height of tides
in the River. The pipes conflating the engine with
the River, 3od with the dock and baton, are three
Teet in diameter i and the connections with them are
opened or (hut at pleafure, by means of three sluices
iu the front of the engine houfe. Thefe engines
make abotit fixteen firoke• each in a minute, and
confume about two boatels and a half of coals in
an hour. .

The great Dock, and the immenfe ranges of ware-
houfes which are upon its north and east banks, do
not, at firft light, ftrike the mind with that wonder
and amazement, which a further invelligation and
view of thi'm are calculated to infpire. The im.
menfe expanfe of the water takes off the effact of the
height and magnitude of the buildings. At the salt
end of the Great Dock, which ranges eaft, and pa-
rallel with the River (being about twice as long as it
is wide), are the furprafing large ware houfes, intend.
ed for the ufe of Government, inflead of the tobacco
warehoufes now ufed at the old Vidualling Office. on
Tower.hill ; beneath are fpacious arched vaults, in-
tended for the flowage of goods. In the centre of
each of the three large warehoufes, which are but
one ftorey high, above the ground, is a large well, a:-
tending from the fewer, below the building, quite up
to the roof, intended for containing the fnow which
will be liable to coiled on the many acres of roof
which there are here, and by choaking the gutters to
flood the building below when the blow melts. In this
well, privies are very properly conftruded for the
ufe of the perfons employed. Between each of thefe
three large warehoufes are double doors of wrought
iron, and prong and tall party walls for fecurity in
cafe of one of them taking fire. In the fouth en-
trance of thefe warehoufes are a kiln for burning all
the damaged tobacco, and a room or cellar for Row.
ing the ales therefrom, which are very valuable. At
the north end of the tobacco warehoufes, the entrance
baton to another Dock, intended to be hereafter
made further to the eaftward, is completed, as far as
the high but temporary wall which bounds the pre-
mifes on that fide at prefent.
Along the northern bank of the great Dock, with.
in a few feet of its edge, is a furpriling long range of
(beds, open from one cod to the other, with cranes at
proper diftances, to be worked by men walking in a
wheel, for loading goods into carts, but not for hoiit-
ing them out of the (hips, the Sip's tackle being in-
tcm!ed to be ufed for fuels pin-pore, and the goods to
H. placed on trucks fitted to the railways, which con-
ned with each warehoure. At the back, or more
northward than this open Med. is a moft magnificent
range of buildings, comprifing five warehoufes of
immenfe fine and height, and behind thefe other
ranges of warehoufes are intended, the fronts of which
are carried up as high as the firft florey, and which,
with a proper view to economy and Way, arc at
prefent bricked up in a temporary way, where the
doors and windows are intended, fo as to form a high
and ftrong wall on all the north fide of the premiles.
At the principal entrance into EaR Smithfield, at
the north weft corner of the Docks, the fronts of
the warehoufes are in like manner begun, forming a
moft noble circus, and the openings of the doors and
windows bricked up to form a temporary external
wall.

The whole of the call end of the premifes are
bounded and defended at prefent by a high, but tem-
porary wall ; and at the fouth-weft corner of the
great Deck, the entrance bafon, intended to connect
with the Thames, through Hermitage Dock, is com-
pleted as far as the temporary wall-. On the fouth
fide is fimilar temporary wall, which, like that on
the well end, will be removed, when the- intended
grand range of warehoufes, which are to be built
without it, are completed. By there mot judicious
arrangements, the trade, which will begin immedi-
ately to be carried on upon the Docks, will be fe-
cure from depredation.
All the flair cafes leading to the grand warehoufes
on the North fide of the Dock are of (tone, with
wrought iron balluitrades and doors, for fecurity
from fire. In the upper ftorey of each warehoufe
are two cranes of excellent conftraltion, Intended to
be worked by men walking in them ; the wheels are
about fourteen feet diameter, open at each fide, for
the men to jump out in cafe of accident, and with
circular hand rails in the centre ; by means of lines
connefting with the different warehoufes, the crane
can be call on or off at pleafure, and a brake, or
friaion-wheel, applied to lower goods; near the jib
of each crane is a fixed iron arm, !landing out from
the building, with a block at the end, by means of
which, and a (mall rope extending to the ground,
the jib can be traverfed at pleafure.
The polls of timber which fupport the feveral
buildings, reit on (tone bales, except in the lung open
fled, Where, to give (lability to the building, feve-
ral of them are let into the ground ; in thole cafes,
the lower ends of the polls have been charred, and
afterwards driven full of (mall iron nails with large
heads, as the molt effeetual way of defending them
from decay.
Six large mooring chains and buoys are fixed in
different parts of the great Dock for the mooring of
oasis, but lance the foaling of the wood on the ad.
maim of the water, it has been found that they
wanted more deal timber attached to them to float
them, which operation is row adding.