Star.
London, England, 1824-08-24 00:00:00

COLLIERS AND THE THAMES.

A Petition has been presented to the Court of Com-
mon Council by Mr. Charles Rowland, one of the Har-
bour Masters of the Port of London, on the subject of a
Plan proposed by him for constructing an extensive Dock
for Colliers in the Isle of Dogs. The Petition was ac-
companied by a Plan of the intended work, which we
have seen,and there WAS annexed to it the copy of a letter
which Mr. Rowland has sent to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, containing his arguments in support of his
proposition. . The Petition, Plan, and Letter, were re-
ferred to the Port of London Committee. Amongst the
reasons urged by Mr. Rowland, in support of his pro-
ject, are the following :
It has (says Mr. Rowland) long been matter of noto-
riety, that the City Canal, leading from Limehouse to
Blackwall, has been unproductive of any profit as a
commercial speculation, as well as that the object for
which it was originally constructed, has been completely
frustrated by the introduction of a new species of navi-
gation, and the towing of vessels up and down the
River, at all times of the tide, by steam-boats.
To restore this neglected work to infinitely more than
its first value, and at the same time to remove a great
public evil, and confer a great public benefit, is the ob-
ject of the present pl)iniand also to afford accommodation
to a principal branch of trade to the Port of London,
which is now in' a great measure without any accom-
modation at all.
The evidence given before the Committees of the
House of Commons upon the St. Katherine's and South
London Docks Bill, proved the obstruction and crowded
situation of the Collier Pool, as well as the present very
dangerous state of the navigation in that part of the
River. These evils, caused by the increase of shipping
in the Coal Trade, most imperiously call for additional
accommodation; as it is a fact, that between the years
1822 and 1823, there was an addition of upwards of
176,000 chaldrons, or more than 500 vessels, to this
branch of trade; the consequence of which is, that from
20 to 100 sail are frequently detained for a week, or a
fortnight, at Blackwall and Greenwich, until there is
room for them in the Collier Pool ; while the insecure
anchorage in which they are thus unavoidably placed,
leaves a constant risk, and leads to frequent accidents.
So urgent, indeed, is the necessity for this detention of
the coal vessels, when the River is crowded higher up,
that the Harbour Masters have caused a signal flag,
half red and half white, to be hoisted at the Blackwall

end of the City Canal, to forbid their proceeding.—
Another evil, at present most severely felt in the general
navigation of the River is, that vessels of a large
draft of water can safely deliver their cargoes only
when lying outside of the tiers at Bell Wharf, Stone
Stairs, and Ratcliff Cross, thereby narrowing and ren-
dering dangerous, the passage at those places, particu-
larly during the ebb tide, from the liability of vessels
taking the ground, and their exposure to serious da-
mage, and great delay in consequence. Such indeed
is the general feeling upon this point, that many Pilots
never bring their ships up until they have first ascer-
tained that the entrance to the Pool is sufficiently
open to allow them to proceed in safety.—As many
colliers are obliged to remain outside the tiers until
slack tide before they can take their respective births
for delivery,
,there is a constant hazard of getting
athwart the tiers, taking the ground, losing spars, or
even more serious damage ; which, arising from local
causes, admit of.no remedy but that of increased ac-
ecnhhiiiilation, and in the expected event of the larger
merchant vessels and Indiamen coming up to the Lon-
don Docks, the present difficulties of navigating the
Collier Pool will be much increased. It must also be
acknowledged, that however generally advantageous in
other respects, the introduction of steam-boats has ma-
terially contributed to extend these difficulties, by re-
quiring .a passage of nearly double the width, to allow
both sailing-vessels and steam-boats to pass up and
down at the same time, and subjecting loaded barges
and smaller craft, with their passengers, to very consi-1
derable danger from the swell occasioned by their pad-,
dies, and by their pushing forward, at all times of tide,
to their respective stations. By the present arrange-
ment also, the colliers themselves sustain frequent and
inevitable damage and delay from getting adrift, set-
tling down with the tide upon their anchors, and from
their anchors getting foul, which, when it is remem-
bered that there are frequently nearly 300 sail of colliers
lying together in a strong stream, and all with their
anchors out, cannot be surprising.
These evils, so unavoidably incidental to the present
state of the Coal Trade, and navigation of the Pools,
will, Mr. R. contends, be removed by the adoption of
the plan now proposed by him for the construction of a
Dock in the Isle of Dogs.
This Dock, he proposes, should be 3,000 feet long, by
1,700 broad, with communications to the City Canal at
each end, which, while still reserving the south bank of
the Canal for the towing of vessels, and free for its pre-
sent occupancy, would serve as an extra basin into the
Dock itself. The Dock would accommodate in the tiers
450 vessels, all of which might be worked at the same
time, being 164 more than can lay in the Pools, even in
their most crowded and dangerous state, with ample
room on either side for the immediate departure of every
vessel, so soon as her cargo is delivered. •
The entrance of empty barges, and the discharge af
loaded craft into the River, are intended to be by means
oftwo basins, at the western end—the one 800 feet long
by 400 feet wide, for loaded barges ; the other 600
feet long by 400 feet wide, for light barges; and one
basin, at the Blackwall end, 800 feet long by 400 feet
wide, for barges and colliers—the whole affording ac-
commodation to more than eight hundred barges, and
giving every facility both of ingress and egress, for the
loaded barges on the flood-tide, and for the empty craft
at the ebb.

With respect to the site of the proposed Dock, the
greater portion of the land is already the property of
the Crown, and the remainder belongs to Mr. Mellish.
The small houses principally belong to their'respective
inhabitants•; and as the whole number of buildings re-
quited to be taken down is only 117, of which nearly',
one-fourth are now to be let or sold, the amount of,
purchase would be trifling. The ground being, on the
average, nine feet below high water mark, is so far ex-
cavated by nature, and if worked by convicts, as a Go-
vernment concern, the City Canal already belonging to
the Crown, the entire expense must likewise be very
considerably reduced. The sides not requiring to be
built round, and the basin boarded upon piles, must
also make a large reduction of expense, while the re-
ceipts wool() render the undertaking desirable, both
as a measute of successful speculation, and of general
convenience.

Amongst the public advantages to be derived from
it would he placing the Collier Trade in a place ,of se-
cut ity, ee from all risk of danger or delay, great addi-

-tional. dispatch of business, both- as regards the Coal
Merchant and the Owners of the vessels; more parti-
cularly in the supply of ballast, for which the ships are
now frequently delayed, to the unavoidable detention
of loaded ve,sels waiting for their births ; great. saving
also for anchors and cables, as well as complete pro-
tection to barges; and more particularly the facility
which would be afforded for the delivery of coals, even
during the most intense frost, when the River is com-
pletely unnavigable.
.Such are the arguments advanced by Mr. Rowland
in support of his proposed plan, which is now under
the consideration of the Port Committee. Agreeing
entirely in opinion with Mr. Rowland as to the neces-
sity which exists for the adoption of some measure for
remedying the evils of which he complains, we cannot,
without giving the subject—which is one of very great
importance—more mature consideration than we have
yet had an opportunity of doing, say that we are prepared
to give unqualified support to the remedy here proposed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

---.•--
BOW-STREET.

Cuaaor or Aasosr.—Robert Ball, who stands charged with having
set fire to a room Which he occupied in the house of Mr. Frani,
tailor, in the Strand, yesterday underwent a second examination.—
Mr. Au.ar and Mr. HARMeIt were in attendance fur the prisoner,
and a Solicitor appeared to conduct the prosecution on the part of
the Sun Fire-office.

Mr. Fearn repeated the evidence which he gave on the former
o:casion. In cross-examination, an attempt was made to shake his
testimony, and to insinuate that the fire had been occasioned by
himself ; but this failed, inasmuch as it appeared that he was not
insured, and could not obtain any advantage whatever by such an
act. The discovery and subsequent prevention of the progress of
the flames. was proved by Mrs. Davis, a lodger in the house, and
by Wm. Bond, a tailor, who was at work in a room over that in
which the flames burst forth, and who furnished the prisoner with
a light shortly before the alarm was created. Mr. Woods proved
that he had been called up to the prisoner's room ; that he broke
open the door, and with water succeeded in extinguishing the
flames; he also proved that he had discovered fire in different
places. Part of the thingS which had been burnt were also pro-
duced.--.The grounds of suspicion against the prisoner being ex- i
tremely strong, he was committed to take his trial.

HATTON-GA RDEN.

OUTRAGNOUS ASSAULT, AND ATTZNIPT ♦T S'TAINBINGNI 3/ass-

field, inn Mansfield, and Timothy Caton were brought up from Lan-
caster Estate, watch-house, charged with a brutal assault upon J.
Oliver and P. Judd, at Battle-bridge, on Sunday morning last.
It appeared in evidence, that the parties had been drinking on
Saturday night at the Marquis of Hastings public-house, where the
prisoners had some altercation with the complainant Philip Judd,
who is employed with them at the same gas-light works in the
neighbourhood, and because he refused to fight the prisoner Wm.
Mansfield, they secreted themselves behind the toll-gate-house at
the New-road, and as complainants were passing on their way
home, between twelve and one o'clock, they suddenly sprung on
them, knocked them down, and beat them most brutally. Colston,
the parish constable, as also the watchmen, were attracted by the
cries of Murder !" and on reaching the spot they found the men
in a state of insensibility, and the prisoners kicking them in the
most inhuman manner. The prisoners immediately made off, and
after a long pursuit, Colston succeeded in apprehending them in
Gray's Inn-lane.
The complainant Oliver appeared before the Magistrate in the
dress which be wore on the occasion. Immediately over the region
of the heart there was an incision of nearly six inches through a
thick coat and two waistcoats, evidently inflicted with a sharp cut-
ting instrument, and but for the extraordinary thickness of his
braces, the incision would certainly have reached the vital organ.
On the prisoner Wm. Mansfield being taken into custody,a large
clasp knife was found half shut in his waistcoat pocket.
As both complainants were after the onset in a state of insensibi-
lity, they could not identify which of the prisoners made the diabo-
lical attempt on Oliver's life.
The prisoners totally denied the charge. They were ordered to
give 24 hours' notice of bail