The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-01 00:00:00

Jocks; and in lading

knew ti
It

and reined}
dock of Liverpool

town had made no progress whatever in the depat

to which he alluded during the whole of the subsequent
hundred years ; and that he contended was not as it ought
to bo_ To prove the 111.1 porLe 00 ottooboa to

the subject by
express

who were best entitled to

opinion,.

he quoted

various extracts

from a report issued by a cornmittee of that most im-
portant body, the Chamber of Commerce—an assemblage
of all the most influential men connected with the
different branches of trade and commerce. The report
said the subject was of the utmost importance to the
wellbeing of the export trade of this port, and entered into

's under will

at present

,mount of damage done to

the goods in being shipped—the gross pilferage which took
place in consequence of the exposure of these goods—was a
subject of great complaint. The difficulties which arose

from this damaging of goods, was too familiar to them all
to require any lengthened explanation. They were aware
that a railway had been constructed along the whole lino
of docks—for the special purpose, however, of forwarding
the designs of the Dock Committee, and removing the
earthwork from one part to another. Some outcry
had been raised against the Dock Committee, because it
was not suited for other purposes; but he held that it was
a most serious obstruction to the thoroughfares, and
tended to retard rather than to promote business, making
the overcrowded way danerous to passengers and car-
riages. And if they looked at the Birkenhead Docks too,
they would see that it amounted to an obstruction rather
than to an increase of facilities. He held that the system was

radically bad, and could not be carried cut. And, when
he introduced the high level railways to their attention,
he proposed no new thing ; it had already been executed
elsewhere, and he only asked that, if they adopted the
plan, they might recollect that it was he who laid it be-
fore them, in the form in which they now saw it. (Cheers.)
He then proceeded to explain the nature of the plan from
the model, which he did in a clear and lucid manner. It
was, in effect, taking our present sheds and making them
two stories instead of one; it was no more. Therefore,
the new sheds would be no more obstruction of the
quay ground than the present sheds were. In a busy
thoroughfare like that at the bottom of St. James's-street
a bridge might be introduced, which would be no obstruc-
tion whatever. There would be three lines of railway laid
in the shed, and at the same time a large vacant space
within the span of the ordinary shed. On one line car-
riages could stand while they were being laden or unoc-
cupied. Then there would be a crane at each opening in
the shed going over to the ship, and at the same time-
enabling goods to be put in the carriages on the
line. There was one feature, familiar to those at
all acquainted with railways, that the carriages might
be lowered or made level at the convenience of the
managers, which would here prove of great service, in
turning the carriages aside to private or public ware-
houses. Then the sheds might be made ornamental,
whereas the present sheds were ugly and uninviting to
the eve. But the subject of branches was the most im-
portant one ; and he had no doubt that not only public
warehouses, but private individuals having timber or coal
yards, would soon find the advantage of having branches
constructed to the main dock line. The railways should
invariably cross streets at a high level, and thus remove
all those sources of danger which crossings created.
Were the plan once adopted, he felt convinced that no
cart need ever be seen approaching the docks. As to the
manner in which he proposed to approach the sides, he
would at first have the carriages lowered from the upper

line, and turned off upon simple tram lines

viouid be merely a temporary arrangement; for he
convinced that, once so far carried out, the entire sea

would be accomplished, and the high-level line cart'
round the whole of the docks. _ He then enlarged on 1

advantages of the cranes working so as to lave every
facility, without on the one hand injuring the ship, or on
the other coming in contact with the shed ; and he
staled ri

be immense a

ater cranes

—first, the