The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

MEETING OP THE DOCK COMMITTEE.

The Dock Committee held their weekly meeting yesterday,
when the following members were present—Messrs. Sands
(chairman), Horsfall, Holt, Holmes, Middleton, Smith,
Chilton, Molyneux, Sandbach, Bailey, Tobin, Bold, and
Evans.

CLARENCE. SOUTH GRAVING DOCK.
The CHAIRMAN stated, that himself and Mr. Horsfall, the
deputy chairman, had had a communication with the ship-
builders on the subject of the Clarence South Graving Dock,
and the following letter, expressive of their views, had since
been received :

" Liverpool, August 25th, 1842.
" Sir,—ln conformity with your wish, expressed yesterday,
I have this morning, in conjunction with Messrs. Royden
and Milchrist, examined the plan for the proposed alteration
of the Clarence South Graving Dock ; and we submit for
your consideration that the dock in question he lengthened
to the extent of the adjoining dock, namely, 314 feet ; that
the breadth at the head of the dock be narrowed eight feet,
so as to give parallel quay room between the two docks.
And we would also suggest a convex. form for the bottom of
the docks, as being, in our opinion, preferable to a concave
surface.—l am, sir, your most obedient servant,
" THOMAS IVILSON.
" To the Chairman of the Dock Committee."
On the suggestion of Mr. Horsfall, this letter was referred
to the Surveyor, for him to ascertain the practicability of the
suggestions therein contained.
The SURVEYOR stated, that the suggestion in the last part
of the letter had already been adopted.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SURVEYOR.
The SECRETARY then read the annual report of the Sur-
veyor, of which the following is a copy :
The Dock Surveyor's Report to the Dock Committee on
the general progress and repairs of the dock works and the
expenditure in his department ; from the 24th of June, 1841,
to the 24th of June, 1812.
One hundred and eighteen and one-third yards have been
added to the length of the river wall, making the same com-
plete to the southern boundary of the dock estate.
A landing slip has been erected upon a portion of the
length of river wall as above stated.
The south basin, now called Toxteth Dock, has also been
completed with gates forty feet in width, the sill laying at
the depth of five feet below the datum line of the Old Dock
sill : preparation is made in the masonry for reversing those
gates, should circumstances hereafter render such reversal
desirable. The quays of this dock have been levelled and
chiefly paved ; and the foundation for the remainder of the
southern boundary wall has been put in.
The construction of all the foregoing works, being tides
works, and the foundations of the river wall being laid upon
piles in a running sand, the masonry set upon the heads of
those piles being eleven feet six inches and twelve feet below
the datum line, or level of the Old Dock sill, and the foun-
dation of the sill of the gates at from fifteen to seventeen feet
upon incipient rock, (deep for an excavation, yet too shallow
to be piled,) which work could only be proceeded with
during spring tides, which were not always favourable, and
almost wholly during the winter months, has rendered the
same tedious and expensive, and consequently productive of
no small degree of anxiety till those foundations were com-
pleted.
The sill of the Clarence Half-tide Dock has been taken up
and risen two feet, and new gates have been hung in accord-
ance therewith.
Two lots of graving-blocks have been laid down in the
Clarence graving-docks' entrance-basin.
The new sheds commenced last year, viz :
Two upon the north quay of the Coburg Dock ;
One upon the north side of the Brunswick Half-tide Dock ;
One upon the north-west end of the Brunswick Dock ;
One upon the east quay of the Queen's Dock ;
One upon the west quay of the King's Dock •,
One upon the south-west side of Clarence Half-tide Dock ;
One upon the south-east end of the Prince's Dock ;—have
all been completed, and the following additional sheds since
ordered are ha a state of great forwardness, viz :
A double shed, the whole length of the quay, betwixt the
Victoria and Trafalgar Docks ;
A single, ditto, betwixt the Waterloo and Victoria Docks;
Two sheds upon the east quay of the Queen's Dock, and
two sheds in the Clarence Dock and basin have been en-
larged and protected by weather boarding.
Three-fourths of the " transit sheds" upon the west side
of the Prince's Dock may be said to be completed, and the
remaining one in a state of active forwardness.
Dwelling-houses for the masters of the Clarence Half-tide
Dock, Clarence and Trafalgar Docks, Waterloo and Victoria
Docks, King's Dock, Queen's Dock, Brunswick Dock, and
for the south harbour-master, have been completed, and are
severally occupied.
The telegraph stations in progress last year have been
completed, and another since, ordered to be built at Cefn-
dhu, has been erected.
New dock-yard, offices, and workshops, together with
other conveniences, have been constructed in the yard, on
the south side of the Coburgh dock, and the establishment
at the old yard has been transferred thereto.
Two cranes have been fixed upon the quay, north side
of George's dock basin, and another is in progress for the
Toxteth dock.
Various capstans and revolving mushrooms, as ordered
for the several entrances, have been generally fixed, and ten
framed landing stages for vessels, at quay berths, ordered as
an experiment, have been supplied, and are in use at the
Prince's dock.
Three new lanterns for a floating light-ship, as ordered,
have been commenced upon. The progress of the central
works has been as follows :—On the 11th November last,
the Canning and Salthouse docks were run dry, and tanks
were constructed for keeping out the water, and a well sunk
to receive the pumps, which commenced working on the
17th January. Full possession of the premises most imme-
diately required, was not got before the 24th February. Two
pair of new gates have been constructed, and hung in the
George's Dock Passage, and their sills deepened, from 1 foot
1 inch to 4 feet 6 inches below the Old Dock sill. One pair
of new gates have been made, and hung to No. 2 Canning
Graving Dock, and the gates of No. 3 have been thoroughly
repaired.
The bottom of the Canning Dock has been sunk to the
depth of nine feet below the level of the Old Dock Sill ; its
east wall, for the length of 68 yards, has been underfooted
with masonry, at various depths from 7 to 17 feet 10 inches
below the level of the Old Dock Sill. The north-west and
south walls have been also more or less underfooted, and the
new wall in the south-west angle has been chiefly laid at the
depth of 23 feet below the level of the Old Dock Sill. Wa-
ter was admitted into the dock on the sth May, and the dock
was restored to the use of the public again on the 9th May.
The deepening and repairing of the Canning Graving Docks,
Nos. 2 and 3, have been actively proceeded with ' • but a con-
siderable portion of them, at the westiern ends, laying upon
a running sand, bas rendered their progress difficult and te-
dious; they will, however, I expect, be again available to the
trade in the course of three months, or four at the furthest.
The sill and greater portion of the masonry for the gates
from the Canning Dock to the West Basin have been con-
structed, as well as the sills for the entrance in the Salthouse
Dock, the excavations in which are in a tolerably forward
state, as also the erection of the walls around it, and the
entrance from it to the proposed new docks, is likewise
being proceeded with.
The wall along the bottom of the late No. 1 Graving Dock,
forming the south side of the Canning Dock Basin, is being
proceeded with, the foundations of which are necessarily laid
upon piles.
Preparations are in a forward state for piling all the other
foundations, and for carrying on the works generally, as
rapidly as the nature of their situations will admit, being
mostly in deep sand and muddy gravel, with great varieties of
depth and consistency.
An account is then given of the expenditure on the whole
of the works, from the 24th June, 1841, to the 24th June,
1842. The following is an abstract of the account :
New w0rk5......
General repairs..

Making a total expenditure of £150,389 17 5
The stock on hand, of iron, chandlery,
oil, paint, stone, granite, timber, &c.
&c., was, in 1841..
In 1842.......

Decrease of stock

. £6,380 6 1

Expended from stock £6,380 6 1
Bills certified £144,009 11 4 £150,389 17 5

For new works £125,585 19 1 150,382 17 5
For old works. £21,803 17 9

N.B.—ln the foregoing account there is dispersed over
the different docks the cost of paving and repairing the
various quays, containing an area of 519,870 square yards,
equal to a line of road 29 miles 947 yards, ten yards in width,
in which 2,223 tons of granite paving setts have been used,
the whole amount of which, including labour and materials,
is £2,197 Is. 10d.

All accounts continue to be regularly paid up monthly,
and the outstanding claims against the trustees for work
one and materials supplied up to date, does not exceed
£2,500.
(Errors excepted) JESSE HARTLEY.
19th August, 1842.
On the motion of Mr. HORSFALL, it was resolved that
this report be printed, and a copy thereof transmitted to each
trustee and to each member of the committee.