Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-09-28
THE DON nocKs.


from series of interesting letters from Europe
written by Rev. John Matthews for the n. I I.
Scdipel. We make another, viz -
THE LONDON DoCKs.-I had previously yisi-
ted the East and West-India docks, but we
We're anxious to visit this, the most celebrated
of all, because the first and most costly OF all
those establishments. These vast works are
part of the great series which compensate in
measure for the disadvantages under which
London otherwise would lie, as great COM
mercial city. These magnificent works de-
signed by Rennie, the architect of Waterloo
Bridge, were first opened in 1906; although
among the smallest of them, these the
most interesting to the general visitor. The
docks we are accustomed to see in New-Yo ork
are very different fl ON those Of London. The
Thames near the city is too shallow and mar
row for vessels of large size to lie at anchor
in the stream. and to remedy this disadvan-
tage, large reservoirs covering hundreds OF
acres of ground, are excavated in the main
land, communicating with the river by means
of canals with locks or gates. Moored within
these vast basins, thousands of vessels from
all quarters of the globe discharge their am
pie cargoes, and in the immense warehouses
may be seen all the varied productions of the
earth. There are gathered the choicest pro-
duct of the vines of Portugal, Spain, France,
merica, the ivory, gold, and spices of India
and Africa, the silks and teas of China, and
the coffee of Arabia and the Indies.
This magnificent establishment covers over
ninety acres-forty-nine acres of warehouses,
thirty four acres of water, and twenty acres of
vaults, and cost four million pounds sterling.
The tobacco warehouse covers five acres, and
the eastern vault about eleven acres, and con-
tains many thousand pipes of wine. A visit
to this vault is quite interesting,an numerous
parties, including ladies. may be seen with
their torches wandering under its dark arches.
Having provided ourselves with a guide, we
descended to the entrance where we were fur
Dished with the lamp-torches, and entering
through a broad doorway, we stood within its
damp and moudy arches. Before us was an
aisle or tunnel with blackened columns and
roof, from which was suspended a long row OF
oil lamps, which twnkled through the distance
until the light faded in that gloomy atmOs-
phere, and hardly seemed to make darkness
visible. A strange odor of wine, decayed
wood and oilsmoke from the numerous lamps,
filed the atmosphere, but as we wound through
its gloomy labryrinthine passages, we saw the
torches of other parties who were making the
tour, and the waving of lights by invisible
hands produced a singular effect in so dismal
a place. Luxuriant festoons OF dark fungi
and moss-like excrescenceS were suspended
from the roof, and became more and more nu-
merous as we proceeded onward in the gloom.
On each side of were heaped countless casks
of wine covered with mould and damp fungi.
In our tour we saw several parties who had
provided themselves with what are termed in
complimentary language, ,sswine fasting orders, !"
but Judging from the extraordinary avid
ity with which several individuals poured down
the exhilarating beverage, it would be more
proper TO term them s'drinking orders" The
damp and chilly atmosphere, however, made
US glad to avail ourselves of an order procured
by friend, to try some of the old port. which
our guide drew from moudy cask, and pre-
Il FacC
that we all dda little more than taste the ruby
and cheering beverage; our keen appreciation
of favors, would not permit us TO pass by
these ssoriginal packages" without thorough
estimate of their contents. We consoled
ourselves, however, on leaving that by tasting
we had averted some of the evils that might
have befallen us had we been so imprudent as
to ventare into so unnatural place, unprotec-
ted by slight stimulant. We admit that our
party did feel a slight eXhilaration on reach
ing again the surface of the busy world, but
attribute that to the sudden transition from
those tomb-ikc vaults to cheerful daylight.
From the vaults we proceeded to the great
tobacco warehouse: an immense structure,
covering five acres Of ground, with accommo-
dations under its roof for twenty-five thousand
hogsheads of the ssweed." You need not in
quire the way, for an atmosphere of the mar
cotic surrounds the building; as you walk
along its passages. hinge hogsheads are no.
tced piled up far above you on either side.
| never before conceived of the enormous
consumption of tobacco, but here one may
form a slight idea for there is more tobacco
under this roof than any where else on the
globe. Vast rooms in the edifce are devoted
to the storage of cigars. In one corner of the
incloSure is kiln where the unclaimed and
damaged tobacco is burned. The chimney,
which is constantly vomiting fourth tobacco
smoke is called by the workmen ssthe Queen s
Pipe.| Her majesty certainly consumes
great quantities of tobacco, for in one corner
| saw about seven tons of iron and nails which
were raked from the ashes ashes after the
rap-tobacco is consumed. In the dock yard
hundreds of men were rolling merchandise of
every description to and from the different
vessels, whose masts rise on every side. |
peeped into the drug warehouse, but the at
mosphere was SO laden with medicated vapors
that quickly turned away, and again sought
the streets. If any person wishes to form an
idea of the trade of London. let him visit the
docks.
SHE CAN TRAvEL.-On Friday morning last,
as a train was leaving the Rochester depot, a
lady discovered that her satchel had been sto-
len. 1t was found under seat occupied by a
well-hooped and good looking young woman.
A wallet containing So was missing, and an
officer suspecting the young woman to be the
thief, asked her name, which she refused to
give. He asked where she lived, and she was
equally incommuncative. He asked where
she was going, and she said it was none of his
business. Her occupation was then demanded,
and she said she did what she pleased. She
was taken into private room and searched,