The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-22

HARBOR OyEMENTs-ATLANTIC
CoAsT STEAMSHIP CoMPANY's WHARF
The harbor of Richmond has certainly been
much improved since the evacuation Of the
city, and among the most notable OF the
improvements is the new wharf Of the At
lantic Coast Steamship Company. 1t is the
largest and most complete wharf that We
have ever had here. We have been kindly
furnished with a description of the dimcn-
sions of the wharf, which we add:
The wharf is 2l5 feet long, thirty feet
wide, with foundation of 100 pillar spiles,
LARGEST in size and firmly driven. There
are three tiers of cap logs, sixteen inches
square, fitted on spiles with morticc and
tenon, with fifty sleepers twelve by twelve,
well set in, and strongly fastened with four
largo bolts in each sleeper. The covering
or floor is of the best Virginia heart pine,
three inches thick, well laid down, and
fastened with sevcn-inch spikes. There is
an Improvement on the water front consist
ing of q log running the entire length let
down into the ends Of the sieepers and
rising four inches above the floor to prevent
freight from rolling off the wharf, as we'll
as adding extra strength to the entire
structure. This girder or waterway IS
we'll fastened with large bolts in every
sleeper. There are ten fender spiles Of
white oak forty feet long, eighteen inches
in diameter, well driven and secured by
horizontal cbocks running from pile to
pile, fastened by bolts.
The wharf is the largest in the city, is
several feet higher than any other at
Rockets, and will seldom, if ever, be sub
merged by any ordinary freshet. The
whole structure is thoroughly fastened
with heavy iron boiling, and in addition,
the cap logs are secured to the spiles by
heavy iron clamps. The shed is l20 feet
long tv so feet wide, with IL feet clear
height. There are 5000 feet floor surface,
and $4,000 cubic feet of clear space. The
erection consists of 80 white oak posts, IL
inches square, in three rows, set In the
ground six feet deep, and supports; wall
plate courses 10 by IL inches. The roof
consists of Is principals of substantial con-
structiOn, with trusses, braces and bolts,
purlins, jack rafters, and sheathing; the
whole handsomely covered with best block
tin. The floor is Of three-inch plank, laid
on white oak sleepers; the exterior is en-
closed with planking, forming panels be-
tween the posts, having sliding doors on all
sides. ].
The office is partitioned off on raised
floor, midway on the north side of the she'd,
with sliding-sash windows, admitting view
of the entire enclosure. The workmanship
is of O most substantial character, and the
material was carefully selected under the
immediate supervision of Messrs. Samuel
Ayres & Co. The shed was built by Messrs.
John and George Gibson, the well-known
builders Of this city the gas fixtures and
tin work done by Messrs. Yale, Bowers q
Yale; wharf constructed by Mr.. Charles
]. Fox; and piles for same driven by Mr..
Elisha Bethel. After several unsuccessful
efforts by other parties, the obstructions,
consisting of the Confederate ways, were
removed by the city dredging machine,
under the superintendence Of Mr.. Clark
Scull, giving 8 depth of water, the extent Of
the wharf, Of eleven feet ut low tide.
This very valuable property was recently
purchased by the Atlantic Coast Mail
Stesmship Company, owners Of the fayo-
rits stsamships Hstteras and Alberharle,
plying between this city and New York, Of
which Nessrs. Samuel. Ayres B Go. ere
agents. 80 IL.