Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-06
LIVERPOOL, June 20, 1871.

LIVERPOOL, June ~, 1871.
In preparing sketch Of this city for q
the facts must necessarily be
very condensed, and minor matters be al
together omitted. The immense locks
alone are worthy of an entire letter, but l
will endeavor to describe them in con-
else manner, yet so that a fair idea OF
them may be formed notwithstanding.
Liverpool is first mentioned as small
town inhabited by fishermen. About the
ninth or tenth century castle was built
in the midst of it by Norman knight.
At later period it was noted as a mart
for Irish productions, yarn, linen, etc. A
short time afterward, it became the prin-
cipal port of passage between England
and Ireland. Chester, sixteen miles
southwark was at that time rival, but
was soon outstripped by its young oppon-
ent. In 1910 the shipping of Liverpool
consisted of twelve vessels, having total
measurement of 1T tons, and being man.
ned by seventy-fve men. In 1909, it had
5000 inhabitants, and eighty-four ships of
$3.50 tons in this year wet dock was
first projected. With the construction of
this dock, the prosperity of Liverpool be.
gan. Half century later another was
built; and at intervals since more have
been added, until at the present time the
area of the docks is nearly $50 acres.
The quay span is about sixteen miles in
length. An immense wall of masonry
extends along the banks of the Mersey
for a distance of eight miles. Inside OF
this wall are the docks and basins in
which the shipping lies. The wall is
very wide, and many warehouses are
situated upon it. By this, vessels are un-
loaded on both sides of the dock, and
from this fact is found the length of wharf
space. The rise and fall of the tide is
thirty-one feet at spring tide. and twenty
one at neap tide. 1t is partly this great
tide which has made these basins neces.
airy. At various points along the river
gates are placed in the wall. These gates
are similar to the gates of locks in Ameri-
can canals, and are opened and closed on
the same plan. At high tide they are
opened, and vessels pass in and out; at
low tide they are shut. The basins them
selves are separated by gates, also. The
top of the sea-wall, commonly called the
"pierhead," is connected with the main
land by drawbridges. When the tide is
out of the river, from the docks of the
ferry boats passing across the water may
be seen the countless masts of the ships
within the wall. Unmoved by the
breezes which sweep in from the sea, they
are apparently shelved twenty feet above
the surface of the river. The chief pur-
pose of the docks is to preserve the ship
ping from the storms which prevail here
with much violence at certain seasons.
The land at the mouth of the river is low,
and can give no protection whatever. 1t
was to remove this difficulty that the
first dock was built; and it was success
full. The prosperity of Liverpool is due
in a great measure to the vast traffic Of
the manufacturing cities which are in the
adjacent counties. The articles carried
to and from the cities of Manchester, Boil
ton, Bury, Oldham, Ashton and Bradford
are enough in themselves to create a large
maritime town; but their business is
only a small portion of that done at this
port. Liverpool to-day has more commerce
than any other city in the kingdom, Lon
don only excepted and it is only through
the great cossting trade that London leads.
The excellence of the Liverpool docks in
daced the authorities of Birkenhead on
the opposite side of the Mersey, to imi-
tate them. The Birkenhead docks were
badly managed, however, and were at q
stand-still for some time after their con-
'truction. They were finally purchased
by the corporation of Liverpool, and
placed in the care of the Mersey Docks
and Harbor Board, which has the entire
supervision of the water property of this
city. By the way Il write this as re-
in the whole eight miles of
river frontage of the city, not a single
street reaches the rivers bank, all being
stopped by the intervening basins. At
present the Dock Board and the Town
Council are wrangling about the chang.
ng of this state of affairs. Both bodies
admit that it should be altered, but they
disagree as to the manner of changing
Eight ferry lines connect the city with its
and the boats all land their
passengers on one floating platform $40
eet long. OF course this causes much |
roubls at certain hours of the day. How
he matter will be settled I cannot say |
'ut surely a change ought to be made.
The inhabitants of Liverpool represent
very nation on the earth, and, of course,
n this mongrel population there are many
'aupers. Such a miserable, ragged, dirty
tream of humanity as one meets in every
treet of the city is almost indescribable.
indeed, I hardly dare attempt to portray
he sight as it appears to me. In no
city can it be equalled. The
ity charities are many, but beer-houses
utnumber them almost intellectually.
MODIFICATION and debauchery are SO COM
ION and prominent that an American,
OF being accustomed to foreign cities, is
t once Disguised at the scene, and filled
nth pity. The taste of the people is
hown by the large quantity of spirituous
quors sold, and the small circulation of
be daily papers. 1t must not be inferred
hat there are no good people in Liver
DOL, for there are many; and they make
reat efforts to remove the evils 1 have
escribed. But as the city authorities
re rather apathetic, and hesitate to take
lmmary action, little is accomplished in
he way of aiding temperance and sup
ressing vice.
The public buildings are many, and
e neatly designed and constructed. The