The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-08-29
ne Wine Vaults under London Docks

correspondence Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
The London docks. visited by all for
eigners who pass through London, are
objects OF great interest, viewing them
from the outside, as harbors, where canal
rrn>>es canal. till they extend to a city
romblning the two strange effects of Ven
lee with her liquid thoroughtares. and
China with her floating houses.
But under this scene, familiar to every
onr from description, if not actual view,
l. still more curious sight, which it is
more difficult to obtain Thanks to the
ifurts OF a relative of merchant who
a--d stores deposited there, we were pro-
gdcd with a pass to the wine vaults of
tae Ea>l Cooper. or branch of the London
docks here were SIX in the party, and
ttlcr a long. rainy, muddy drive through
The old part OF the city, past Billinsgate
1i,h market where cocknev men and boys
substitute the world renowned fish women
ui the past and there is less sauce sold
with the iish-past the Tower, with its
many spires and gloomy battlements, we
NJ length arrived at the entrance of the
docks A government official examined
nur passes. and we drove on through
wilderness of casks. coils of rope, and
heaps OF bran, till we reached the door of
cellar No. 4. Going down a flight of
-Innc steps. we came to a sort of vesti-
Ialle. where on one side. was an Office for
The examination and signing of passes;
uuihe other, i place fitted up with shelves,
having brass ewes like those made to re-
rcive the ends of door-bolts, a long
wedge-~haped walnut paddle, With metal
l;.mpunthc broad elld sticking in each eye.
Aunilv- fingered, dirty-taced individ ual,
-lrkugly resembling Lamps Of Mug
3v junction" stood in the shade of this
recess, a companion sitting behind him,
Whose name was James and number two,
~ a ralendar on the wall informed us,
over which was written usher through
lie vaults for Monday :" clamps" placed
g, lighl in each OF our hands, and we en-
Tered The vaults.
Imagine eleven acres OF ground, or
rather underground, under streets and
below the wafer line of the Thames, d.
lided into long Vlulted alley ways, COW
cred with sawdust, a double iron track
inr barrels 10 roll on running directly in
The centre, on either side three tiers of
itOrl- old port wine, amounting in all to
thirty five thousand barrels OF port alone
and Won have one OF the eighteen large
cellars under the docks. We had the
rare privilege of tasting the port number
puO-lhree different barrels. Tasting Or
ders are frequently given for sherry. but
seldom for port, with a chuckle OF self
satisfaction our conductor congratulated
Us, But | was already dizzy with the
fumes of $1,000 barrels, and the Pickering
OF our lamps in the dark archways, pene-
trated by thee binding rays, like ropes of
Ire, running from and meeting halfway
between the reflector, as powerful as we
use on steam engines, at one end OF each
alley. and then opening into the main ro-
tunda AT the other end. On the ceiling
hung the fungus formed from the evap-
Grafton. One piece, called the crocodile,
from its shape, great ridgy animal
clinging with its feet to the ceiling, was
hundred and fifty years old Nearly
all the fungus was of dun color, resenl-
bling the inside nap of lead-colored wad-
ding but occasionlv bleached white, when
IL looked like the stalactites in caves.
Our conductor was not so superStitious
about the fungus as Joey Ladle, and de-
clared pieces had often fallen on him,
lac wasn't dead yet" Still he seemed
very proud OF it, and with great rever-
ence hunted around for the largest and
most curious formations, giving us some
little incident, curious and interesting,
about each piece. In the brandy and
whiskey vaults the fungus is all white.
Scarcely knowing whether was on my
head or my feet, the Pickering lights and
dark edges of the barrels, fungus, saw
dust, people and posts dancing in wild
procession through my brain. | stopped
with the rest before row of barrels
marked 600. The usher drove sharp
steel instrument through the end of the
first one, blew into it, and out spurted
stream of pure rich port fifty years old
Hoping an internal application would
remedy the dizziness caused by inhaling
it. / tasted it and felt instantly better. but
thesecond and third barrels Ibid not..try,n
and even ouriusher threw away one glass
Tor which many an epicure would have
gwen fifty dollars sterling. The holes
were filled up again by sticking wooden
pegs in them, chopping them off, and
leaving the barrel as sound and secure as
il hey had never been opened Emerging
nom these cellars, we were glad to enter
our carriages, drive home and take nap.