The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-02-14
GLASGOWAND The CLYDE.

A hundred and fifty years ago the in.
habitants of Glasgow, then only a few
thousand in number, resolved on improv-
ing the Clyde, and they have gone on
working at the idea ever since. 1t was
shrewd conception. The city had great
capabilities of advancement. The neigh.
borhood abounded in iron and coal. The
river opened into a channel communiCat-
ing with the west coast of England and
the Atlantic; and the Atlantic was the
highway to America, There lay the ele'
ments to wealth, and no doubt wealth
would be realized in immeasurable abun-
dance if the river could be rendered nav
igable. Such was the reasoning of these
Glasgow people. They would establish
a port near the salt water, and carry on
traffic by means of lighters. That was
the primary notion, and it did good SER
vice in its day. In process of time, as
trade and wealth increased, the improV-
ing of the river on a grand scale, and
making Glasgow itself port, became a
predominant idea in this keen.witted
and selfreliant community. In short,
the tidal water must be made to flow up
ward over q space of fifteen to eighteen
miles, to the Broomielaw, 30 as to secure
the advantages of harbors and docks with
a clear and direct route to the sea. Mr.,
Deas presents narrative of proceedings
for deepening, widening and straighten-
ing the river, which in some places was
so shallow that it could be forded on foot.
Where sand banks were bare at low wa.
ter, land plows drawn by horses were en-
ployed to break up the banks 30 that the
current might carry the sand away.
When the sand banks were under water
they were torn up by harrows attached
by tackle to the stern Of steam.tugs, the
liberated debris beingswept away by the
current and reaux of the tides Then
began processes of dredging, at first by
chain of iron buckets worked by hand
and by horses, but afterward by steam
power. Sometimes the dredges enCoun-
tered rocks and boulders, and these had
to be mastered by recourse to diving
bells and blasting For a long time the
engineers were unaware of remarkable
bed or dyke of whinstone rock at the
bottom of the river, near Elderslie, about
four miles from Glasgow. This formida-
BILE bed of rock which was only discover
ed by the grounding of a large steamer in
1874, extended nine hundred feet in
length by about three hundred feet in
breadth. 1t was blown up by gunpowder
the charges being fired by galvaniC bat
terry. The cost Of these blasting opera
tions was upward Of $4,000. Much, we
are told, remains to be done; but the
northern half of the rocky area has been
lowered so as to give channel of four
teen feet at low water, the other half
having an available depth of eight feet.
Ultimately, as is expected, there will be
a depth throughout of twenty feet at low
water. The cost Of the sundry operations
on the Clyde has from first to last, in vir-
tue of acts OF Parliament, been borne by
levying rates on the tonnage of vessels
using the river. The administration
throughout has been marked by great
prudence. With some Insignificant fail
ures, whatever has been done has been
done well. The total expenditure of the
Clyde Trust from the year 1870 to June,
1875, amounted to G6, $4,000.
At present the minimum depth of the
navigable channel may be stated at fif'
teen feet at low water, and about twenty
five feet at high water Vessels drawing
twenty.three feetthree inches have with.
in the last few months come to Glasgow
in one tide from Greenock. Ship. build.
ing on the Clyde has advanced in re-
markable manner. In 1875 there were
built on it three war vessels, thilteen
paddle and a hundred and thirteen screw
steamers. Including other kinds of craft
there were built on it total Of 276 YES.
sells. For the year ending goth June,
1875, the revenue of the Clyde Trust was
Gl96 1926. A survey of the shipping at
the harbor and docks of Glasgow would
communicate a feeling of an enormous
trade with all parts of the world. The
truth is, the rise of Glasgow is one of the
wonders in the modern history of Great
Britain-a greater wonder considering
the poor and backward state of Scotland
at the Union. From thirty.tive thous-
and in 1771, the population of Glasgow
has swollen to half million, and it has
become the second city of the Empire,
with apparently no limit to it's wealth
and Importance. AS centre of manu-
featuring industry it has several advant.
ages, but all would have been unavailing
without the Clyde andits marvellous i'm.
provements.- ChamberS'S Journal.