Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-24
Price Four Cents.
Milford Docks.

long been recognized that it need not here be insisted upon. Lord Nelson, whose associa- tions with the town of Milford are historical. pronounced the Haven to be one of the best harbors in the world. The principal direction of the water is east and west, but near the en- trance it trends towards the south, so that from the interior of the Haven the water ap- pears to be quite landlocked The southerlv head serves to break the sea and subdue the swell so that in the toughest weather vessels may lie safely at anchor inside. In short competent authorities pronounce Milford Ha. ven to be the most commodious and most se- cure harbor in the British islands having no danger at it's entrance which may not be avoided without a pilot, and by taking the tide ships may sail in or out either by night or day. The area of the main portion of the estuary is about 5000 acres at high and about 1000 at low water; at low water spring tides at one fathom deep it is 1854 acres, at three fathoms deep 4, ,245 acres and at five fathoms deep it is ?, 931 acres. The rise and fall of the tide IS 26 feet at high spring tides, an impor- tant feature when aken in connection with graving docks.
 It is no wonder that harbor possessing so many natural advantages should be the object of frequent attention with regard to the establishment of docks and piers. It is. however, matter for surprise that so many years should have elapsed before any practical move was made in this direction. Several dock schemes, it is true, have been proposed. including one by Brunei, on behalf of tha Great Western Railway Company, at the ter minus of their system ct New Milford, from which the present trade to the south of Ire land is worked. None of the propositions however, have been carried out until recently although very good example of what can be done is afforded by the Government establish ment at Pembroke Dock Branching from the main channel of the estuary and running in land SavaraI ID1afS Or EGPiI1c hay locally termed, which in some cases present highly favorable features for the construction of docks. One of these, called Hubberstone Pill, is situated on the north side of the Ha- ven and about six miles from the entrance An act of Parliament authorizing the con struction of dock here was obtained a few years since, and in 1874 the works were com menced. From recent visit to these works and by the courtesy of the company, of which MT. E. J. Reed, 0. B., M. P, is the chair man, we are enabled to give the following par ticulars:
 feet long by 75 feet wide, with 2S feet of water over the sill at ordinary high water of spring tides The entrance lock is fitted at each end with wrought-iron sliding caissons and opens into wet dock having an area of about ten acres. By the side of the entrance lock and parallel with it is a graving dock ITO feet long and 125 feet wide for distance of 800 feet from the entrance. At that point the dock commences to taper off towards the head, which is 25 feet wide. This tapered portion can be shut off from the main body of the dock, and can be used separately This dock has 30 feet of water over the sill at ordinary high water of spring tides. The reason for having the graving dock construct ed ln this peculiar manner is that it is intend ed primarily for docking the Great Eastern steamship, which can thus be easily effected. When she does not occupy the dock the tapered portion will be available for docking vessels of small tonnage, while in the outer portion several large ships can be accommo- dated at the same time. The outer portion is so arranged that 1t can either be used as a graving dock or as 8 wet dock for loading or discharging cargo. The entrance to both the outer and the inner dock are closed by means of wrought-iron caissons. Beyond this large graving dock is small one, which will be used for docking ships of small tonnage up to about 250 feet in length.
 The docks open directly into the Haven ,up- on which they have frontage of l. 700 feet At the southwestern end it IS proposed to con struct breakwater and quay for the protec- tion of the entrances and alongside which ships can be berthed. This breakwater will be 800 feet long when completed. The quay is provided with landing steps, and at the end of the breakwater there will be landing slip, The Sea wall from the quay to the graving dock is built of limestone, as is also the lower portion of the end of the dividing wall be- tween the graving dock and the entrance Iocks The upper portion of this wall from the com mencement of the caisson chambers upwards is in concrete. The wall from the lock to the opposite, or Milford, side of the dock is dou- ble, being constructed of two outer walls of rubble masonry, built in concrete, the inter vening space being filled in with clay over laid with stone. This wall is 100 feet wide at the top, and will carry 8 roadway on which will be placed hydraulic cranes, with rail ways and shedding and all other conveniences for loading and unloading vessels. At the Milford or landward end of this wall is lead ing slip 300 feet long, with steps, and pro- tected by breakwater. Returning inland, on the Milford side is quay wall 1, 200 feet long, which is already completed This wall is constructed similarly to the sea wall, and behind it an area of about ten acres has been formed by means of levelling and clearing, the materials removed having been used in the construction of the dock walls. This space is intended for warehouses, railways and loading and unloading appliances, and the area will be further extended before the works are con- pleted. The wall on the southwestern side of the graving dock is completed for it's whole length, and the site for the warehouses be- yond it, which is about 300 feet wide and which is made ground, is being filled in This ground has, in fact, been reclaimed from the foreshore of Hubberstone Pill The wet dock is now being dredged, and will ultimately have 8 depth of 26 feet of water at ordinary spring tides.
 very short distance from the docks and to the east of them at Newton Moves is a fine iron-built landing and coalipg pier. Between this pier and the Milford Station of the Great
 Western railway railway has been made which passes through portinn of the dock
 company's premises, and can be made availa-
 ble by the company in connection with either
 the pier or the main line of railway. The
 AZ
 increased to double it's present extent in about
 twelve months and at a very small cost.
 This can be effected by utilizing the con-
 tinuation of Hubberstone Pill which runs
 inland for some distance, and over which the company possesses rights to the extent of one mile. large area can also be reclaimed
 for wharfage purposes by simply dredging,
 building walls, and filling in behind them. It is expected that the works generally will be
 completed during the present year. Mr. J.
 M. Toler is the engineer to the company, and
 Mir. F. Appleby the contractor for the works.
 From what we have Stated it will be seen
 that the site of the docks has been well se-
 lected, and that their situation is such as to
 justify the expectation that they will prove
 an acquisition to the travelling public and 8 commercial success. They offer especial fa- cilities for conducting steam communication between this country and the United States {; in fact negotiations are now pending for opening up such between Milford and the States. AS indicating the saving in time that would accrue to passengers in either direction, we have only to refer to the conditions under
 which this end of that journey has usually to be undertaken. There is first a railway jour
 ney of from five to six hours from London to Liverpool, and at the end of the journey a
 cab to the landing-stage and a steamtug to the steamship in the river. Then comes the run to Queenstown, where the steamer is de- tained in taking in the mails, all of which | means total of sometimes more than day and a half from the time of leav- l ing London to that of leaving Queenstown
 that is, if the journey be performed | with reasonable regard to comfort, and not il
 hot haste. On the other hand, when the Mil
 ford docks are completed, we understand it i | the intention of the Great Western Railwa, | Company to run special trains from Padding | ton to Milford, which will do the journey il
 from seven to eight hours. The trains vii
 convey the passengers into the docks, and, il
 fact, to the waterside, whence they will b'
 transferred to the steamer. The mails car
 be taken on board at Milford instead O
 at Queenstown, and the vessel will star | direct for New York, the distance being bu little greater than from Queenstown. B.
 this arrangement it will be seen that savinl of about day will probably be effected. Thi is a matter of considerable importance, no l only to rassep gers about to undertake A lon