Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-15

Most persons, on arrival IN Eng
land. pass through Liverpool with
oui few hours or DAYS detention
There Is much 10 be seen there not
found elsewhere IN the world Tha,
OF special interest 10 the Liverpool
docks. which are, with good reason
the admiration Of the people, for
they are unequsled in extent, capa-
city. solidity and beauty by any
others in the world. We have in
spected them BY steamer, passing up
and down the Mersey, ami from the
top OF trsmwsys. which run the whole
distance along the inside of the docks,
or, as 10 few instances, on draw
bridges, which divide the inner and
outer sections OF docks, and by care
fully examining the large ones. There
are, on the Liverpool side. seventy
five docks, of water area of 1863
acres, and twenty-five craving docks
with length Of floor of l2, 49e feet
The Birkenhead docks and basins on
the opposite side Of the river, have
water area of 1854 acres, and the
craving docks length of 2tSo feet
The river frontage of the docks ex
tends nearly seven miles the river
wall, running the entire distance, is
composed of granite, laid in massive
blocks. which will last for centuries.
The cost exceeded $s0, 0O0, 600, ana
they are still being extended. The
Alexandra docks, where the princi-
pal steamers running TO America are
accommodated, are the most COM
plete. They have depth of water
Of thirty feet, and can hold at one
time twenty-five steamers, of the
greatest length and tonnage, in posi-
ton so that they can discharge direct
upon the quays; the basins have
breadth to hold seventy steamers, w.
ing side by side These docks are
situated 81 the extreme end of the
city, three and one-half miles distant,
and are directly opposite New Brigh-
ton. The river front of these docks
has q massive granite promenade,
20 feet wide and 1900 feet In length,
and have very substantial outer
wall, four feet in hight, above the
promenade. The massive iron and
timber gates of these docks are
worked by hydraulic power from the
central station, so that two persons
with ease can opeh them. The ware
houses in connection with the docks
are immense stone and brick build
ings, one of which, the Waterloo
dock, is almost exclusively devoted
TO the storage of grain from America.
and has storage capacity of SO, 900
tons Of grain. A large California
grain ship can be discharged and
grain elevated into the warehouse in
two days and three nights.
The new corn warehouse, now ap-
preaching completion. is situated OPP.
posite the Alexandra docks. 1t is
nine stories high, of immense size,
and arranged for storage of grain in
bulk, it being constructed without
floors. The grain is discharged from
ships into movable drapers, which
are carried under the streets and
docks for three-quarters of mile
and then extend TO the top OF the
warehouse. The tunnel in which
they run is six feet wide, and of
sufficient hight for person to pass
through it. Along some of the
docks are massive cranes, capable of
lifting fifty and one hundred tons at
one time. The tramways Tor omni-
bus) run nearly the length Of the
docks, about five miles, and in q
short time will be extended two
miles further. Much of the way
they run on the railroad tracks.
which are inside Of the walls and
gates of the docks. No other We
hicles are allowed to use them. The
road is kept in repair by the dock
commissioners, and each omnibus
pays eighty cents per day for the use
of the road along the whole line of
docks. Freight cars are run to take
freight to the different lines Of rail-
roads RAINING out of the city. There
are probably 1000 teams hauling
on the street adjoining
the docks. They frequently haul
loads two, three and four miles.
They follow each other in nearly an
line. The horses are mag
Clydesdales, capable Of haul
ing four or five tons each, and two of
them haul ten TO twelve tons. On
the Alexandra dock is q fine, sub
stantial cocoa house, where 600 labor
ing men at one time can sit down to
q meal, which can be obtained for
from twelve to sixteen cents; also q
tirstclas restaurant, where one can
obtain the best Of meals. No liquors
are sold.
THE xERsEY TUNNEL.
Next of interest In Liverpool is
the Mersey tunnel. Few engineer
ing works have excited mole interest
than the tunneling under the bed of
the Mersey, now practically COM
pleted. 1t crosses under the river
from Liverpool to Brkenhead, q dis
lance OF q mile. The tunnel, when
fully completed, will be 1.2 miles
long, extending from the business
center of Liverpool to the outskirts
Of Birkenhesd. The width of the
tunnel is 20 feet, and the hight 81
feet. The walls are from two to
three feet thick, and are made of
solid brickwork. laid in cement.
The depth of water over the tunnel
at high tide is 20 feet, and An aver.
age depth of rock and clay Of so
feet. making 1t, with depth Of tun-
mel, i27 feet below water level. II is
bored through hard and compact red
The project was first
in 1866; bat little work was
accomplished till 1891, when. for two
years, work was carried on with pick
and shovel. The progress made was
about ten yards per week. In 1888
they used the Beaumont boring ma
chine, which advanced the work at
the rate of thirty yards per week
The tunnel Is drained by seven-foot
which leads from the center