The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-20
PORTS OF THE WORLD
Description Of Noted Harbors
and improvements.
SPLENDID DOCKS or LIVERPOOL
wharvss or London and Boston-what
California commissioners Have Done
The San Francfsco ssawalr.
FIRST PAPER

brightest, most intelligent and enterprising
q It's citizens. They have contributed very
largely 70 the sum total Of human knowl-
edge They have at all times been active
workers IN the fields Of discovery and in
ventlon, Of history. poetry and philosophy.
we have always felt special interest in
those who go down to the sea in ships
ana who do business in the great waters"
Nor has the progress made in Transports
ton facilities BY land been less interesting
or instructive. The "ships Of the desert, !"
the prairie schooner" and other primitive
methods OF carrying freight and passengers
nave been replaced by the modern railway
system, with its numerous appliances of
biography and steam, all of which are
taxed to their utmost capacity to meet the
demands Of modern commerce. The high
est engineering skill has been called into
the service OF this'raitway system Of trans
portation. and armies of picked men are
employed in its operation. As men run
20 and fro' and knowledge is increased, -
50 the demands for commercial facilities
are constantly pressing upon human ac-
uvlty and the number 81 men and the ag-
gregate OF capital now employed in their
operation are almost beyond the reach of
computation. II the demands of the COM
merclal world upon Western Washington
and upon Puget sound are already so great,
what may they become when intimate COM
mercial relations are established with the
hundreds of millions of people in Eastern
Asia and with our neighborin9 nationaiities
in North and South America
II was not my purpose, however, to re-
fer to commercial agencies, except in
general way. but more particularly to call
your attention to what has been done in
other cities and other countries in the con-
struction of harbors and harbor improve
Hents, that we may, If possible. avail our
selves OF their experience and thereby Sc
cure for ourselves and the state we are
serving the best practical results. In
ancient as well IS in modern times great
attention was given to the construction of
solid walls OF masonry for the protection
OF harbors and shipping. twenty-five
hundred years ago the city OF Tyre. then
the most enterprising of commercial CEN
tiers, was surrounded by seawall said to
have beer $50 feet in height The port of
ancient Athens was inclosed by wall sixty
feet high. constructed of enormous blocks
OF stone. The port was also connected
with the city, four and one-haif miles dis
tant, by immense walls surmounted on top
by roadway leading from the city to the
harbor. All other commercial empOrinms
OF Importance provided themselves with
similar structures more or less elaborate or
expensive. The leading cities of modern
times. have taken great care and many of
them have expended enormous sums of
money IN preparing and protecting their
harbors for the uses and benefits of COM
merce. A few of these only can be refer
red to in this paper. References to others
may be made hereafter.
LIVERPOOL
The splendid docks of Liverpool cover Q SPACE
OF 400 acres of water along the Mersey RIVER aud
extend on the Liverpool side distance of i've
miles and two miles on the Birkenhesd side
The hneal quay space on the Liverpool side il
fifteen miles and on the Birkenhead side nine
miles The amount OF capital invested in the
docks II G0.O0O000. OF which $4,000 900 is in
Liverpool proper. The seawall along the Liver
pool side, by which shipping is protected 10 a
stupendous wore OF solid masonry, upward of
five miles in length. eleven feet in average
thickness and forty feet in average height from
the foundations Upward of eighty pairs of
gates have been erected within the last fifty
years, some OF which reach to the enormous
width of 100 feet
On January /, 1858, when the Mersey docks
and harbor act went into operation, tine tonnage
dues, which up to that time had to be paid by
all vessels entering the port, whether they used
the docks or not, were abolished. SO that no
vessel or steamer entering the river Aersey
and not going into dock has now any other
dues to pay than those appertainine TO the
lights, buoys or anchorage.
LONDON.
The city of London is the largest commercial
emporium in the world, aud contains within its
limits very elaborate aud expensive system Of
whsrves aud docks for the Convenience of its
Commerce and the projection of its shipping
Time and space viii not permit any lengthy
reference TO these interests, but il may be
sufficient now to say that about $1,000 vessels
are engaged in its foreign and about 1000 in its
c0astIng trade
The history of the establishment of harbor
lines III Boston harDor may be briefly stated as
follows:
The first harbor line was established by an act
OF the legislature passed in 1887. From this date
to 1859. the subject OF harpor lines was very
carefully studied by various commissioners ap-
pointed under legisrive authority and several
lines were established.
In 1859, at the request of the city of Boston,
the national government detailed three en-
aineers OF eminent ability, as a commission on
Boston harDor. This commission made series
of reports, based on surveys made previous to
1859. aud surveys made under their direction
covering the whole subject of the preservation
aud improvement of the harbor; and in 1866 in
accordance with their Recommendations. q
state board OF harbor commissioners, consisting
of i've persons appointed By the governor was
established aud was given the general care and
supervision OF ali the harbors and tide waters
and certain flats and lands flowed thereby,
within the state, and was authorized 10 pre-
scribe harbor hues to DO reported for the con-
sideration of the legislature etc, etc
Ia lS77 the board was reduced to three men,
bers but without change of duty.
In ISIS q surv OF the wharf lines OF Boston
Upper Harbor, based on the triang ulation of the
United States coast aud geodetIc survey. was
made under the direction OF the board for the
purpose OF re-establishing harpor lines aud for
reference in connection with applications to
the board for authority 10 build structures in
tide water. tSee report Tor ISIS and appendix
In 1879 the hoard of harror commissioners
and the board of land commissioners were abol-
ished. and the board of harbor and land com.
missioners established Il this year the board
reported for the consideration of the Legislature
harbor lines based on the survey OF ISIS and in
the report of the board Tor 1879 will be found A
description OF the lines, and the method
adopted for marking and locating the various
points In 1850 these lines We're es ablished BY
Legislative act
Under the river and haroor act of August IL
1855 the secretary of war has authority to e.
tablish harbor lines. and shortly after the pass-
age OF this act he appointed board of United
States engineers 10 consider the matter of harbor
lines in Boston hsrbor. As result the ..pier,'
aud "buik head" lines shown ON the mans &C.
companying oar report for 1889 have been estab-
listed.
As will be seen from our reports, the common
wealth is now carrying on the very important