The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-25
Tho Great Enterprise May Now
Be Regarded as an Accom-
plished Fact.
Two Hundred Years Ago the
English Town Wanted to
Be a Seaport.
Cstimete Made Sixty-Tive Years Ago Com
pared With the Canal As 1t
Nears Completion.


pared With the Canal As 1t
Nears Completion.
Manchester letter TO New York Tribune
The Manchester ship canal may now be re
parGed az an accomplished fact. There ha
aiready been a preliminary opening of tn
great ditch. 1t 10 not vet finished by IN.
mesns. A vast amount of work il yet to b
doro on it, so much that the constructor
now ask for an extension of time. The
wcrs to finish the entire undertaking b.
August 5 next year, but they ask to hav'
ths dat. postponed to December 81, 1898
Even the latter date will leave /,
short time for the accomplishment OF
such q vast job. For il was only in Novem.
Der, 1887, at an out of the way spot neal
Eastman that the first spadsful of earth wal
dug. Perhaps the work is now about three.
quarters lone. But that is enough to prove
She easy praoticability of the whole. There
ere no serious obstacles to be overcome;
there have been none. And at last the
great cotton capital may be regarded ~ q
seaport.
1t is nov nearly 200 years since the idea
Of making Manchester \ shipping center
was seriously considered, and at the open
ing of the present century steps were taken
to put the ides into practice. There was
then Communication by water between
Manchester and Liverpool. by way Of the
Irwell river and the B~ridgewatsr canal;
but it was not at all adequate to the needs
Of the city. For years the tradesmen
of Manchester clamored for better
transportation, and at last. in 1895,
went before parliament with two schemes.
One wss for she construction of Z railroad,
the other for the construction Of a Man
chester and Dee ship canal" The former
was. after some delay. successful, and =
splendidly efficient and profitable railroad
service has since been evolved from it, and
a powerful interest arraysd against
the canal, which is now approaching
completion. But the Manchester and DE
Ship canal never got beyond paper. 1t is,
however. interesting at this time to recall
the character of the plans laid at that time.
The entrance was to be at Davpool, about
three miles seaward of Parkgats on the
southern shore of Wirral peninsula.
Independent engineers had reported that
the sea channel to Dawpool was equal in
depth to any harbor in tho country. The
canal was to be entered from the estuary of
the Dee by access in the first instance
through a basin about eight acres in extent,
with an entrance l32 feet wide: thence
through a half-tide dock of two and three
fourths acres of water area, afterward pass
ing into a full-tids dock with nine acres of
water area and about half a mile OF quay
frontage. Vessels proceeding to Manches-
ter would enter the canal by a lock ll5
feet in length, thirty-three feet in breadth,
and fifteen feet in depth. these dimensions
governing the series of fifteen locks on the
route of the canal. The entrance basin and
docks were to be enclosed within two piers,
leaving an aperture of 1872 feet, the seward
pier being $50 feet in length and the upper
pier 2,64O feet. The TOP width OF the canal
was to be seventy feet, the depth being
fifteen feet. As out of 1898 vessels fire.
quenting the port of Liverpool in one year
only e51 exceeded 2S0 tons, the projected
canal was designed for the passage of YES
GELS up to that tonnage. Vessels exceeding
thst tonnage could load or discharge in the
entrance basins by means Of lighters, such
as were used to convey the cargoes of
vessels f%requenting the port of London
80 the Pool before the East Indian dock
vas constructed. Two of such lighters
With locked matches would be ample
Tor the conveyance of tho landing of any
such vessels exceeding $50 tons with cargoes
intended for or coming to Manchester.
Ihls arrangement was made in order to
minimize tho outlay on the canal works.
che entire work will cost about IS. 300, 600;
the length of the canal would be fifty one
Eiles, with some fsurtsen locks. That was
si-5y-hve years ago. Since then the annual
tonnage OF Liverpool port has increased
from, 1,l61 600 to 1922, Coo. with a CORES
lending increase in dock dues. The popu-
1a5ion OF the area of which this canal will
be THO natural commercial outlet has risen
from 2,7l3,o00 to 1905 GOO. The average
gsSo OF vessels arriving at Liverpool has
been increased from 11s to 40 tons. So
ttat had the Manchester and Dee
canal been dug, it would years ago
have been practically useless. 1t will
os OF interest to compare those Early
Dlans, therefore, with those that are
now nearing execution. The canal ia only
sbtrsy,-hve miles long. from the Msrssy to
Manchester. There is a tidal division of
Twelve miles from Eastman to Runcorn,
rhrough the Mersey estuary, and from Run
corn to Warrington, eight miles more. The
"ldth at the bottom is 100 feet, and the
minimum depth at low tide is twenty-six
Ieet. Then, from Warrington to Manches-
tc2, fifteen miles and a half, is the second
division, of the same depth and bottom
ofeSdth as the other, and a surface breadth
OF Io feet. There are twelve looks, in
tour groups of three each, with q total rise
q s 1ty feet. Ths amount of excavation
VIII aggregate nearly 10000 600 cubic
yards, and the cost will be $50, COO. 600.
Tie construction of this great canal has
caused the establishment of whole new vii
lages of workmen's houses, and added to
the teemlhg population of this part of Eng
l2nd a new element. These worknen are.
on the whole, not a bad lot. but orderly
aad ~Rood-natured, and their cottages show
marks of refinement, di1e emit from the
sEantles of railroad builders in America,
ooch Injuries as white curtains, says an OBJ
server, ars onmon and neatness generally
prevails outside and in. ! he religious, men
tai and bodily welfare Of the NAVY is we'll
Looked after. Mission rooms have every
where been established and preachers en-
gagged. Reading rooms,s some of them man
aged mainly by n%ayvies. have been estab-
'lared, and opportunities for playing chess,
d~1sughts, anS bagatelle afforded.
Concerts are frequently given and the
aaVvies are fond of taking part in negro
minstrel entertainments. There have also
Eesn cricket matches between different
gangs, but tho navviss are more dexterous
handlers OF the pick and shovel than of the
bat. Hospital accommodation is provided
end the services of medical officers retained.
but accidents have been few and the gen.
eral health good. Within a few weeks af-
ter the beginning there were 6,OO0 men en-
gagged on the construction of the canal. |
There were also being utilized ffty-six
fteam excavators, seventy-three locomo-
tlVes. 2,3G7 wagons, fifty steam cranes and
6eventy-nine miles of Temporary railroad.