Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-05-26

Besides the above, 597 foreign (hav-
ing a tonnage of 296, 407 tons) and
1871 coastwise vessels (having ton
mage of 1913, 695 tons) paid only harbor
rates The grand total of all vessels
paying rates to the Board was %, 304
tonnage, 9,96S, 500, being decrease
of All in the number of vessels and an
increase of 1876, l91 tons in the tonnage
over the previous year.
The docks themselves extend in a
continuous line along the Mersey for
nearly seven miles, broken only near
the centre by the approach road to the
great landing stage, 80 well known to
nearly all travellers arriving at or de-
parting from Liverpool by steamer,
and which furnishes accommodation
for water borne traffic which has not
been equaled in any other part of the
world, and which forms such a promi-
nent feature III front of the sea wall
that incloses the docks.
Rising and falling with the tide, this
mammoth landing stage is connected
with the land by seven hinged girder
bridges, which may vary III inclina-
ton with the height of the stage, and
by floating bridge $50 feet long and
thirty-fve feet broad, by means of
which an easy incline for carriage traf-
fic is maintained Mt all times of the
tide This stage, 20G3 feet long and
eighty feet wide, supported by 1873 iron
pontoons, provides platform four
acres in extent, which is used by more
than twenty millions of persons each
year. The south end of it is devoted
exclusively to the passenger ferries,
while the north end is given up to for
eign and coastwise traffic. The mid
die section is reserved for boats con
veying freight and goods, and is SO ar
ranged that carts and other vehicles
may be driven on board.
The original and experimental land
ing stage WAS built in 1S47 at cost OF
yearly 100000. 1t was then but 500
feet long and eighty feet in width A
second stage, 1902 feet long WAS con-
structed ten years later at cost OF
COJf YOOOs III I'Op NJ uLktliltllb Wei Z
made to unite these two stages and in
crease its total length to 2063 feet.
The work was almost completed and
ready to be opened, when, through the
fault of a gastitter, July %, 1874, q
fire broke out and destroyed the entire
structure. The loss fell upon the Liv.
erpool Gas Company The present
structure was completed April s, 1876,
at cost of 80, $50, 600
The two landing stages for the ac
commodation of vessels and passengers
on the Birkenhead side of the river art
of smaller dimensions than the one just
described. The northern, or Wallasey
stage accommodates the larger class OF
steamers, and is $50 feet long and sew
enty feet wide, and is connected with
the shore by two bridges and platforms
on iron piers. 1t cost 1905, 1850 The
Woodside stage, to which the ferry
boats run, is 800 feet in length by
eighty feet in width, and cost S773,
900
The dock system on the Liverpool
side comprises fifty docks and twenty.
two branch docks, etc, having tota
water area of over 500 acres, and quay
space of over twenty-four miles. There
are seven basins, covering more thar
eighteen acres, with quay space of one
and one-sixth miles. Two floats on the
Birkenhead side have combined water
area of 112 acres, but even with such
an immense area they are much smaller
than either the Albert or Victoria docks
at London, which are seventy four and
eighty-four acres respectively, while
the Cavendish Dock at Barrow, which
is the largest in the world, has an area
of 102 acres.
The Liverpool landing stage divide.
the docks on that side of the river into
two distinct groups, all the docks o.
each division being connected by pas
sages or entrances. Vessels have access
to the docks TIN ough entrances that gen
orally consist of double pair of gates
which are open two hours before higl
water, and are closed on the turn o.
the tide. These double gates give the
shipping in the docks almost absolute
security, and the value of having two
sets OF gates has been demonstrated Oh
more than one occasion by the serious
damage done to one set of gates by theil
being run into. They also have the ad
vantage of locks for the "hats," which
serve the shipping with coal, and carry
goods for transshipment, etc.
In some cases the entrances are ap
preached through n tidal basin whirl