The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-24

rre;eck xas destined to succeed. and,
bacxed by the great bankers and assisted
by parliament. the great ditch Was pusaeo
20 completion.
on the south side of the estuary OF the
Ner,ey river. six miles shove Liverpool
The Erst section runs for twelve miles
sIons the estuary and then nine miles in
land. terminating at Lafchford, where
there are iocks The second section ex-
tends seven and one-had miles TO Iriam,
the third two miles 20 Barton, the
fourth. three and cne-quarter miles to
Mode Wheel and the fiffh one and one
Quarter miles into Manchester, of which
Node Wheel is q suburb. The total
length of the canal Is thirty-five and one
half miles, and the total difference
between the average water lever IN
in Manchester is sixty and one-haif feet.
This difference is equally distributed
among the four upper sets OF locks, max
Ing the lift at each about fifteen tees and
one and one-half inches. The total
amount of excavation on the entire
canal was 100000 cubic yards, OF
which 10000, 600 yards was sandstone.
Eighty million cubic yards of material
were dug away to form the Sues canal,
eighty-eisht miles long. so that. per mile
oflength. the work on the Manchester
canal has been heavier. The deepest cut
ting il near Runcorn. where depth Of
sixty-six feet IL maintained for short dis
tance.
AN the lock and dock walls are built of
concrete, with granite or limestone courses
ut the water line, where ships might strike,
and facing of brick above this belt.
The width of the canal at the bottom 10
10 feet, with minimum depth of twenty
six feet. 50 ships of great draught may ira
verse it
The first level Of the canal Is twenty-one
miles long, and Is largely operated by
means of the water admitted to il at East
ham during high tide. Part Of it -
formed on enormous entertainments. which
rest against closely driven piles. At Run
corn q sea wall of concrete has been built.
At Warrington there are 10 be docks
with twenty-three acres of water space
and quay frontage of one and one-quar-
ter miles. The iarges. stream passing
under the first level of the canal is
the river Convey, for which two cast
iron pipes, each twelve feet in diameter.
are laid through the embankment on
which this part OF the canal IS Quilt.
each an inch thick. which are bolted to-
gether and then covered with concrete.
The bottom of the culvert where il passes
under the ship canal is fully fifty feet be-
low the surface of the adjoining ground.
The Manchester and Stafford docks, for
acres of quays, and a frontage of five and
one-haIf miles, and the smaller dock areas
along the line of the canal will foot up to
such an enormous total that il is no won
der the merchants of Liverpool are look
ing forward to q diminution Of commerce
in that port.
In the construction of the canal 22S
miles of railway track were built, costing
s. 100 mile.
Roughly speaking this great canal
has cost $75,ooo.o 900, or about ST.
practically complete except for small
amounts Of dredging. Practically the
canal il one long dock. and 1t Is
estimated that one-fifth of the popu-
lation Of England are nearer to the
canal than any other ocean steamer
port. The last three and one-half miles at
the Manchester end have been widened
fifty feet, giving total width OF l70 feet.
and the entire frontage here is used a.
continuous quay.
This immense waterway Is crossed by
many bridges, and is paralleled by rail-
road track. Some of these bridges are Of
considerable magnitude.
Among the engineers who aided in
the construction of this canal was
the late Capt. Eads, who by his
advice practically determined the
route the ditch should follow. In
the beginning the scheme was classed
as an impossible, dream, but modern
engineering skill triumphed over
all obstacles. After nearly ten
years OF continuous effort the city
of Manchester sees its hopes realised and
is to all intents and purposes seaport,
and Liverpool beholds the commerce that
has for years passed over its docks trans
ferred to the inland port.