The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-03
MANCHESTER'S SHIP CANAL.
NOW THE GREAT INLAND CRY MADE
A WAY TO JHE SEA.


Thousand Laborers Expected Resuit-.
Manchester IL now preparing TO celebrate
the com pletion Of its ship canal a grcat water
way giving II direct access to tho Irish Sea,
and thence to the Atlantic Ocean. aud with the
completion OF this work the realization OF a
scheme which. in one form or another, has
been discussed at intervals for more than a
century and three. quarters. IL IL popularity
supposed that Manchester has always quietly
scuuiesced in the growth and development OF
Liverpool. and has been content that Liver
pool should receive toll on tho cotton and
other raw materials imported largely from
America. which are used in such immense and
Increasing quantities in tho industrial region
lying within circuit OF twenty miles from
Manchester This Is a mistake. Manchester
has always been jealous Of Liverpool. and ~
her position on the estuary OF the Mersey. and
has again and again contemplated calling in
the aid OF tho engineer to right her wrongs
with Liverpool
Long before Liverpool had begun TO draw 10
herself tho trade with what were then the
American colonies. when Bristol had stll the
monopoly OF the commerce OF the West. ana
Liverpool was but small place lowning some
eighty or ninety shipsl Manchester was moving
with a view to securing some OF tho advantage
which Il was felt ought 10 accrue to her, owing
on tho Irwell q tributary OF the Mersey. and
the Mersey is navigablo Tor ships OF three or
four hundred tons burden "a lar rs Warning
ton, which is exactly midway between Liver
pool and Manchester. and eighteen miles from
either place Liverpool constructed her first
dock In 1TOS: and in l7l2 the engineer who
was responsible for this work devised a scheme
under which the Mersey and tho lrwell were TO
be made navigable h. Manchester. Nothing
came OF this scheme. but IN lI2O works were
carried out which aycManchcstera water COM
muniration with Liverpool. which was partly
tidal and partly canal This waterway was IN
uso until about seven years ago. when the
ship canal works interFcrcl with Il. 1t was.
however. never available for vessels larger
than bargcs OF seventy or eighty tons burden.
and never began to meet the needs Of Man.
chester after the era OF the cotton factory had
commenced. Forty years after this waterway
was made Brlndlcy. with the hid Of tho Duke
OF Brdgewater. constructed tho picturesque
canal which lie now known by the n0mc ~ the
Duke. 1t Is twenty one miles long. and 'cins
the estuary OF the Mersry at huncorn. within
half a milo Of the point at which the ,hrst
waterway was connected with the tidal por
ton OF the Mersey
Like the waterway constructed in 1920 the
Bridgewnter Canal Is for barges only. II
doubled the means Of communication 10y
water tween Liverpool and Manchester. and
along these two old waterways millions OF
bales OF American cotton have been carried
from Liverpool Through ithe garden county Of
Cheshire into the heart OF the cotton manu-
featuring district of Lancashire. But Man
chester has always desired something moro
than barge canals aud various schei for
ship canals were discussed before Parliament
gave i,s sanction 10 the construction OF tho
There was a long bitter. and wearisome
al, T., panI,,nt ho,or, H., -. H.
hRht In farhlmeht oelore tne sGneme Tor the
present canal was adopted. Liverpool was
strongly opposed to tho canal. and fought tho
promoters at every point The LIVERPOOL City
Council. the Liverpool Dock Board. and the
railway companies whose lines connect tho
TWO cities spent anouta quarter oil million
sterling in lawyers fees and in fees to expert
witnesses in endeavorinG to defeat the pro-
posals Tor the waterway Never In the history
Of private bill legislation was there d" bigger or
o.. nI 4 rOsn En' ~ .ne eoni''.'ee rooms OF
the houses OF farliamont. ana never before
were LIVERPOOL and Manchester in the earl
aigbtias ,vbor tho sbI,, C,noI s.bara,.,aLa
tora "0 In E isss LIysrn,a was
nal hnl To" xoar. ,a t"rO" O VI" 'mrn
mont Again tho fight Letween IIyarnooI and
N.,ohas,ar ,.ns ,r.,,,1 g., ,,,art,, -, a. |
'"auenes'et was "ahe' Iol "o"'i' nan the
session. but this time victory rested with Man
chester ald PaTliamont passed II hill cmpow- |
ering the constrnctlon OF III" canal.
The act 81 Parliament thus obtained author |
lied the construction OF tho present canal. |
which 10 3JS, miles long. with an average |
with Mt water level OF 10 feet with mint |
mum width nj bottom Of 20 fact, and mini
" UNI depth OF - ioot. The canal runs from |
Eastman. q village ON the south side OF the |
estuary OF III" herscy. nyo miles below tho |
tandlne stage a. Liverpool. TO Old Traford ut |
lahche-ter lhero are nNe sets OF locks to- |
tween the estuary anu Manchester. These arc |
the entrance locks ut Eastman; tho Latent ford !
locks at Warrington, twenty-9uo mi es along |
tne c"naI IRON Easthan the IRAN locks. |
seven ana haii miles above those !
~ lAtchloru' me fhrt"h locks, TWO mites |
above ihose AZ lrlnln and tho NODE NnGcl |
Iorks three ana uu3;ter miles above those |
~ Bhtton from me hode heel locks 10 the !
MhhchesteI emu OF Ihe canal mo distance IL n |
inlie anu three-luartets' bGtWeen Manches-
seL anu ihsihan thStr !. lhlI -, sLAty anu
nhlI leet on Wnat ls known III Liverpool as
louLteeh-l 1901 tlte.
Shlps may enter me canal at Eastman ny |
o que ~ .nree i9eks,. in9 argest ni theee IS 900
~ - 'ong 10y on Iesi WIZ. ana WIZ HndomHo
n tr Tti VI w slie OF ~ "nite HthI
hihrI lsuHT1lhlc, Which Is hehry IhO,p tnhs
v ~ y, nc h IN .bTh ~ Lns'hatl 'IU lcSt
~ ~ NJ n.y. SUI tne 'hl.I lpch I'U ieet ny ~