The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1894-08-09

Besides the above, 597 foreign (hav-
ing tonnage of 296, 407 tons) and
7191 coastwise vessels (having ton
mage Of 828, 695 tons) paid only harbor
rates. The grand total of all vessela
paying rates to the Board was 22, 304
tonnage, 9,s6s, ,6eO, being decrease
Of At in the number of vessels. and an
increase of 1876, 191 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, SO we'll 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 pron1i-
nent feature in 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 in 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-
fo is maintained at all times of the
tide. This stage, 2063 feet long and
eighty feet wide, supported by 1873 iron
pontoons, provides a platform four
acres in extent, which is used by more
chan twenty millions of persons each
yeer. The south end Of it is devoted
exclusively to the passenger ferries,
while the north end is given up to for
eicn and cosstwise traffic. The mid
die section is reserved for boats con-
yeying 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 1847 at cost OF
nearly 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
! e597, 900. In 1868 arrangements were
made to unite these two stages and IN
crease it's total length to 2O63 feet.
The work was almost completed and
ready to be opened, when. through the
fault Of q gasftter, July 2S, 1874, a
fire broke out and destroyed the entire
! structure. The loss fell upon the Liv-
erpool Gas Company. The present
structure was completed April s, 1916,
at cost of $3.50, 900.
| The two landing stages for the ac-
commodation of vessels and passengers
on the Birkenhead side of the river ARE
of smaller dimensions than the one just
described The northern, or Wailasey,
stage accommodates the larger class OF
steamers, and is $50 feet long and se7,
enty feet wide, and is connected with
the shore by two bridges and platform
on iron piers. It cost S3O5: $50. The
Woodside stage, to which the ferry
boats run, is 800 feet in length By
eighty feet in width, and cost SIl3,
500.
The dock system on the LiverIoo:
side comprises fifty docks and twenty.
two branch docks. ETC., having tota
water area of over 1852 acres: and quay
sps.e OF over twenty-four miles. There
are seven basins, covering more Lar
eighteen acres, with quay space OF OK
and one-si1th miles. Two floats on tht
Birkenhead side have combined TH2te1
area of 112 acres, but even with s'1ct
an immense area they are much sn.al1s'
than either the Albert or Victoria docks
at London, which are se7enty-four are
eighty-four acres respectively, whii>
! the Cavendish Dock at Barrow, which
is the largest in the world, has On ares
of 102 ceres
The Liverpool landing stage divide:
the docks on that side Of the river int!