, 1894-02-28
A SURVEY OF THE MANCHES-
TER CANAL AND ITS HISTORY.
DIFFICULTIES AND TRIDMpus or
CONSTRUCTION.
Description OF The Water. Way.
(Monc6 ster City Nsps. 9th Jom.)

AmHhb" SbC Aty NeW5. OIN O0A.J
\ stranger who was asked the question.
'NNhat is the Manchester Ship Canal ~ would
be thus suitablys answered A river canal
with the Rivers Mersey and Irwrll and the
Mersey Estuary as its basis. thirty-fve mud
q half miles long, twice the width # the Suez
Canal, joining Manchester to the sea, and
allowing the largest vessels afoat to come up
to the city. This primary definition might
then be supplemented. The entrance to the
Canal IL Mt & istham, a little village on the
Blrkenhead side of the Mersey Estuary, and
six miles this side Of Liverpool. For nine
miles, from Eastman 10 Saltport. the Canal 10
out partly out of the side of the estuary bed
and PARTLY out of the land or foreshore.
Throughout, a narrow bank only separates it
=. from the Mersey Estuary, which it follows in
the various windings, and which supplies it
with water. For a few miles further, "a
Runcorn, the Canal keeps close to the estuary
coming out into it at Runcorn,-which now
begins to assume a river form, and then il
leaves the estuary through a deep outing,
The Canal does not meet the Mersry again
until near Latchford, d distance of twelve
miles from Saltport, and Of course, its channel
Is a perfectly new one. The tides como to
Latchford, but curiously enough they are
three-quarterS Of an hour sooner in the Canal
S0'A ~ AAV AANOts 4AOnCO l NAtilCuOSLCIg u
distance Of fourteen miles, the Mersey AMI
IrweIl, widened and d~eepened out of al re-
cognition, form the basis Of the Canal and
supply it with water. The rivers have o
twisted course through the fat country, and
it proved a difficult and troubl ssome task TO
cut on the bends and make the Canal direct.
The engineers express themselves certain Of
constant flow of water in the Canal, and in
order to have FILL control over the excess OF
water, and to prevent floods, have constructed
at different points large wsirs and Good
s~luices.
The level of the water in the Canal 10 sixty
feet higher at Manchester than at Eastman.
If the scheme Of tidal navigation proposed by
the late Mr.. Hamilton Fulton had been car.
ried out, instead of the present plan suggest
ed by Mr.. Leader Williams, the water level
would have been sixty feet lower at Manohes,.
ter than at the entrance. In order TO obtain
the rise gradually the Canal has fauS sstA
of double locks, which divide il into. five
sections. and over which tho rise is; distri.
buted. The frat section, from T.! stha u to-
LatchYord, 10 twenty-ons mils$ long; the
second, to lrlam, seven and Q half miles;
the third, to Barton. two miles the fourth.
70 Mode Wheel. three and . quarter miles
and the ffth section, which contains MAN.
chester ard Stafford Docks. a mile and three
quarters long. Tie double locks. dividing
one section from another. are 600 feet and
$50 feet long respectively. From Eastman
to Barton the minimum width. at, the bottom
of the Canal 10 100 feet, and at the water level
175 feet. From Barton to Manchester these
increase to, 40 feet and 230 feet
respectively, and near the locks and at certain
points along the line Of route. this; width,
increases still more largely in order to enable
the steamers to lie alongside or turn around
easily without. interfering with the ordinary
navigation. The dsrth Of Tho Oanel throuch.