The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-20
No Reason Why It Cannot Equal the
River Clyde as a Waterway
THAT WAS ORIGINALLY A CREEK,
But Scientific Engineering Has Cree
atcd a Channel Which Furnish
Way for Ncsselsof the Largest
Draught-Somc Statistics


the channel Of James river. mention was
made in this correspondence several
ueeks AGO OF the fact that tho River
Clvde was practically created out or
small creek by engineers. some very m
terestire Information with reference 10
| Tho clvde Vas embodied On paper read
| b, Nr lanes Dcas before the British IN
| sftution Of Naval Architects az It's meet
inc in Glasgow in ISIS IL may appear
| trlne stale as news but as IL is new ~
many il is stil news and IT certainly
should afford great ENCOURAGEMENT ~
| the people Of Richmond.
The copv OF Engineering Uondom con
! tanning the paper was found in The hnia-
~ of the Navy Department after long
search.
A FRUITFUL sUBJh-I.
! la Giving lho summary OF the paper ihe
correspondent Of Engineering says.
"The subject dh- River clyde ia one
| extremely fruitful. for there is no river
! Tn the world which. for iia size an aug
rate has been 50 engineered Us ihe 'i5u''
| u is said that "a witty scotchman became
engaged ina an international Dragging
match win An American and retorted to
| the statement that the clyde was d mere
creek compared To- the American rivers.
Yes replied the Scotchman. nut
| Scotchmcn made tho clyde. whist the
good Lord made the American rivers.
"This was before Captain Dads had
put down the Mississippi jetties. or the
| American would have had his ropl}.
eve cannot follow Mr.. Deas in all his
historical data, but extract the following
/ from his paper:
GLASGOW HARBOR.
"Tho depth in the harbor Of Glasgow
al the present time IS from % feet 20 %
40, ,fr
feet at high water heaps, high water
spring being about two feet higher. The
average tidal range OF spring tides az
Glasgow IS n feet 2 inches and al Port
Glasgow 10 feet and Of neaps at Glas-
Cow feet 2 inches and at Port Glasgow
! S feet inches while jctties and train
ing walls or parallel dykes performed
useful part in the early improvement OF
the river 60 is to- persistent dredging
| that the enormous increase in tho mag
ultude Of the river since 1850 ia due. Now
several of the dredgers employed can
work in 90 feet depth Of water The
adoption and speedy acquisition by the
trustees of steam hopper barees, holding
from 2i0 TO 500 cubic yards eacs enabled
the deepening widening and nraiehton-
ine of the river and harbor ~ Dee proc
ceeded with more rapidly without ham
pering The trusts finances or seriously
Obstructing navigation with steam tugs
| and trains Of punts-
GRATIFYING RESULT
"Tho result has been that while in 1861
the fetal quantity dredged and deposited
on land was -nl3 cubic Yards the total
quantity dVdeed in 1850 was 1895
cubic yards. only Glom cubic yards of
which was deposited ON land. THE total
| quantity dredsed during the last forty
l .HI
yards the quantity in ihe first twenty
one years being 9C1.5H cubic yards and
! u tine last tWeuty- years 2'a5 -y
cubic yards
"In 1865 the clyde at Glasgow was only
/ fifteen inches deep at low water and 9
feet inches at high water while tho
depth at Marlin ford. three miles below
/ the harb0r. was is inches, and At Frs
kline. or Fitzpatrick Sands about eight
miles below and at Dumhuck Ford. ten
miles below only two feet at low water.
/ In 1905 Telford reports that ON February
18TH Of tha, year the Harmony OF Live
erpool. came up with fhe ordinary spring
! Hlr, drawing s feet G inches Of water,
| but up tin 1912 The river from
the harhor d0Wnwar9s t0 Bowling
was so shallow chat Che Comet required
% leave Glasgow and Grcenock respcc-
| lively, at or near high water 90 prevent
IL grounding in the river.
ONLY TO GREENOCK
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tt.,
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-,.-,- an l,......i ',., ,'.. ~. 500,
,'.'..'i. 1,.',,,i,,- f,t. r,.-. b. t.., 1,,,.g.
| W ce.t. tn $40 n f-,t.. ir f.-l b, raa-. In
| tS-o oil feet. fan $50 13 feet. and last wear
saii,n., ,,oese tbe lord rb,rlemout
! J-a,i.,, o., feot one inch came uu line
| ri,.., ,,bii. s+e,,oors vfr, "a crsuabf oil
! ,,,r, ss c.,. r., onI feet r,ss l,r, and down
! 49,. ri,or Utmost lauy LEAVING GLASGOW.
! $500 -..-...tf,..i,- .f...,f 40 fo,r OBJ
80 t.lf..-o tf,h ,..t.r ana r...fre .,.-
! e.. ,s,.rg,tior ,of.,.an fha-. to,o u5iafs
| L .5.,,,, ,,,., f,,,,s ,rh. Steamer GROSS
! .....,,.l and .tbar elc..,lrs ID l5 ...r
draught ANA under leave Glasgow ana
[ Crsoroos rs-e,..ti,,..lv ut amy etar. of t1e
/ d5. High wafer springs af Glasgow at
,r,se,.f ris. fo .i,ut the same ley-l as ii
/ -e brt low winter SPRINGS ,r, Sa4 feet
| t.i,o. ,b.. level az fh.f tr4r.a t GLASGOW.
"a f..t ,t .r-t.re Sands. and 8I-3 feet
| o., pur,b1ck rord
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me o'i OF 'i' ''''. ''"'l
,los 'o.r, ..o ro1ec of tila I'm Gas-