Evening star., 1923-08-19

in equipping his new repair establish
ment in the port of London with the
most modern plant and machinery.
with fitting-out wharves and docks
capable Of handling expeditiously the
largest jobs. Huge cranes are being
constructed to take the heaviest
hoists, and there are fitting. turning
and brass foundries. in fact every
thing. requisite for quick reft work
to hull. engine. deck and passenger
departments of the ship
Lord PiTSe was led to embark on
this far-sighted expenditure when a
big American ship of heavy tonnage
happened to hit a stray German mine
off Gravesend. She was at once
beached. and soon as she had been
patched up. she was Sent over to
Rotterdam to be properly repaired.
Price had nothing to do with the mat
ter. She had to go to the Dutch re-
pair yard because there was no other
yard handy to the Thames and of
sufficient size where she could re-
ceive the necessary attention. When
Lord Pirrie's improvements are COM
pleted next year. his yards on the
Thames will be in position to handle
liners of even the largest size and
heaviest tonnage
1t must be borne in mind that the
port of London is the greatest "en-
treport' of trade in the universe. One
of the most remarkable sights of the
metropolis, one with which French.
German, Belgians and visitors from
other countries of continental Europe
are familiar, and yet which few
Americans ever make point of TAX
ing in during their stay in England,
is the immense aggregation of ware
houses bordering on the docks in
which the great merchants of London
preserve their imports in bond until
they ship them again to other
countries.
Warehouses Are Huge.
1t is liberal education to go
over these colossal warehouses. some
of which are devoted exclusively to
ivory, others wholly to Japanese and
Chinese porcelains, others again to
furs, yet others to tea, to coffee, to
spices. to tobacco and to carpets from
the orient. The weight of tea alone
that passed through these warehouses
last year represented 370.000.000 days
work. $100.O00,000 worth of wool,
shOrn from the backs of 10000 900
sheep went in and out of these
bonded warehouses in the space of the
last twelve months, while Australia,
New Zealand and South America send
nearly 100000, 900 tons of beef to the
port of London annually.
And, as if these bonded warehouses
above ground were not enough, there
is below the surface of the soil an
immense labyrinth of vaults, tiers
upon tiers of them, some of them dat
ing back to the Tudor kings and ex-
tending miles upon miles. and where
wines and spirits are held in bond.
often for generations. Quantities of
hogsheads have lain there since the
Napoleonic wars at the beginning of
the nineteenth century and since the
era of the battle of Waterloo. while
there are some immense barrels that
go back to the time of good Queen
Anne.
The original owners of many of
these so-called pipes of wine" have
long since passed into oblivion. But
the hogsheads are held there indefi-
nitely, awaiting the claim of any pos
sible heirs who may turn up. For
tunately an allowance is made for
shrinkage and evaporation and.
thanks to this, the guardians of these
vaults are able to treat distinguished
visitors to small glasses of abso-
lutely unrivaled wines from the wood.
1t is well, however. for the visitor
to partake sparngly thereof and to
fortify his stomach beforehand with