ENGLAND'S PORTS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 119, 15 November 1929, Page 11

ENGLAND'S PORTS

TILBURY IMPROVED

GREAT SOUTHAMPTON SCHEME

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 26th September. To-day the new entrance lock into the Tilbury Docks, begun in 1926, is being formally'opened by Lady Eitehie, wife of the chairman of the Port of London Authority. Thereafter, it will be possible for the longest vessel now afloat to berth within the port with a margin to spare of nearly 100 feet: It is no mere boast on the part of the P.L.A., therefore, when they claim that the new works are calculated not only to provide adequate facilities for the largest vessels now afloat, but also to allow ample margin for probable development for many years to come Although the depth of the river channel from the Thames Estuary up to the Tilbury Docks and beyond is more than sufficient for vessels of the deepest draught, it was found that the entrance lock was inadequate for the increasing size of vessels. The now lock has a length of 1000 feet, a width of 100 feet, and a depth of 45ft 6in below Trinity High Water. I The longest vessel now afloat i 3 the White Star Liner Majestic, which is 915 ft long, with 100 ft beam, and has a gross registered tonnage of 56,551 tons. To allow of the new entrance to join the river at a point about 1200 feet above Tilbury Ness, the main dock has been considerably enlarged, with the result that much additional quay space has been made available. Before the actual work of construct ing the new lock was begun, some 2,000,000 cubic yards of soil had to be removed. In the vast concrete bed and walls there have been swallowed up 100,000 tons of cement, 500----000 cubic yards of conerqtc, 70o'o tons of granite, and 16,000 tons of steel. SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.. The present Docks at Southampton according to latest statistics, are already coping with 40 per cent, more shipping than it was thought possible they could handle in 1919. The limitations of the existing docks is the only thing which is checking tonnage The Southern Eailway Comp'anv's £13,000,000 dock scheme, now in progress will, however, place" Southampton in an unassailable position. The huge reclamation wall on the Test has already been completed, and the work of forming the great new quay proceeds day and night. The Harbour Board have indicated that they will consider widening the channel from 600 ft to 1000 ft, and deepening from 35ft to 45ft to accommodate the 60,000 Or 70,000 ton liners which the White Star and Cunard arc proposing to build.

Nearly 50 more vessels, 15,000 more passengers and 8000 tons more of cargo entered and left the port in August last as compared with Augst, 1928.