THE HOLYHEAD BREAKWATER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1668, 9 December 1873, Page 4

THE HOLYHEAD BREAKWATER.

[MELBOyRNE ARGUS.] Another magnificent addition ha 3 been made to the harbor accommodation of Great Britain. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales declared the Holyhead breakwater complete and harbor of refuge open on the 19th of August. The history of the progress of this work can hardly fail to interest those impressed with the importance of better harbor accommodation being provided in Victoria. When the atteution of the Imperial Government was first called to the state of Holyhead harbor, in 1848, the House of Commons was induced to declare that " much improvement" waa needed there, and to vote a sum of LIO,OOO for that purpose. So long, however, as the harbor remained under the jurisdiction of the Board of Admiralty very^ little was d° n( " J in the way of improvement, and the charged of it was handed over to the Board of Trade. This is rather more than 25 years ago, and Holyhead harbor was then not much better than an open roadstead, although used as a dockyard and packet station. What it is now, and what it has cost to put it into its present condition, Mr Chichester Fortescue, President of the Board of Trade, took could care to inform the public, through the Prince of Wales, at the time of its opening. The first contract for this great work was made on the 24th December, 1847. The harbor is 267 acres in extent, and there is in addition a roadstead of 400 acres of deep water sheltered by the eastward arm of the breakwater. The cost of the whole of the works has been nearly L 1,500 ,000. This cost includes not only the outlay on the north breakwater, 7860 ft in length, but also provision for the accommodation of the Irish postal service in the old harbor, and other miscellaneous works. On an average about 5500 ships now seek refuge within Holyhead harbor in the course of a year, and it is entirely free to the vessels of all nations resorting to it for the purpose of shelter' As' a national undertaking, the cost of this great work was very properly borne altogether by the nation ; but there are few, we suppose, prepared to affirm that it would not have been completed much earlier if it had been in the hands of an efficient harbor board, with ample means, instead of in those of the Board of Trade. It has, however, after the lapse of rather more than twenty-five years, at length been completed, and it may be taken, we think, as a fair indication of the eagerness for harbor improvements in every part of the British Empire. An expenditure of much less that Ll, 500,000 on the port and harbor of Melbourne would, however, effect much more than has been done at Holyhead, in much less time.