TRANSFER OF HARBOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18567, 27 November 1923, Page 5

TRANSFER OF HARBOUR.

ADMIRALTY TO BOARD. '.

CEREMONY AT DOVER.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

Dover Admiralty Harbour, which was built at a cost of £5,000,000 and was opened 14 years ago, was on October 6 handed over by the Admiralty to the Dover Harbour Board for commercial purposes, having been closed on that date as a naval base. The transfer was made the occasion of an interesting ceremony. Sir William Crundall, chairman, and members of the Harbour Board, with representatives of the corporation and the railway company, embarked on the harbour tug Lady Brasscy, which was decorated rainbow fashion, and made a tour of the Admiralty Harbour, landing close to the dockyard, where they were met by Rear-Admiral F. C. Learmouth, C.8., hydrographer of the Admiralty, who had been delegated to hand over the harbour. Commander Bodley Scott, R.N., King's Harbourmaster, and other Admiralty officials. The building of the Admiralty Harbour was commenced in 1901 and completed in 1909, the formal opening by the present King taking place in October of that year. It encloses 610 acres of water, and played a conspicuous part during the -war as headquarters of the Dover Patrol. Admiral Learmouth, in handing over the harbour referred to the important part which Dover had played throughout the centuries in defence of the narrow, seas. He told an interesting story concerning the superstition of naval men. Early in the war it was considered advisable to sink two block-ships in the western entrance of the Admiralty Harbour for submarine defence. When it became known that the Canaan Pacific liner Montrose, on which the notorious murderer Cnppen was arrested, was to be one of these ships, superstitious naval men said: "No good will come of it if you sink that ship there; we hope she will disappear somehow." However, the Montrose was sent to Dover, in December, 1914. Her grave was almost ready, and she was to be sunk the next morning, when during the night a heavy gale sprung up, and the ship was, so to speak, " spirited " out of the harbour, going out, marvellous to say, without damage to herself or to other ships in the harbpur, and then striking on the Goodwin Sands, by which she was devoured

After the war,, when the harbour became a scene of' inactivity, schemes for its development for commercial purposes were put before the Admiralty by Sir William Crundall, and after long negotiations it was considered that it was not in the national interest that the harbour should remain undeveloped. In conclusion, Admiral Learmouth wished success to the Harbour Board in their sohemes for the development of the harbour commercially. In formally accepting the harbour on behalf of the Dover Harbour Board, Sir William Crundall expressed their intention of dealing with it in a comprehensive manner. He mentioned that the board in recent years had spent £1,000,000 on the Admiralty and Prince of . Wales' Piers. Speaking of the board's new dock scheme, Sir William said there was no doubt that when this was constructed Dover would have the finest, harbour around the coast.