SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20252, 11 May 1929, Page 14

SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.

LARGE WORKS IN PROGRESS. PROGRAMME OF £13,000,000. So great is the pressure on space at Southampton Docks that the Southern Railway Company has been obliged to consider tho urgent necessity for putting a further portion of its £13,000,000 scheme in hand in the near future. The scheme was divided into three parts. The first, costing over £3,000,000, will provide 3800 ft. of new berth accommodation. Although tli is work will not be completed for nearly two years, it is highly probable that a decision will be made to proceed with tho second section before the date originally intepded. Never in the history of Southampton has there been such a demand for berths as at present. While the older companies using the port are adding to their fleets and increasing the size of their ships, several newcomers to the port have added to tho difficulty of finding tho necessary berthage. It is known, also, that so soon as additional accommodation is available the number of companies regularly using the port will bo materially increased. In 1928 7032 ships were dealt with at the docks, an increase of 219 over 1927, and of 612 over 1926. The gross tonnage of tho vessels entering or leaving was 32,857,759, being 2,300,000 tons more than in 1927, and 3,600,000 tons over 1926. Rapid progress is being made with the extension work nlong the western shore. The new accommodation will be used primarily by tho largest type of ship. In the first section, now under construction, 1000 ft. of new quays will have an adjoining depth of water of 45ft. at L.W.O.S.T. About 18 acres havo already been reclaimed, and two-thirds of the reclamation bank has been completed. Tho new quay wall of 3800 ft. will be tho deepest in tho world. The reclamation of 170 acres of mudland will involve the removal of 10,000,000 tons of soil, dredged from tho bed of tho river Test. For this work an elaborate plant is being used. Tho deepest dredger in the world has been engaged on the work for some time, and there is on order a>"super" pump for getting tho dredged material oil to tlio reclaimed land. Hugo culverts will bo laid for slormwatcr drainago and for tho supply and discharge of water used at the corporation's electricity works and baths, which adjoin tho dock site. Tho entrance to the Royal Pier, under tho control of tho Southampton Harbour Board, is also being set back and reconstructed on modern lines, to giva room for laying railway lines to connect ,tho old and tho new docks. Tho entire scheme lias been planned to give 6600 ft. of additional berth space, and 20 of the largest liners in the world will bo able to bo accommodated at one time.