A BIG ENGINEERING WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17502, 19 December 1918, Page 7

A BIG ENGINEERING WORK

Major M'Laren, writing to his father (Mr John 11. M'Laren, -an old and highly-re-spected resident of Dunedin) from Loekerstone, Dunfermline, on November 23 of last year, gives some interesting information as to military operations at Dieppe. The special work on which tho major was engaged was the construction of a terminus ior a ' train ferry steadier,-" about 360 ft long, with a beam of about 60ffc, capable of accommodating about "SO railway wagons on four sets of track on the rail deck" Inc work entailed tlio construction of suitablo berthing accommodation, and was earned out in a tidal basin where there was a rango of 32ft between- liigh and low water at spring tides." An existing row of masonry piers was utilised on the starboard side of tho ship, and these were tendered with whole timber fixed in a vertical piano and in a straight line. Major M Leren gives further details of what was evidently a, work of some magnitude, and wrote that communication between a huge dolphin and the slip was obtained by a steel bndgo 120 ft long. This bridge *vas Hinged at the dolphin end and tho outer end rested on tho s hip, and was lighted as the freo end by electrical machinery carried by hosting towers built on twin pile dolphins. Thus.the " free end of the bridge could be raised or lowered, depending on the state of the tkte," and set on the stem of tho ferry.steamer, and the loaded wagons run off and tho empty wagons run on. Tho mam object of tho ferry steamer was to transport heavy machines of war ready for use, and thus save transportation in parts and subsequent reassembling. Two or three months to complete tho work.