TALE OF AN IDLE TUG
VAIN VIGIL FOR THIRTY-SIX YEARS For 36 years a tug maintained by the City of London Corporation has remained idle in the Thames at the foot of Tower Bridge, waiting for a ship to run amok. It came into “ser- ' ice” with the opening of the bridge in 18£'4. The reason was that those opposed to the bridge feared that vessels passing underneath the bascules might foul the piers, and as a consequence a special clause was inserted in the Tower Bridge Bill, providing tor the tug. The story of the tug’s idle years was told recently by Mr. A. M. Nortier, chief clerk in the Town Clerk's department, Guildhall, who is retiring under the age limit, and who was entertained to luncheon by the Court of Aldermen. The Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Court, presented Mr. Nortier with a gold watch as a mark of appi-eciation of his services to the corporation. “I took up my duties,” said Mr. Ncrt'er, “40 years ago as clerk of the Bridge House Estates Committee. When the Tower Bridge project was mooted it met with opposition much akin to that offered the corporation’s later scheme for a St. Paul’s Bridge. "So perfect has been the hydraulic machinery for raising the Tower Bridge bascules that there has never been any delay, and no ship has ever been held up.” One of Mr. Hortier’s "discoveries” was that his committee was paying-income-tax which it should not bs doing. As the result of his action the committee has to date been saved the sum of £170,000.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SUNAK19300623.2.97
Bibliographic details
Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1005, 23 June 1930, Page 10
Word Count
265TALE OF AN IDLE TUG Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1005, 23 June 1930, Page 10
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Sun (Auckland). You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.