From The Strangers Guide to Liverpool 1812 How numerous now her thronging buildings rise! What varied objects strike the wandering eyes ! Where rise yon masts her crowded navies ride, And the broad rainpire checks the beating tide. IN entering upon a description of the town of Liverpool, the Docks, from their number, magnitude, and importance, are entitled to priority of notice. They are of three kinds. The principal are the Wet-docks, which chiefly receive the.ships in the foreign trade, which have large and heavy cargoes to receive and discharge. In them the ships are afloat at all times of the tide, the water being retained by the dock gates. The next are the Dry-docks, so called because they are left dry when the tide is out : these generally receive the vessels that are employed coastways. The others are the Graving-docks, which admit or exclude the water at pleasure, and in which the ships are laid dry for the purpose of caulking and repairs. The vast labour and expense of these works will readily be conceived by considering that they mast all have been hollowed by hand from the shore, in continual opposition to the tides, which often in an hour destroy the labour of weeks, and that the piers roust be made of sufficient height and strength to bear the daily efforts of a sea beating in, and endeavouring to recover its ancient boundaries. On the sides of the docks are warehouses of uncommon size and strength, to the different floors of which goods are craned up with great facility ; whilst the space around the docks is sufficient to give room for the loading and unloading of the ships, which lie with their broad-sides to the quay, and for the different occupations of sailors, and the crowds of passengers, without confusion or interruption. This dock, which runs eastward considerably into the town, was the first which was constructed, the act for that purpose being obtained in the year 1710. It is surrounded with houses, shops, and merchants' warehouses; and lies contiguous to some of the most populous unit busy streets. At the east end stands the Custom-house.
This was the second dock constructed in Liverpool. It derives its name from a salt work formerly contiguous thereto, but now removed up the river to Gars- ton. The form is irregular;its quay is nearly 640 yards, with convenient warehouses: the area is 41, 928 square yards. It has the whole length of Cornhill to the west, and extends southward nearly to the Duke's dock. The upper end is chiefly occupied by ships which are laid up, and the lower is the receptacle of corn and timber ships. The gates are 34 feet wide, and 25 feet deep. . the third made, is the northernmost dock, and extends from the corner of St. Nicholas's church-yard to Moor- street. Iit was completed at an expense of of £21,000. This is a very fine dock ; its dimensions arc 246 yards in length and 100 yards in breadth, forming an area of 24,600 square yards, with a quay of 700 yards, lined with a range of capital warehouses. This dock is now undergoing an enlargement. The parade is extended westward into the river, and the west side of the dock will be widened. When this improvement is completed it w ill comprise an area of 30,000 square yards. It is the receptacle of West India ships. The gates are 38 feet wide, and 26 feet deep. This dock, being contiguous to the King's Tobacco- warehouse, receives all the vessels from Virginia, and other parts, laden with tobacco, this being the only place where they can discharge their cargoes. It likewise receives the Greenland and American vessels; and the ships in the Baltic trade, freighted with timber and naval stores, discharge their cargoes upon this quay, which being very spacious, and surrounded with yards and warehouses, fitted for their reception, render it the most convenient for that purpose. which was the last made. It is 280 yards long, and 120 yards broad, and forms an area of 33,600 square yards. The expense of making this dock was ,£25,000. The gates are of the same dimensions as those of the King's-dock, and, like that, it is chiefly occupied by American and Baltic shipping ; a new cast iron swivel bridge has been lately thrown over the entrance, which, from the peculiar elegance and lightness of its construction, has a very ornamental and pleasing effect. Between the King's-dock and the Salthouse- dock the duke of Bridgewater has a small dock for the use of his flats, and an adjoining warehouse for the reception of the goods with which these vessels are freighted. The length of quay afforded by all these capacious basins will appear on calculation so great as to surpass all the most famous of the river or shore quays in the different sea-ports ; and, though their magnificence of prospect is diminished, their utility is increased by having them accumulated within a moderate compass of ground rather than extended in one long line. The entrances to some of the docks are crossed by draw-bridges, excellently constructed on the Dutch plan ; and the dock-gates are well constructed, not only for retaining the water in the wet docks when the tide is out, but also for regulating the depth of water in the docks according to the height of the tide, by means of the openings which may be observed in the gates, and sluices, which can occasionally be opened below. These gates are managed by four men to each pair, two on each side, whose business it is to direct the opening and closing of the gates. As the docks are subject to accumulate the mud brought in with the tide, they have under-ground communications, by means of large tunnels, with e»ch other, so that when it is necessary the water of one dock is made to wash out another. This operation is usually performed once a year, when the -dock to be cleaned is left dry by opening the gates when the tide is running out, and the sluices being then opened into it in different directions, a number of men with spades throw the mud into the currents, which being thus carried away, the dock is sufficiently cleared in twelve or fourteen days. This method of cleaning docks is of late invention, but is found to be superior to any other before practised, both in cheapness and expedition. To prevent inconvenience and disorder, the internal economy of each dock is regulated by a dock-master, who has an annual salary of ,£105. His business is to superintend the docking and undocking of ships, to appoint them situations for the receiving or discharging of their cargoes, and to attend to the management of the flood-gates. This is a regulation equally judicious and necessary, as, without it, it is evident that the docks would become a scene of perpetual disorder and dispute. As a fire among the shipping would be attended with the most alarming consequences, so the precautions used to prevent any accident of that kind are proportionably strict. Fires are not suffered aboard the ships, nor even candles, unless secured in lanterns ; the smoking of tobacco is forbidden under a penalty of forty shillings; having any combustible matter on the decks or on the quay, in the night, is subjected to a penalty of ten pounds ; and having gunpowder on board, whilst in the docks, is fined forty shillings. By these regulations fires have hitherto been prevented, though, it is said, that scarcely a day passes without instances of carelessness or obstinacy Tendering the exaction of these penalties necessary. Progressive Increase of Dock Duties, and of Shipping entered in the Port of Liverpool, from the Year 1753 to the Year 1810 inclusive. In the year 1724 the amount of the dock duties was only of £810. lls. 6d, The docks are vested in the corporation, as trustees ; and their accounts are annually examined and settled by seven commissioners appointed for that purpose, not being of thebody corporate. Spacious, however, as these docks are, they are considered as too limited for the increased commerce of the port. From an opinion of Mr. Rennie, the engineer, published in a letter from Mr. Foster to the gentlemen of the West India Association, it appears that, " from the best information he could obtain at various times during three years ending Mid- summer, 1808, there had been in the docks 400 sail of vessels, of the average size of from 190 to 200 tons,and also, that there bad been 300 sloops and flats at the same period, in the docks and upon the banks of the river ; and that to accommodate the above number of vessels in a proper manner, at least double the dock space that is now used will be required, without looking to any farther increase of trade It is therefore proposed to fill up the Old-dock entirely, and to appropriate the west part of it to the site of a Custom-house, Excise-office, Dock and Police-office, and other commercial purposes, and another part of it for a market-place, and also to provide the following enlarged accommodations for the shipping : — A new dock, betwixt George's-dock basin and the fort, about 365 yards long, by about 92!, yards wide, may be built in about seven years, and will contain in statute acres A new dock south of the Queen's-dock, 430 yards long by 120 yards wide, in three years. www.old-liverpool.co.uk Old Liverpool 1998-2008 Description of Liverpool Docks in 1812
THE DOCKS.
The whole furnishes a striking picture of the extent of human power when directed bymechanical skill and contrivance. THE OLD-DOCK.
A paragraph in the act under which this dock was made proves the existence of a pool or haven in the place which it now occupies ; as the land granted for that purpose is said to be " in or near a certain place called the Pool, on the south side of the said town of Liverpool."
SALTHOUSE-DOCK.
ST. GEORGES-DOCK,
These three docks have a communication with each other, so that the vessels can pass to either of the other two docks, or to the graving-docks, without being subject to the inconvenience of going out into the river. THE KING'S DOCK.
The length of this dock is 272 yards, and the breadth 137 ; forming an area of 35,864 square yards. The gates are 42 feet wide, and 26 deep. —
Adjoining these is a swivel foot-bridge, well constructed, which serves for a passage over the gut when the gates are open. This dock communicates with a dry-dock or basin, to the south, from which are seen two graving-docks, similar in construction to those mentioncd before. This basin likewise communicates with:- THE QUEEN'S-DOCK
Addition to George's-dock, 241 yards long by 21 !.- yards wide, in about two years
Addition to the Queen's-dock, 190 yards long by 107 yards wide, in about two years
Deduct the Old-dock, intended to be filled up Additional dock space, to be given in seven years
A half-tide basin, at the south end of the Queen's-dock, 121 yards square, in about three years
Addition to the present King and Queen's-dock basin, in three years A new outer basin to the new south dock Additional basin room Total additional docks and basins in seven years
The capital requisite to accomplish this is estimated at ,£800,000, and an act of parliament has been obtained to carry the design into effect.