PORT OF LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1469, 18 June 1912, Page 5

PORT OF LONDON.

NEW ALBERT DOCK,

By Telegraph- Press Association-Copyright. London, June IG. Messrs. P. l'ear.;on ami Hon have secured the contract for (lie building of n (lock south of the h'oyal Ah.-ert Docks. The contract price is .£1,400,R0n. Its length will be 1000 feel; width, 600 feel; depth, .15 feet. The wa'.er area will be sixty-five acres. The King will cut (he firsi -oil on July

BIG IMPROVEMENT SCHEME. The construction of the now Mouth Albert D.ick, referred to above, will occupy about live years. Tenders will shortly be invited, mid it is estimated the cost will be something . between JJ2,00I),000 and .£2,225,000. The dock is necessary, despite the vast improvements planned by tho Port of London Authority in existing docks, because of the growth in the size of steamships, and large vessels form an increasing proportion of the tonnage of the port. It is very doubtful (says the "Telegraph") whether.vessels such as the Mauretania and Lusitania, which are largely employed in passenger traffic on the Atlantic, are likely to use the Thames, but the tendency of shipowners is to build larger ships for cargo carrying, mid it has become important that the Port of London Authority should look ahead to meet the demands for accommodation which may be made upon them. The newdock will have an area of Go acres. Tho ("«pth of water will bo 38ft., and the quays arc to be 9200 ft. lons. The dock is to be .JGOOft. lons and 700 ft. wide at the eastern and 500 ft. wide at the western ends.

The entrance lock is to have a length of SOOft. Allowing for a clearance of 25ft. at each end. this would allow a ship of 7501't. being admitted to the dock, and the width of the entrance being 100 ft. and the depth of water on the sill being 45ft, the dock will be capable of taking'any vessel likely to engage in trade with the Thames for many years to come. The depth of water in the dock provides a considerable .margin for the future development of shipping. At the present moment there is a channel with 22ft. nf water at low tide up to the Royal Albert Dock entrance, and the tide rises about 20ft. A now dredging plant has been acquired by the authority, and the wholo of the river channels arc to bo improved. Tho plans provide for the construction of a dry dock 650 ft. long, but designed to allow of on extension to 800 ft. The depth will be 35ft. on the blocks, so that a. leviathan drawing 35ft. can float in. The new dock will be equipped with the latest type of transit sheds and cranes, and every facility will be given for rapidly dealing with cargo.