PORT OF LONDON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 10

PORT OF LONDON

PROGRESS' OF IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES. Considerable progress has been made during-' tho past year with the improvement schemes of the Port of London Authority, notwithstanding serious difficulties in connection with the provision of labour and material. Tho Albert Dock Extension (South), which will provide a deep-water dock of 00 acres, has been steadily pushed forward; and the big dry dock which forms an essential feature of the project is substantially completed. In. brder that as much as possible of the new accommodation may ]>e brought into use at the earliest, moment arrangements have been made for the ■ deep-water dock and the dry dock to be reached by means of the passage-w«y connecting them with the existing Royal Albert Dock, pending completion of the new entrance from the river. The walls and floor of the entrance from the river. The walis and floor of the entrance lock, 80(1 feet long, have been finished, in readiness for the gates and operating machinery, and tho erection of one pair of giiies will be shortly commenced. Arrangements have been made for dredging the river in the vicinity. .

The new dry dock, as well.as the two existing dry docks forming part of the Albert Dock system ~are being provided with cranes capable of lifting 25 tons from the, centre of the dock, and compressing plant is being installed for operating pneumatic tools. The dry docks at Tii.bury and Millwall are being similarly equipped, and- a 20-ton crane ha« been erected on the new jetty at tho London Docks.

The accommodation for chilled and fro/,en meat lias been substantially increased during the year at the Albert Dock, where Hie new cold store has been brought into usei! Eventually accommodation for the storage of' 616,500 carcases of frozeu mutton will have been added. Tho total accommodation owned by the Port Authority,will then be sufficient for 1,476,000 carcasses. At Tilbury, where the main dock extension has proved very serviceable to the largest ocean steamers entering the Thames, the river letty for-the use of ships with part cargoes has been practically finished, and it is expected that (he jetty will ]>e brought into use \for storage purposes early in the year.

Since the outbreak of the war some 2,250,(100 square feet of additional.' shed and warehouse space has been brought into use on the Port Authority's system. Following upon the destructive explosion at Silvertown in January, 1917, the reconstruction of the south side of the Victoria Dock has been proceeded with.