NEW ANTWERP LOCK

Evening Star, Issue 20052, 18 December 1928, Page 3

NEW ANTWERP LOCK

INAUGURATED LAST MONTH The return of Iho King and Queen ot the Belgians lost September, who have just made.a three months’ tour of the Congo, constituted a great national event for Belgium, and was celebrated by whole country with enthusiastic demonstrations of affectionate loyalty '(wrote the Brussels correspondent of the ‘Daily Telegraph' about the middle of September). It was also an event of groat economic importance, because the mail steamer Anversville, on which their Majesties were travelling, was the first to Sass through and thus inaugurate the now iruisschns lock and the canal basin which joins the interior docks of Antwerp, the commercial metropolis of Belgium. For a long time it had been desired that the port of Antwerp should be provided with a second lock permitting the passage of ocean-going ships of large tonnage. This question has been the subject of discussion in Belgian shipping circles for years. re was feared that, as the port possessed only one lock giving access to the basins, traffic might at any time bo suspended oltogether owing to some unforeseen mishap putting the lock. temporarily out of action; hence the necessity of giving ..the port of Antwerp a second outlet on. the Scheldt, so as to permit the entrance and clearance of ships in any circumstances. The King and Queen inaugurated this new lock, which is accessible by ships of the largest tonnage. The work was started as long ago as 1919, and the members of the Belgian Parliament have been invited on several occasions to inspect the work aifd convince themselves of its importance and necessity. The lock, which is one of the finest realisations of hydraulic science, has a width of 115 ft and a length of 885 ft. About 340,000 cubic yards of cement have been used in its construction. There is reason to believe that of all the constructions of the kind in’ use throughout the world the Kruisschans lock is the largest and deepest. On issuing from the Kruisschans lock steamers enter the canal basin, which is three and a-quarter miles in length and) nearly I,oooft wide, and connects with the interior docks. It should be mentioned that ell these great works constitute, merely a portion'of a Vast and grandiose programme, the realisation of which will within twenty years double the> capacity of, the port of Antwerp. The area of the maritime basins will be increased from 360 to 750 acres. The city of Antwerp is to be extended very considerably towards the north, and as the result of an agreement with the State nearly ten acres of the territory of different immunities are to be added to Antwerp. A gigantic railway station, the largest in Aurope, is in course of construction for the Ocrvice of the new maritime installations. f ■