Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23rd. 1919. RICHBOROUGH PORT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23rd. 1919. RICHBOROUGH PORT

Pakticulaiis have now been made pub. lie of the new port oi Kiciiborough on the coast of Kent between Sandwich and Ramsgate, constructed during the last two and a half years as a great military transportation depot and ter. liiinal for a cross-Channel train ferry service. The port has not only been oi : inestimable service for military purposes, constituting a veiy important part of the system of transport services, whose efficiency was one of the chief factors in the successful prosecution of the war, but it is likely to be of great commercial value in the future in our trade with France and the con/tijuent generally. Some of the best engineering talent in the country was mobilised at llicbborough by the Inland Waterways and Docks Branch of the War Office for the construction of the port and the organisation of the traffic, and an outstanding feature is the remarkable speed with which' the scheme was carried out. The successful prosecution of a great undertaking is never entirely attributable to any one individual, and the cross-channel train ferry from Richborough is no exception to that rule. To Sir Guy Granet and Sir Sam Fay are due the inception and development of the scheme and very closely associated with them have been Major-Gene-ral A. S. Collard, and Brigadier-Gene, ral A. S. Cooper. The site of the port generally is low lying marshy ground and in order to provide the new wharf the river Stour was diveiten through a new' channel which formed a large basin. This wharf is constructed of sltpel sheet piling and is of light design. The decision to institute a train ferry necessitated the dredging of an approach channel and the widening of the lower reaches of the river. . For,building the barges required for the, the cross-Channel service, ships were constructed on the higher reaches of the river, and these arrangements were extended to embrave the construction, of tugs, seaplane carriers and other craft. The frequency of air raids on the Kentish coast rendered it necessary to maintain secrecy and prevented the use of artificial lighting for niglrt work. In spite of this disadvantage the 24 •berths provided for the barge traffic, were supplied with material for shipment during tho whole of the twenty four hours and with practically no delays. The cross-Channel barge service ’(Commencedin December 1916 from which date 9,600 barge loads of war materia! were sent overseas, aggregating 1,250,000 tons of cargo. An artillery salvage, depot was provided and equipped for sorting salvage and despatching it to ammunition centres in different parts of the country of such materi.nl 165,000 tons were brought by tlie returning barges and dealt with at the depot. The train ferry service began on February, 1918, .from which date 250 outward trips were made, 185,000 deadweight tons being exports and 58,000 tons imported. One of the most interesting features of the whole scheme, illustrating the engineering skill and ingenuity displayed is the plan adopted to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted passage for the trains from the shore to tho ship, at any state or the tido and under any conditions of loading. An adjustable bridge was designed and built to connect the shore and the ferry, between which the difference in level was • a s the rail level on the in some instances considerable boat is 7 feet higb°r at high tide and 7ft. lower at low tide than the rail level on shore. Allowance was also made for the list which occurs when either side of the vessel is more heavily weighted than the other during loading and unloading operations. Two train ferries of similar design and dimensions are provided. Each has a length oveiall of 363 feet, an extreme breadth of 61 feet and a mean draught, (loaded) of 9 feet 6 inches. They are twin screw vessels each with two sets ol triple expansion engines supplied with steam from oil-fired boilers. They have a mean speed of 12 knots and a gross tonnage of 2,672 tons. Each train ferry is capable of accommodating 54 twejity-foot railway waggons on tho four tracks of its deck. It has been announced that the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway Company would take over tho wharves and ferries at Richborough from the Inland Waterways and Dock Department of the War Office on March Ist. A civilian staff lias been appointed and the railway company will work tho port and railway as part of their own system and in that sense its administration will bo subject to the powers of the Railway Executive Committee to the same oxtent ns all tho other railway systems of the country. The South-Eastern and Chatham Company will work the place as agents on behalf of the War Office, receiving no profit and incurring no loss. There is not likely to be any trading with the port for some considerable time. The. work to bo performed by the company for months to como will be tlrnt of dealing with the transport from oversea of surplus Army stores and salvago.

Trn’n r, was again a notable lack of public intercut, in civil affairs when nominations were called yesterday for

seats in the municipal and other local bodies pertaining to the borough. Mr Perry’s re-eleotion to the position of Mayor unopposed was to be expected in appreciation of his very useful war work but for the Council he was to lead the same conditions did not apply in respect to the members generally and a contest would have been of some service to the municipality. It would have aroused some of the dormant interest in civil affairs. The public are concerned, of course, about the conduct of their own affaire, but it takes something to galvanise them into public action. The councillors having been returned to office thus easily might display their gratitude in a more energetic discharge of their duties. Now that there are funds at- disposal, the money should be used to advantage for the public benefit. Many matters about the streets and notably the drains call for urgent attention. It- is whispered that a report was submitted to the Council in committee lately from some of the members which was startling in its details and some of the offending drains therein referred to should be attended to quickly. The Council is setting out on a two years’ term, and looking to the progress the district i 3 making a civic policy should he devised in keeping with the general prospects and works urgently required, even if of some jnagnitude should be prepared for. Tlie members of the Council find the local body.in a sound financial position and that happy condition warrants a practical scheme of improvement for the town and the public health of the community.