Preparing Dover for a Naval Station.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 22206, 27 February 1900, Page 3

Preparing Dover for a Naval Station.

TIIE BIGGEST WORK OF THE KIND EVER ATTEMPTED 1 . Gigantic harbour works are in progross at Dover Bay, England ; in fact it is the biggest engineering operation of the kind that has ever been attempted. Two thousand men are engaged upon the construction of the Admiralty Harbour, which means practically the enclosing of Dover Bay within huge walls of concrete and granite, bo as to form a harbour big enough 1.0 hold tho'British fleet. The long granite arras thrown out east and west of the town will enclose a square mile of keep water, and Dover will be ono of tho greatest naval stations of th world and a great commercial seaport as well. Few people have any notion of the magnitude of this gigantic undertaking. This is the idea of° it. The present Admiralty pier runs out some 2000 ft from tho shore. That is to be extended another 2000 ft seaward. At the same time another similar pier is to bo run out from the side of the towm, a mile and a-half away. This pier run 3 out straight for 3320 ft., and then bend round and run for another 4200 ft towards the extremity of the extended Admiralty pier ;so that 3000 ya v ds of solid breakwater have to bo built, a couple of openings, one of 800 ft, the other of 600 ft, being left for the passage of ships. This two miles of break wator will be 60ft wide at the base and 45ft wide, at the top,, and it will rise 10 feet above high tide in water which is 36ft deep at low tide. Three and a half million pounds will be the cost, and another half-million will probably have to bo spent by tho Government on forts to protoct the works.