120 



Aldennan Wolstenholme (Heywood), H. A. Eohde. The Burnley 

 Society was represented by the following officers : — Messrs. J. 

 Langfield Ward, M.A. (President), F. J. Grant, A. Strange, 

 Alderman J. Greenwood, J. P., W. Lewis Grant, James Kay, J.P., 

 T. Lloyd, B.A. (Secretary), Jas. Lancaster, F. H. Hill, H. 

 Bulcock, J. A. Waddington, A". E. Tovey, D.Sc, and of the other 

 members who were present there were Dr. Dean, Dr. Lawson, 

 Messrs. J. S. Colhnge, J. P., T. Edmondson, J. P., Councillors 

 Lancaster, J. S. Sutcliffe, and W. Lupton ; Messrs. J. S. Horn, 

 T. Nowell, J. W. Thompson, W. Thompson, J. Bradley, W. 

 Waddington, T. Preston, G. C. Ogden, J. B. Polding, J. G. 

 Broxup, W. Lancaster, junr., E. Nelson, John Sutcliffe, F. 

 Parkinson. 



Preston was reached about half-past two, and the party at 

 once proceeded to the extensive works at the entrance to the 

 estuary of the Kibble. Here they were met and welcomed by 

 the Mayor of Preston, Councillor Booth, Councillor Rawcliffe, 

 Mr. Sykes (the Engineer), and others intimate with the details 

 of the scheme. It was under these happy auspices that the com- 

 pany commenced their tour of examination. The progress of 

 the party to the termination of the dock works was facilitated by 

 means of a locomotive, to which three waggons suitably fur- 

 nished were attached. This journey afforded an excellent oppor- 

 tunity of estimating the extensive character of the enterprise ; 

 and the visitors readily realised that half a million of money 

 was not a sum out of proportion with the dimensions of the 

 scheme. Additional interest was given to the visit by the fact 

 that only the day before the Preston Town Council had authorised 

 the application to Parliament for an extension of their borrowing 

 powers, with the view of completing the diversion of the River 

 Eibble, the wet docks and the subsidiary docks, authorised by 

 " The Eibble Navigation and Preston Dock Act, 1883," and in- 

 creasing the depth and area of the dock and entrances thereto, &c. 

 The first application was for £558,000, and the second application, 

 which was granted on Friday — by 32 against 4, was for a further 

 sum of £508,000, increasing the expenditure thereby to over a 

 £1,000,000. The council meeting had also been followed by a 

 largely attended ratepayers' meeting in the evening at the Guild 

 Hall. The proposal met with considerable opposition, but in the 

 end the consent of the meeting by a fair majority was given to 

 the promotion of the Bill in the ensuing session of Parliament. 

 This was followed, however, by the demand that a poll of the 

 ratepayers should be taken. Some idea of the extent of the 

 works may be gathered from the fact mentioned after tea by 

 Mr. Sykes, the engineer, that the contractor, Mr. Walker, put 

 down before commencing operations plant of a not less value 

 than £50,000, including 16 locomotives, five American steam 



