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THE CIVIL EKGTXEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



PLAN OF A PROPOSED NEW DOCK AT KINGSTON-UPON-HULL. 



Designed by James Oldham, Civil Engineer, 

 To he railed the Q[if,i;n'> DorK ; shoiinng its connerimi with llie Mifcm, and t/ic pre.trnl Doris of the Port. 



(RrrEBENTK TO Tiir Plan"!. 



A, River Humber. 

 lion Area, Ga. Or. rjp. 



f' old '?wk"Ar''r''7 Z "^Ir "/.'"Tr- "^"'""p" R'^-^in '<"'"> present Docks._D, Humbcr Doek, Are« 7a. Or. 24p.-E, June- 

 The convenience for trade aftorded bv 



_, tlie extensive svstein of docks. 

 lias perhaps more contributed than its local situation to" the prosperitv 

 of Liverpool, while it has fully counterbalanced the difficult entrance 

 of the harbour. Bristol, too. has e(iiialh- found it neccssar\ to extend its 

 attention towards these entrepots, and'it is onlv, perhaps,' owin^' to the 

 want of a corporation as rich as those two cit'ies, that Hull has not 

 taken advantage of such indispensable adjuncts to trade. 



The present Dock Companv was established in 1774. Their capital 

 is 90,0001. ; divided into shares of .5001. each. They have constructed 

 three dock*, occupying twenty-three acres, with quays and warehouses, 

 all out of the profits, at a cost exceeding 4.50,0001., aiul they pay a divi- 

 dend of twelve per cent., besides rescriing the like sum 'to p"av oft" a 

 debt of about 70.0001., contracted to make their last dock. 



It is not surprinng that the accommodation supplied by this companv 

 should be considered insufficient, when at Liverpool a'lone there are 

 one hundred and eleven acres of dock room and eii;ht miles of quays 

 The increasing trade of Hull, and its position as tht° great midland out- 

 let, evidently point out the deticieucy, and we need not he surprised if, 

 from the consequent inconvenience, loss of trade has ensued ; for Hull 

 does not, like Liverpool or Bristol, bear no rival near thethon'e, but has 

 at her very doors two powerful competitors, in Grimsby and Goole 

 which not only attract much of the growing traffic, but threaten the 

 usurpation of the whole. 



Here, as Bristol, the existing institutions areattended by defects that 

 tend still farther to .aggravate the deficiencies they cannot supply and 

 like the case of the Great Western, the largest class of steam vessels 

 are unable to enter the present Docks at all, though taxed to an im- 

 mense amount for benefits which they never receive ; for other large 

 ships the accommodation is glaringly insufficient, and the notorious want 

 of quay room is entailing upon shipowners and merchants a delay and 

 expense to which they will not longer submit. 



Under these circnmstauces it has-been dete'rinined to apply to Parlia- 

 ment in the next session for the establishment of a Company, to be in- 

 corporated under the name of " The Queen's Dock t^ompanv" with 

 power to construct a new Dock or Docks, thereby puttino-an end to the 

 mischiefs complained of, and at the same time'aHbrdinn- to the pro- 



fJoo?, ?■''■'■' P™5P''<'*."*' ^ li«'i;l«ome remuneration : tli? capital to be 

 180,0001., in shares ot (001. each. 



The intended site is a piece of ground of about 30 acres, chiefly 

 extra-parochml, lying te the east of the garrisoji, and e.vtending down 



to low-water mark in the Humber. The water in front is, at low water, 

 in spring tides, of the depth of tour fathoms, and the works will be 

 so far carried out .as to give tlie entKince to the proposed Dock the full 

 benefit of tliat depth of water. In this situation a sufficient quantity 

 of land can be obtained to aflford the amplest ipuny room, with every 

 other necessary appendage for landing, storing, and loading merchan- 

 dise ot every description. A cominnnication will be made between the 

 river Hull .a'nd the proposed Dock. 



The Dock will contain about twelve acres; the principal entrance 

 will be through a spacious basin extending into the Humber, to a line 

 drawn parallel to the extremities of the piers of the Humber Dock. 

 The basin will communicate with the proposed Dock by a lock of the 

 width of ()5 feet, the depth of 35 feet, and (he length between the gates 

 of .')00 feet, capable of admitting the largest men-of-war or steam ships. 

 The Dock will be excavated to the depth oi'8.) feet. It will communicate 

 with the Old Harbour at its northern extremity by a short canal and 

 lock of the ordinary dimensions. The quays on the eastern and 

 western sides will be 210 feet wide, attording ample space for ware- 

 houses and sheds. There will also be sufficient space on the south 

 side of the Dock for Graving Docks communicating with the Dock for 

 ship-building upon the most extensive scale. The Dock and Quays 

 will be surrounded by a lofty wall, rendering them in every w.av 

 adapted for the bonding system. 



It is not our business to pointoiit .advantages, or to lead the opinions 

 of capitalists, but it is a necessary professional duty to see thata])ioject 

 is required or that it is likely to be remunerated ; and we certainly con- 

 sider that in this instance, as the plan is justified by the most urgent 

 necessity, that so it is likely to meet with the happiest results. The in- 

 come of the present Docks has increased from -24,7891., in 1832, to 

 37,8081. in 1837 ; and this latter year was by no means distinguished for its 

 commercial prosperity. The situation of Hull is certainly of the highest 

 importance, for it occupies with the Thames that position on the 

 west of the North Sea, «liich Hamburgh and Bremen do on the east. 

 With this advantage in position, by its river communication and by 

 the railw.ays, which on one side of the Humber will unite it to Liver- 

 pool and the Atlantic, .and on the other, by the intended Hull and 

 Nottingham Railway, give it through a rich agricultural country the 

 monopoly of the midland manufacturing district, Hull wants but energy 

 and spirit in its merchants to becortie the mart of the Baltic and the 

 German Ocean, 



