COLLIERIES. 239 



On the soutli or town side of tlio Inirhour, thoro is a continuous lino 

 of wharf 3,607 feet long- belongiii.,^ to the Government, 2,130 fc'ct of 

 which is occupied for cargo berths for deep drauglit vessels, 500 

 feet reserved for Sydney passenger steamers ; and the remaining 077 

 feet is used as a general cargo wharf, inchiding a hnnber lierth for 

 loading vessels with timber. The whole length of this wharf is lit 

 with gas. 



At Bullock Island, on the western side of the harbour, a substantial 

 timber Government wharf, 7,700 feet in length, and four ballast jetties, 

 each 50 feet long and 200 feet apart, has been constructed along the 

 face and round the south end of what was formerly known as the 

 Ballast Dyke -, at present 5,550 feet of this wharf is set apart chiefly 

 for the shipment of coal. The loading is performed by liydraulic 

 cranes of which twelve are erected, capable of shi]>ping 1,00() tons of 

 coal each in twenty-four hours — six being 15-ton, four 0-ton, and two 

 25-ton cranes, the latter for discharging heavy machinery, A:c., and 

 three 15-ton steam cranes. The remainder of the wharf and the ballast 

 jetties are used by vessels discharging ballast or waiting their tui*n to 

 load. Ships of the largest class can load under the hydi*aulic cranes, 

 and proceed direct to sea thi'ough deep water channels recently dredged. 

 It is proposed to spend immediately £150,000 to further increase the 

 shipping facilities at Bullock Island. This wharf is now lit by electric 

 light, which greatly facilitates the loading of coal at night, and is one 

 of the finest systems of electric lighting in existence, consisting of fifty 

 large arc lamps, each 5,000-candle power. 



A branch double line of railway connects the wharf with the Great 

 Northern railway, and along the back of the wharf is laid a very 

 extensive system of sidings and standage room for working coal traffic. 



A sand dredge is reclaiming foreshore in front of the hydraulic 

 engine-house, where 2,000 feet of wharf will be erected as a commence- 

 ment of a 90-acre basin inside the present wharf, which basin it is 

 intended to dredge to a depth of 25 feet where vessels will be able 

 to lie in slack water, and the whole will be lit np with the electric 

 light. 



At Stockton, on northern side of harbour, there is a Government 

 wharf GOO feet long with a shoot capable of shipping 1,000 tons in 

 twelve hours. A sand dredge is also reclaiming foreshore at Stockton. 



In addition to these Government cranes, the Australian Agricultural 

 Company have three large private shoots capable of delivering 2,000 to 

 3,000 tons of coal per diem. Vessels loading from them can discharge 

 their ballast on to the company's ballast wharf, lying alongside at a 

 draft of 1 8 feet G inches, and upAvards. Vessels drawing 22 feet can load 

 at the company's shoots. The Waratah Company also have a shoot at 

 Port Waratah capable of shipping about 50 tons per hour, and Messrs. 

 J. and A. Brown have two shoots on the Hunter lUver, at Hexham, lU 

 miles from Newcastle, capable of shipping 100 tons per hour. 



NeiccastU Facilities for Shipment of Coal. 

 The present estimated capabilities for shipment of coal at the above- 

 mentioned places in Newcastle Harbour is about 24,000 t.ms i.er day 

 by the hydraulic cranes belonging to the Government, and al>out l,bUU 

 tons per day by private companies. 



