Scientific Industries. 493 



The Dockyard was from its first establishment in constant use, 

 not only as a building yard, but as a depot for naval stores, until 

 its closing in 1869, which was decided upon on the recommendation 

 of a Committee of the House of Commons, which reported in 1864. 

 This was necessitated through the increasing size of ships of war, 

 which made the Yard practically useless for any but the smaller 

 types of vessels, while, in addition, the docks and basins were being 

 continually filled up by deposits of river mud, the removal of which 

 rendered the work done in the Yard exceedingly costly. On the 

 closing of the yard, a part was sold to Mr. Evelyn, who turned it 

 into a recreation ground and presented it to the people of Deptford. 

 A part was retained as a depot for naval stores, and the remainder 

 sold to the Corporation of London for a Metropolitan meat market. 

 The frontage of the Dockyard to the Thames was about 1,700 feet 

 in length. There were three slips for ships of the line, and two for 

 smaller vessels, which launched into a basin or wet dock. There were 

 also three dry docks, one of them a double one communicating with 

 the river, the other opening into the basin. The number of men 

 employed in the Yard in time of war was about 1500, one-half 

 shipwrights and artificers, and the other half labourers. 



