124. REPoRT—1874. 
dock, 600 feet long by 550 feet broad, haying a water-area of 73 acres, and 
a quayage in length 1900 feet. The average depth of water in this dock is 
14 feet below datum, and the coping is 15:6 feet above datum. The entrance 
to the dock is 80 feet in width by 265 feet in length. The entrance-basin 
has an area of 5 acres of water, with a quayage of 200 feet in length. 
The Dufferin Dock is a floating dock, provided with gates, inside which 
vessels with a draught of 22 feet can discharge afloat at all times of the tide. 
The entrance to this dock is from the Spencer Dock, and is 60 feet in width 
by 139 feet in length. The platform for gates is 14 feet below datum, and 
the sill is 12 feet below datum. ‘The dock is in length 630 feet by 225 feet 
in width, having a water-area of 3; acres and length of quayage of 
1645 feet. 
The walls of these works are all constructed of stone, the lower portion of 
the dock from bottom up to datum-level being composed of hammerstone 
ashlar, the stone being from the Scrabo quarries, county Down; and the 
portion above datum is composed of freestone hearting, with facing of 
Dundonald whinstone, the coping being of Cornish limestone in large blocks. 
The cost of these works amounted to £95,334, including gates, mooring- 
paals, chains, paving, &c. Simultaneously with the execution of these 
works, other incidental works, though of minor importance, were being 
carried on. ‘The Milewater River was diverted into a new channel, and two 
extensive timber-ponds, one of 5 acres and the other of 14 acres, formed 
on the Antrim side of the harbour, chiefly by the excavations from the dock 
works. The branch railway was diverted along Albert Quay, and a per- 
manent line of tramway laid connecting it with the Northern Counties 
Railway. 
The slob reclamation in county Down was being proceeded with from year 
to year; and in 1864 a carriage-road bridge was constructed across Conns- 
water to connect the Victoria Park with the Ballymacarrett reclaimed pro- 
perty, at a cost of £652. 
In 1867 a double line of tramway was laid along the south side of the 
Abercorn Basin, and connected with the county Down Railway. A number 
of goods-sheds were erected along the quays from time to time, and dock- 
master’s houses and other tenements, as required by the extension of the 
harbour; and in the year 1871 a large pair of masting-sheers were erected 
on the east side of Abercorn Quay, capable of lifting a weight of 50 tons 
and masting the largest vessels afloat; the cost of these sheers amounted to 
£2732, including foundations, engine-house, &c. In the same year (1871) 
a line of tramway, commencing at the junction of the Central Railway at 
Oxford Street and extending along the Antrim quays around Prince’s Dock, 
formed a junction with the Northern Counties branch of the quay’s tramway 
at the south end of the Dufferin Dock. Owing to the extension of the harbour 
works, it became necessary in the year 1870 to provide for extensive 
dredging. A contract was therefore entered into for a new steam-dredger 
of 40 horse-power, capable of working in 26 feet of water, which was com- 
pleted in the following year at a cost of £7923, and a large number of new 
scows were constructed in connexion with this machine. In the year 1872 
an inclined discharging-slip was constructed at the lower end of the Queen’s 
Island, and provided with a hauling-engine and gearing for the purpose of 
disposing of the dredging-material in the embanking of the county Down 
reclaimed lands; and for the transit of the stuff a locomotive engine and 
stock of tipping-waggons were provided, by which means the material can be 
both cheaply and expeditiously transported to any part of the county Down 
