560 J REPORT—1896. 
and carried out, passing along and incorporated with the wing walls and 
pierheads of the entrances and basin, and continuing along timber piers 
projecting into the river, which structures, being of a heavy and substan- 
tial character, materially assist the passage of ships into and out from the 
docks. The result of this arrangement is that the fairway is daily swept 
clear of all sandy accumulation, and kept in perfect working order, while 
the entrances are thoroughly sheltered, even in heavy on-shore gales. 
It may not be out of place to mention that one of the most important 
features of successfully working a dock system, particularly in a crowded 
port like Liverpool, is facility of ingress and egress, especially at times of 
heavy seas and bad weather, when big ships are difficult to handle and 
keep under control. 
This matter received special attention, and the approaches and 
entrances were carefully designed to meet that end. The result has been 
satisfactory, no difficulty having been experienced with the new entrances, 
and no accident of any moment having occurred during the fifteen years 
that the docks have been in work. The responsible officer in charge of 
this division has informed the author that, no matter what the,weather 
is, whenever a ship-master considers it safe to leave his moorings in the 
river, or his berth in the dock, he can enter or leave easily and safely by 
way of Canada Basin. This is all the more satisfactory as in the incep- 
tion of this North End scheme it was freely predicted that in bad weather 
from the north-west the entrances would be dangerously exposed, if not 
unapproachable with any degree of safety. An instance may be quoted 
to illustrate the facility with which vessels are worked in and out of this 
group of docks. On February 13, 1889, twenty-three steamships of an 
aggregate of 34,197 tons and thirty-five smaller vessels passed in and 
cut during the working tide of two and a third hours. This, though an 
excellent record, has no doubt been since exceeded, as during the seven 
years that have elapsed the docks have been largely overcrowded. Since. 
their opening in 1881 they have accommodated an immense amount of 
the best steam shipping of the port. 
That part of the works at the South End also included in the Act of 
1873 consists of a chain of three docks, known as the Harrington, 
Toxteth, and Union Docks, extending from the Herculaneum Half-tide 
towards the north, up to the old Brunswick Dock. Their sills are laid at 
the level of 12 feet below datum throughout, and their main entrances 
and wing walls at Herculaneum are provided with an elaborate system of 
sluices, carried under a jetty on the river-side on the same principle as 
that at the North End, but alongside the river wall instead of projecting 
into the river. This has been the means of fully maintaining the sills and 
fairway open and free from silt and preventing the tail of the Estuary 
banks from approaching too near the entrances. 
The Herculaneum Half-tide Dock, which in its original form, with 
two graving docks opening out of it southward, was constructed under 
the Act of 1863, was, under the Act of 1873, greatly extended eastwardly, 
and an additional graving dock was constructed alongside the other two. 
These docks were cut out of the solid red sandstone rock, which 
originally was much higher than the present quay level. Cliffs therefore 
exist on the east and south sides of the dock, and in the face of these 
have been excavated casemates separated by solid partitions of rock. 
These casemates were designed for the storage of petroleum in barrels, 
and are so used. Northward of the Herculaneum Dock the Estate is 
