992 REPORT — 1898. 



ham Canal and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The former leaves 

 the Severn at Worcest>;r, 30 mik's above Gloucester ; is 30 miles long, has a rise of 

 418 feet, and serves the southern portion of the district. The latter leaves the 

 Severn at Stourport, and thence it is 27 miles with a rise of 419 feet to 

 Wolverhampton, at the northern end of the district. 



Both canals are connected with the Birmingham Canal Navigation, vt'hich 

 intersects every part of the district. All three canals are narrow-boat canals 

 accommodating horse-hauled vessels 70 feet long and 7 feet in beam and carrying 

 25 to 35 tons. 



On the Severn a system of steam tugs is maintained, and vessels carrying 150 

 tons navigate it ; but it is capable of accommodating much larger craft. 



Vessels engaged in the Continental trade use the docks at Gloucester and 

 .Sharpness, and Atlantic liners those at Bristol and other Channel ports, and 

 goods intended for the latter require transhipment at some point after leaving the 

 narrow canal and before passing into the estuary. 



The following improvement schemes have been proposed from time to time : — - 



Mr. G. W. Keeling, Consulting Engineer to the Sharpness Docks Company, 

 proposed to improve tlie Worcester and Birmingham Canal, increasing its width 

 from 30 feet to G6 feet and its depth from 4^- feet to 9 feet, and with locks large 

 enough to pass two vessels, each 100 feet long and 18 feet in beam, with a carrying 

 capacity of from 200 to 300 tons. 



A group of 36 locks, with an aggregate rise of 255 feet, was to be replaced by 

 an incline upon the Monkland principle. 



His estimate of the cost of the work was 600,000/., 200,000/. of which was for 

 altering tunnels. 



The author's scheme was for an improvement of the Staffordshire and 

 Worcestershire Canal : this he proposed to widen to 60 feet and deepen to 7 feet, 

 mainly by raising the level of the waterway, and the means by which this could 

 he done were explained. 



By substituting inclines for groups of locks the number of pounds was to be 

 reduced from 31 to 11. 



For the inclme a modification of the Monkland principle was proposed, its 

 leading feature being that the caisson carrying the vessel would travel up the incline 

 sideways instead of longitudinally, thus getting rid of oscillation. The improved 

 canal would accommodate the same class of vessel, which could with slight altera- 

 tion to some of the Severn locks at present navigate to Stourport, and the carrying 

 capacity of which varies from 25 tons for a mere barge to 150 tons for a fully 

 equipped coasting steamer. 



The estimated cost of the scheme was 360,000/. 



The depth of water at Sharpness at neap tides is limited to 15 feet, and Mr. 

 Keeling prepared a scheme to make a new entrance at Sheperdine, 5 J miles lower 

 ■<lown the estuary, where 8 feet more water could be obtained. This entrance 

 was to be connected with Sharpness Docks by a ship canal, so that liners might 

 ■enter the docks at every tide. 



These works, cnmbini'd with improvements to the canals, would greatly cheapen 

 transport, as goods could be taken in steam-tugged trains of canal boats without 

 transhipment between manufacturer's wharf and the side of the liner. 



There would be four distinct elements of economy — namely, the steam-tugged 

 train, the non-transhipment, the saving in time resulting from the substitution of 

 inclines for locks, and the fact that tlie liner would be brought 20 miles nearer the 

 Birmingham district. 



The estimated cost of the Sheperdine scheme is a little over 300,000/. 



Vessels of 800 (and in some cases 1,200) tons register trade between Gloucester 

 and Continental ports via the Ship Canal, which has a navigable depth of about 

 15 feet. 



The Severn for 30 miles from Gloucester to Worcester has a minimum depth 

 of 10 feet ; and the problem of increasing this to 15 feet, and so making Worcester 

 a port of equal importance with Gloucester, has always been attractive, particularly 

 as there are only two changes of level. 



