66 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF BLACKPOOL AND DISTRICT 



By 1876 Fleetwood could boast of 84 smacks engaged in fishing, whilst to-day 

 there are about 200 steam fishing-vessels regularly operating from the port. 



The Railway Company have recognised the great possibilities of the situation 

 of the port in relation to the fishing grounds, and its wonderful development is 

 largely due to their foresight and enterprise. Apart from the general facilities 

 at Fleetwood developed by the L. & N.W. and the L. & Y. Companies jointly, 

 the L. & Y. Company many years ago provided a new dock on their Wyre Dock 

 estate, which now, under the management of the L.M.S., is devoted 

 exclusively to the accommodation of steam trawlers and other vessels engaged 

 in the fishing trade. 



This fish dock, which has been equipped with the latest facilities for quick 

 handling, is among the finest of its kind now in existence, and the L.M.S. 

 Company have not spared pains or expense in keeping it up to date. Among 

 recent developments of note mention might be made of the new electric 

 coaling appliances of the most modern type, which enable coal to be fed direct 

 from railway truck into the ship's bunkers at a speed four times as great as was 

 possible under the system of crane and bucket formerly in use. 



Forty years ago the landings of fish at Fleetwood were comparatively 

 negligible. To-day they amount to no less than 60,000 tons per annum, 

 while the coal taken for bunkers by the fishing fleet is not far short of 400,000 

 tons yearly. Over 70,000 tons of ice are also taken on board the fishing boats 

 annually, whilst another 1 5,000 tons is required by the traders for the purpose 

 of packing the fish for despatch by rail. In the early days of the port all the 

 ice used at Fleetwood was imported from Norway, but this has been completely 

 displaced by ice produced on the Dock Estate itself, the Fylde Ice and Cold 

 Storage Company having built a well-equipped factory immediately adjoining 

 the fish dock. The daily output from this factory is about 400 tons of crushed 

 ice. It is delivered to the fish market and on board the trawlers by means of 

 shoots, thereby obviating handling. 



The trawling industry does not, however, exhaust the possibilities of 

 Fleetwood as a port, ample facilities being also available for the general cargo 

 trade, both at Fleetwood itself and in the Wyre Docks. 



Steamboat Excursions from Blackpool. 



There is not sufficient water at any one of Blackpool's piers at low tide for 

 vessels of large draught, but a number of pleasure steamers ply to various 

 destinations during the holiday season. 



Blackpool's first steamboat was the ' Wellington ' in 1871, followed in 1879 

 by the ' Bickerstaffe.' In 1895, these two boats were supplemented by two 

 new cross-Channel boats, the ' Queen of the North,' owned by the Blackpool 

 Steam Ship Company, operating from the Central Pier, and the ' Greyhound,' 

 owned by the North Pier Steam Ship Company. Eventually these two 

 concerns amalgamated. There is now only one excursion steamer in regular 

 use during the summer, and this operates from the North Pier. 



The Port of Preston. 



The town of Preston is situated on the River Ribble, 1 5 miles from the sea, 

 and lies at the south-eastern corner of the Fylde. For many years it was the 



