George. — Description of Patent Slip at Wellington. 23 



24 in. square, a hole being excavated for the fly wheel. The winding engine 

 is bedded on to brickwork, and is secured by several iron bolts, l|-in. in. 

 diameter, passing through the brickwork and through strong iron beams 

 passed under the walla and into the rock on either side. A well for the 

 chain is sunk to a depth of 35 ft. below the engine frame ; it is 8 ft. 6 in. in 

 diameter, and lined with 9 in. bi'ickwork set in cement and filled in solid with 

 concrete. It was sunk through hard, blue, slaty rock. During the excavation 

 very little water collected, but since completion it has collected more rapidly. 

 The well is now full, and the water is only kept from running over by being 

 discharged by the pipe through which the hauling-down chain works. 



The boiler-house consists of little more than a wooden shed built on the 

 boiler setting. It is 45 ft. in length, and 16 ft. in width. 



The chimney is 50 ft. in height, and 2 ft. square on the inside ; the brick- 

 work is 18 in. thick at the foot, and 9 in. at the top, built in cement. 



To keep a supply of water for the boilers, a reservoir has been excavated 

 in the gully, a short distance above the engine-house. A brick wall is built 

 across the gully, and the ground filled in solid between this wall and the back 

 wall of the engine-house. The capacity of the reservoir is about 5,000 cubic 

 feet. It collects the surface di-ainage from the hills, and any overflow is 

 discharged through a wooden drain passing down beside the engine and boiler- 

 houses into the bay. A sluice-valve is built into the bottom of the wall for 

 cleaning purposes. 



To give some idea of the magnitude of the work, I may state, in round 

 numbers, the amount of the various materials used in its construction : — 

 Cast iron, etc., in ways and platform - - 550 tons 

 Winding engine, steam engines and boiler - 120 ,, 

 Chains - - - ■ - - - 75 „ 



Carriage, including timber and iron - - 200 ,, 

 Excavation ------- 10,000 yards 



Excavation below water by diving bell - ~ 650 ,, 



Timber for foundations ----- 200,000 superficial feet 



Timber for other purposes _ - - - 150,000 ,, „ 



Concrete 5,000 yards 



Cement, upwards of - - - - - 3,000 barrels 

 Bricks for engine house, boilers, etc. - - 200,000 

 Time occupied in erection . . . - Fifteen months. 

 To raise a vessel the cradle and large chain is hauled out into the water by 

 means of the endless chain, the cradle being first pulled up a short distance to 

 enable the palls to be lifted out of the racks, the bilge blocks also being 

 prepared to fit the shape of the vessel, the blocks being placed at the end of 

 the slide beams. A water-mark, fixed at the head of the cradle, shows when 



