36 Ihe Manchester Ship Canal Works. 



Latchford the canal became virtually a canalised river, as it 

 would be the waters of the Rivers Mersey and Irwell, and other 

 smaller streams, that would fill it. It had been contended that 

 the water supply might sometimes be insufficient ; but means 

 had been adopted to cope with such a contingency arising in a 

 dry summer- It took a good deal of water to fill a lock 600 feet 

 long by 80 feet wide. Alongside therefore of this lock there 

 was a second lock 350 feet long by 50 feet wide — and in the 

 case of Eastham only, a third lock 1 50 feet long by 30 feet — and 

 there are two sluice-ways on the land side of the locks, each 

 20 feet in width, and closed by counter-balanced sluice gates, 

 moving vertically on free rollers, whereby friction was reduced to 

 a minimum, so that they were very easily raised against a head 

 of water. Mr. Rayner proceeded to give an exhaustive and in- 

 teresting description of the locks and gates, river walls, enclosing 

 embayments, gantries, and the Ince light-house ; — the River 

 Weaver and sluices ; — the water supply, railway deviations, 

 various modes of excavating, and inundations. 



Speaking of recent developments and progress, he said the 

 work had been carried on with energy, particularly at the 

 Eastham end. At the end of June last this section was com- 

 pleted and ready to receive the tidal water. The tide was 

 not however admitted, as most people imagined it would have 

 been, at the Eastham locks, but three and a half miles higher 

 up, near Ellesmere Port, and the operation was carried on 

 gradually. First a small gap was made in the dam, which was 

 of hard clay, and this was gradually extended. When the tide 

 rose and reached the gap it ran first over a shelf of clay, and 

 leaped a sheer twenty feet below and hastened towards Eastham. 

 Some water had been let into the canal previously. 



The advantages of the canal having been indicated, Mr. 

 Rayner made a few observations on its geological features. 

 The oldest group of rocks cut through by the canal was that to 

 which the name of trias was given. The triassic rocks were 

 for the most part of a bright red colour, and consisted of sand- 

 Stone, marls, and consolidated gravels. There was po doubt 



