34 T. H. HOUGHTON. 



cost of £33,433; this reduced the inflow of sand, and con- 

 sequently the amount of dredging to maintain the requisite 

 depth at the entrance. In 1909 it was discovered that the 

 bar at the entrance consisted mostly of boulders, and not 

 solid rock as previously supposed. These have been dredged 

 up to the extent of 38,700 tons, with the result that an 

 additional three feet six inches of water has been obtained; 

 since this was achieved only ten vessels in four and a half 

 years have had to leave the port without a full cargo, 

 whereas in 1907 there were 45. 



In the harbour improvements have been made. An up-to- 

 date cargo wharf with sheds complete, known as Lee Wharf 

 has been constructed, and a coal shipping wharf one-third 

 of a mile long has been built on the western side of the 

 Oarrington Basin. Upon this have been installed six high 

 speed electrical travelling cranes with a lifting capacity of 

 15 tons, at 55 feet radius, a hoisting speed of 100 feet, 

 slewing 300 feet, and traversing 100 feet per minute. It is 

 estimated with the improvement in the existing coal ship- 

 ping appliances, and the recent additions, that in every 

 day work, the appliances of the port at date could ship 9^ 

 million tons of coal per annum, as against the record ship- 

 ment in 1913 of 5^ million tons. With the removal of the 

 Old Oarrington and Darval Street bridges, good progress 

 has been made with the dredging out of a second still water 

 basin, by widening out Throsby's Greek. Additional moor- 

 ing accommodation has been provided for loaded ships on 

 the Newcastle shore, and three additional coal shipping 

 berths have been provided between the two basins in con- 

 nection with a proposed Bin and Conveyor system of coal 

 shipment. 



The expenditure on Newcastle harbour was, to the 30th 

 June 1916, £946,238, the average annual cost of dredging 

 and maintenance being over £50,000. 



