Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

BRITAIN AT WORK. 188 and 154 feet wide, and are lighted by windows each side, at which are concave reflectors ; without the aid of the latter the centre would be quite dark, summer and winter. The cooper is constantly sounding casks, in order to discover if any leakage is taking place : no candle or lamp is allowed in the vaults, in case of fire. There is a vatting floor, where merchants are allowed to blend rum, and which has a vatting capacity of 58,530 gallons. Entrance to the East India Docks is Photo: Cassell & Co., Ltd. Albert Dock LANDING WINES AND SPIRITS. by means of a lock thirty-one feet deep, and they are situated half a mile east of the West India Docks. One of the finest views of the river is to be obtained from Brunswick Wharf in these docks. The main entrance is in East India Dock Road, and opposite this is Poplar Hospital, for the reception of persons injured in the docks. The Royal Victoria and Albert Docks are the largest of the group under the control of this company, and extend from Blackwall to Gallions Reach, a distance of three miles. The quays have berths for sixty of the largest vessels, besides accommodation for numerous smaller craft ; and there is an area of 180 acres of water. The sheds and ware- houses cover an area of over 3,000,000 square feet; there are 323 travelling and fixed cranes, two floating cranes, one capable of lifting fifty tons and the other thirty tons, and four steam tugs fitted with steam fire engines. A complete system of goods lines communicate with the general railway system of the country, and a buffet is provided near the Central Railway Station on the north side of the dock to refresh passengers, visitors, labourers, mechanics, and others. The Albert Dock is lighted with electric light. The principal articles dealt with are grain, tobacco, and frozen meat, which are ac- commodated at the Victoria Dock. Albert Dock is used only for the loading and discharging of ships. The discharging in the former dock is done at jetties instead of at quays, as in the case of all the other docks of the company ; this expedites the delivery of goods into barges, and saves expense. The tobacco warehouses have ac- commodation for 20,000 tons of tobacco at one time, the market value of which is ,£9,000,000. The frozen meat stores will accommodate 350,000 sheep, and additional accommodation is being pro- vided for a further 200,000 sheep. On the south side of the are two dry docks, 500 and 410 feet in length respectively. Dry docks, as is generally known, are for the accom- modation of vessels requiring repairs. The vessels are floated in, the water pumped out, the vessels resting on groins at the bottom. The depth of water is maintained in this dock, as in the case of the West India, by pumping ; and the pumps are capable of throwing 7,500,000 gallons an hour. Stretch- ing down the Thames, 1,120 feet, is a wharf, the water alongside being twenty-six feet deep at low water ; here the largest vessels are able to lie, to coal, take in cargo, or embark passengers. The Tilbury Docks have a main dock and I