A Treatise On The Principles And Practice Of Dock Engineering

4 DOCK ENGINEERING. the dock was opened is not recorded, but that it was in use in the year 1703 is testified by an old description (undated) of the dock which, with an enoraving, is retained in the Board-room of the Surrey Commercial Dock Company. Being not without interest as an old-world document, throwing light upon conditions which prevailed two centuries ago in regard to the management of ships in port, a copy of it is reproduced here.* The original name of the dock, “ The Howland Great Wet Dock,” has since been replaced by that of the “ Greenland Dock.” Mrs. Elizabeth Howland was the wife of John Howland, of Streatham, Surrey, and the mother-in-law of the Marquis of Tavistock, afterwards second Duke of Bedford. Howland Great Wet Dock, In the Parifi of Rotherhithe, or Redriff, belonging to Mrs. Howland, of Streatham. This dock hath been found a very fafe repofitory for flips, which was fully proved in that terrible and violent ftorm which happened on the 2Tth November, 1703, when by the extremity of the wind all the fhips in the river, which rode either al chains or their own moorings, were fored adrifl and confufedly driven on the North fhore, where forne were left, and moft received great damage. Then, of all the feveral ffips depofited in this wet doch there was only one injur’d, andfhe only in her bowfpnt, which was in a great meafure imputed to too fecure a negligence in the perfans who moor'd her there. This' may reinain a lafting evidence of the great fervice fach a repofitory for flipping is to our navigation; efpecially if it be confidered that this fatal ftorm happen'd foon after the planting of thofe trees, which are on the foutli and north as a fence to the dock from winds, and which are now grown to a confiderable bulk; and alfo before that range of houfes were built to the weft, and the pailings fet up to the eaft and on each fide; fo that now, in the hardeft gales ff wind that have , within thefe late years happened, notwithftanding the large extent of the water, the wind does not give any fuch motion to it, as can endanger tho fmalleft boat in paffing it any way over, and tho' very deep loaded. And as fups åre here fo well ficur'd from any ftorm that may kappen fo they åre entirely defended from the hazard and damage which accrueth to thern often in the river, by hard frofts. For by the driving of the ice in the river, if they fhould continue in the ftream on float, their cables would be cut; to prevent which and to preferve their bottom, they are forc’d to take up with fiore births, which often are firaining and uneafy to the flips, and require a confiant care and charge to preferve thern, by fioring or fiifting, as it may kappen, by the ice’s driving under thern. And notwithftanding all the care which can be taken, the bottoms of ’ Vide Min. Proc. Inst. O.E., vol. c., p. 93.