A Treatise On The Principles And Practice Of Dock Engineering

THE PORT OF MARSEILLES. 13 Basin (90^ acres), the India Basin (27 acres), the Petroleum Basin (19$ acres), the Moldau Basin (62 acres), the Saale Basin (30 acres), and the Spree Basin (27| acres). Up to the year 1895, the total water area of the free port, including the river, canals, and side basins, amounted to 941 acres, of which the basins for sea-going ships occupied 328 acres, and those for river vessels 136 acres. There were also 14| miles of deep-water quayage. Since that date a large scheme of dock extension, on the south side of the river, has been in hand, and is now practically completed. It includes a deep-water basin, for sea- going ships, having an area of 55| acres, and a shallow-water basin, for river craft, having an area of 96| acres. In the year 1900, 13,102 vessels entered the port with a tonnage of 7,909,913, and of these, 8,933 were steamships with a tonnage of 7,124,145. The Port of Antwerp. Antwerp is of ancient origin and long held one of the most splendid positions in the history of European commerce. But, in the year 1648, the Dutch inflicted upon its prosperity a blow from which it did not recover for many long years. Victorious in their struggle with the Spaniards, who at that time were proprietors of the North Sea littoral, they insisted, in the treaty of Munster, upon the closing of the Scheldt on this side of the sea; in other words, on the destruction of Antwerp as a seaport. It was not until the year 1795 that the unfortunate city regained its freedom by the terms of the treaty of the Hague. Since then Antwerp has made notable strides towards regaining its lost position, and to-day it ranks as the second Continental port. Early in the 19th century there were only two docks and some river quays in existence. The docks had an area of 21 acres only, and this remained the extent of the enclosed accommodation until the year 1860, when the Kattendyke Dock was opened. Twenty years later it was extended to a total area of 120 acres. The Africa Dock for large transatlantic steamers, and the America Dock for the petroleum trade— making an addition of 50 acres in all—were begun in 1883 and finished in 1886. Apart from these there is a magnificent stretch of over 3 miles of quay frontage to the River Scheldt. In the year 1900, 11,488 vessels with a tonnage of 6,688,272 entered the port. The Port of Marseilles. Up to the year 1889, Marseilles was the principal Continental port- From that date Hamburg assumed the lead, and, in 1894, Antwerp wrested the second place in order of importance from her former superior. Despite these successive misfortunes, Marseilles still retains a high position amongst