Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL. 155 Committee of the House of Lords ; but a Commons Committee, while manifesting sym- pathy with the aims of Mr. Second De- Adamson and his resolute sup- feat. porters, came to the conclusion that the object sought might be attained without incurring the risk appar- ently associated with, the suggested deep-water channel through the estuary. a distance of about 10 miles beyond Runcorn, placing the entrance in the deep water at Eastham, so that the danger of silting up, considered to be threatened by the earlier de- sign, could no longer be suggested. Only the first section of the Canal—namely, that be- tween Eastham and Runcorn—was to be sub- ject to tidal influence, the remaining sections being contained in independent sets of power- MAP OF THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL. In less than a week after their second de- feat, the members of the Provisional Commit- tee had determined to invoke the aid of the Manchester City Council and ^Bil^ ^ie Halford Town Council in the promotion of a third Bill. Both bodies responded readily to the call, and each levied a twopenny rate, so that they might have the means of offering a special contribution towards the expense involved. The result was that in 1885 the pioneers were seen to be more in earnest than ever, and they were conscious of the fact that their amended plans avoided the perils which had previously involved disaster. Adopting in part an alternative scheme hinted at by some of the ablest engineers who had condemned the idea of making a deep-water channel in the estuary itself, Sir E. Leader Williams and his com- panions now announced their intention of cutting a semi-tidal canal through the land on the Cheshire side of the Mersey for An Alternative Scheme submitted. ful locks erected at Latchford, Irlam, Barton, and Mode Wheel. It was agreed that the dimensions of the Canal should be as follows :— Total length........................y......... 35| miles. Average width at water-level.................. 172 feet. Minimum width at bottom....................... 120 feet. Minimum width between Barton and Manchester 170 feet. Minimum width at water-level.................. 179 feet. Minimum depth when completed................... 26 feet. Minimum depth since increased to............... 28 feet. The minimum depth decided upon at the outset was exactly the same as that of the Suez Canal, and diagrams were exhibited to the Parliamentary Committee indicating how the new water- i i -xi Xi Suez way would compare with the Canal famous work of M. de Lesseps, as also with the Amsterdam and other ship canals of minor importance. It was shown that there would be docks in Salford, as well as in Manchester, both above and below Trafford Road Bridge, and a coal basin at Partington. The present dimensions of these docks are :—