THE PORT. The port extends from London Bridge to the Yore Lightship in the estuary. 50 miles. The dockage facilities are now embraced between the Tower Bridge, at the Tower'of Lon don, and Tilbury Docks. 35 miles down the river. Previous to the nineteenth century the business of the port was carried on under many disadvantages. Small sailing vessel: were tied up near the shore. and the larger ones were an chored in the stream. Lighters carried the car goes between the quays and the shipping. The manipulation of freight was under difficult con ditions. The best wharfage facilities were pro vided by the so-called Legal wharves, between London Bridge and the Tower. private property, whose owners charged exorbitant rates. Vessel owners and merchants were not able to free them selves from this monopoly or to secure authority to provide accommodation- for themselves along the river till the last year of the eighteenth cen tury, when the first of the artificial basins. the West India Docks, was built: this great im provement was soon followed by others, and the present dock system was rapidly developed. Most of the docks extend along the river-front on the promontories formed on the north and south shores by the winding course of the river be tween Tower Bridge and Woolwich. They are great artificial basins excavated a short distance back of the river, with which they are connected by deep and broad channels. The mightiest of steamships as well as numerous smaller vessels are moored at these docks. The word has come to mean in London not only an artificial ha-in. hut also great warehouses on or adjoining the docks. and large railroad and wagon facilities for the receipt or removal of freight. The principal docks on the north hank of the Thames are the West India docks (300 acres). the Millwall docks (100 acres). the East India docks (27 acre-). the London docks (120 acres), the Victoria and Albert docks, nearly three miles in length. and f35 miles down the river) the Tilbury docks. The great docks of the south bank of the Thames are the Surrey and Commercial docks (350 acres). The docks, opened in 18A0.
are not as large a. some of the others. having a water area of only 55 acres, but having been built later than the other great dock-, have some 101 proved facilities. Freight-ears load and mi load at the ship's side; and a vessel unloaded at one of the import dock- needs only to be moored on the other side of the ,ante dock t4) be ig):01441 at an export dock. The London dock- have many •onvenienc•-. Some cf them have re refrigerated cellars for the temporary storage of frozen-meat imports. The fact that most of the shipping busines, of the port is .•arried on in these interi ar basins deprives the river-front Of much of its former appearance 1,f activity. Pas senger- on the Thames boats may steam down the river from the Tower and VerY few sea vessels excepting those that are passing up or down the river. The large number of in the docks where thousands of men are loading or discharg ing cargoes are hidden from -view by the build ings along the bank-. The largest vessel- in the ocean trade are able to pass between the -ea and the docks only at high tide, though enormous sums have been expended in deepening the river for modern shipping.. The channel up to is 25 to 20 feet deep at low water. In recent years there has been a growing demand for further deepening of the river and the providing of other improvements. The number of ships visiting the port is increasing. chiefly on account of the enormous local market for products that London provides. The result is that port charges are very expensive and vessels are delayed in the transaction of their port business. Merchants complain that the =hipping trade is being driven to other ports. The problem of increased facilities is receiving much attention from the Gov ernment. The enormous coasting trade tributary to London. double that of Liverpool. contributes to make the port the busiest in the world. On an average a vessel arrives in the port of London every ten minutes.