DOCKS AND DOCK-YARDS. A dock is a place artificially formed for the reception of ships, the entrance of which is generally closed by gates. There are two kinds of docks, dry docks and wet-docks. The former are used for receiving ships in order to their being in spected and repaired. For this purpose the dock is so contrived that the water may be ad mitted or excluded at pleasure, so that a ves sel can he floated in when the tide is high, and the water run out with the fall of the tide, or he pumped out, the closing of the gates preventing its return. Wet docks arc formed for the purpose of keeping vessels always afloat. Dock yards belonging to the govern ment usually consist of dry docks for repairing ships, and of slips on which new vessels are built ; besides which they comprise various workshops and storehouses.
The first wet dock for commercial purposes made in this kingdom was formed in the year 1708 at Liverpool. Since that time others have been added at different periods ; and at present the margin of the Mersey along the whole extent of the town, for about three miles, is occupied by docks. They comprise the Northern, the Clarence, the Victoria, the TVaterloo, the Prince's, the George's, the Can ning, the Manchester, the Salthouse, the Duke's, the King's, the Queen's, the Albert, the Union, the Brunswick, the Herculaneum, and the Harrington clocks. They coves more than 100 ; acres, and have an extent of quay ten or twelve miles in length.
At Birkenhead are clocks noticed in a for mer article [BrustExamix]. Fleetwood, Hull, Bristol, and other commercial towns, have convenient docks.
; The first commercial wet dock constructed . in the port of London was for the accommoda • tion of vessels employed in the Greenland - whale fishery. This dock, which is now known as the Commercial Dock, is situated at Rother s hithe ; it occupies altogether 49 acres, about ; four-fifths of which are water : it is now used I mainly for the timber and corn trade. Ad s joining it is the East Country Dock, used for f the timber trade.
- Up to the end of the last century, nearly all ships arriving in London discharged their car. goes into lighters in the river. To remedy this inconvenience, a plan was sanctioned in 1790 for constructing wet docks for the recep tion of ships employed in the WestIndia trade. The West India Docks extend across the Isle of Dogs. The import dock is 870 yards long and 166 yards wide ; the export dock is of the same length and 135 yards wide ; there are besides two basins, one at each entrance, that at Blackwall being 5 acres, and that at Lime house 2 acres in extent. A canal cut across the Isle of Dogs has been also appropriated as a dock or basin. The London Docks, situ ated in Wapping, and finished in 1805, consist of the western dock of 20 acres, the eastern dock of 7 acres, and the tobacco dock, between the other two, of more than I acre. The space included within the dock walls exceeds 71 acres. The warehouses, especially those for tobacco and wine, are of vast extent. The St. Katharine's Docks, situated between the London Docks and the Tower, were opened in 1828 ; the outer wall encloses an area of 24 acres, of which 11 acres are water, the remain der being occupied by quays and warehouses. There are two docks each capable of receiving vessels of 800 tons burden.
The Commercial Dock Company propose, in 1851, to purchase the East Country or Greenland Dock, and to expend 200,0001. in enlargements and improvements.
In the half year from June to November 1850, the laden ships which entered the Lon don Docks from foreign countries were 685, measuring 186,517 tons. The stock of goods in the warehouses, on Nov. 30 in that year, amounted to tons. A new stack of warehouses has just been constructed by the company on the West Quay.
At the St. Katharine's Docks the goods re ceived during the year 1850 amounted to 110,140 tons. The ships which entered with cargoes were 703, of 152,046 tons; and those which entered to load were 250. The goods in warehouse on December 31, 1850, were 08,121 tons.