SUNDERLAND, with its northern suburb of Monk Wearnzoulh, constitutes the busy commercial mouth of the Wear. This liver is crossed by an iron bridge of one arch, erected near the close of the last century. The abutments are piers of nearly solid ma , sonry, 24 feet in thickness. The arch is of iron, and forms the segment of a large circle, having a span of 230 feet ; the height above low water is 60 feet to the spring, and 04 feet to the centre of the arch, so that ships of • 300 tons pass under it very readily by lower ing their top-gallant masts. Tho superstruc ture is of timber planked over, with flagged footpaths and iron balustrades. This was for many years the most remarkable iron bridge in England.
The preservation and improvement of the port'and harbour of Sunderland are entirely owing to the exertions of commissioners who have been appointed under successive acts of parliament for levying certain dues and ap plying them to the cleansing and improving of the harbour. ; These works, and particularly the construction of piers on both sides of the mouth of the river, have had so great an effect in improving the port, that ships draw from 15 to 18 feet of water can now enter and depart from the harbour with great safety. There is a wet-dock comprising nearly 8 acres, with a tidal basin attached to it, on the north side of the river near the entrance of the her- I bour. In July, 1850, a very large wet-dock was opened on the south side of the river. The works extend from the river to Hendon Bay. First is the tidal harbour of 2/ acres opening from the river ; next the half-tide basin (21 acres), leading from it to the great dock of 20 acres, near the south end of which are the two jetties, one already occupied by four staiths for the shipment of coals, the rest of the accommodation being intended for general traffic. The widths of the entrances between the tidal harbour and the half-tide basin are respectively 45 and 60 feet, and that between the half-tide basin and the great dock 60 feet. In the great dock the depth in the middle at high water of ordinary spring tides is 24 feet, and at neap tides 20 feet 0 inches. Be sides the site recovered from the sea, now form ing the flock, an area of upwards of 25 acres of land has in like manner been gained from the sea to the eastward of the dock, which will he found exceedingly valuable and available for many useful purposes. The coal traffic
is brought by the branch railway to the staiths on the jetties. The access to the dock for other traffic is from the foot of the High Street along the western side of the docks, and to the eastern side by moveable pontoons over the two entrances from the tidal harbour to the half-tide basin. The dock is considered to be the cheapest, as well as one of the best. that has ever been constructed.
The principal manufactures of Sunderland are of bottle and flint glass, anchors, chain. cables, and other iron goods for ships, and cordage. Ship building is carried on to a greater extent than in any other seaport of the British empire. On December 31, 11±-19, there were 00 ships building, the aggregate burthen of which was 20,210 tons. 5000 tons of shipping more were built in 1849 than in 1848, and 10,000 more in 1850 than in 1849. The number of ships belonging to the port in 1840 155 (44,333 tons). About 140 firms are engaged in business in connection as chain-cable manufacturers, sail-cloth manufacturers, anchor and ship smiths, rope, sail, mast, block, or pump makers ; besides ship-owners, brokers, and chandlers. Some of the ropewalks are on a very large scale. Brick-making, coal-mining, and the quarrying of g in grindstones, are carried on n the neighbourhood ; and there are cop peras-works, brass-foundries, potteries, hat manufactories, lime-works, timber-yards, saw mills, flour-mills, tan-yards, and breweries. The town is, however, more important from its commerce than its manufactures. In shipping coal it is exceeded only by the port of Newcastle, and recently perhaps by Stock ton.
The export of lime is another principal branch of trade ; also the export of glass and grindstones. The imports are timber and iron from the Baltic ; butter, cheese, and flax from Holland ; and a variety of goads brought coastwise. A considerable fishery is carried on.