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UNTIL the year 1834 the
splendid river Usk, upon the banks of which Newport is situated, alone
supplied the necessary conveniences for the commerce of the pert, but by
that date the trade with foreign ports carried on 'n vessels of large
tonnage, had increased to such an extent, that it was deemed advisable to
provide floating dock accommodation. A company accordingly, was formed for
that purpose, and an Act obtained in 1835 to construct a ba^in and lock
communicating with the river, which was duly finished and opened for traffic
in 1842, at an expenditure of £195,000. This floating basin covered an area
of four acres, and the lock through which it was entered, 220 feet by 61
feet, was considered one of the finest in the kingdom.
In 1854 the company obtained
a further Act, empowering them to convert the feeder pond into a floating
dock, and so add another seven-and-a-half acres to the existing floating
area, thereby making a total of eleven-and-a-half acres. For the execution
of this work they engaged the professional services of Mr. Abernethy, and
the work was completed and opened in March, 1858. The coal trade carried on
at these docks, (where coal hoists were worked by hydraulic machinery
furnished by Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co.) soon became so extensive, and
continued to increase so rapidly, that much overcrowding and consequent
delay n loading was experienced—the returns for the year 1864 showing a
shipment of 322,646 tons of coal, or 28,913 tons to each acre of dock area.
The effect of the large
shipment of steam coal, moreover, was to reduce the number of sailing
vessels and attract a larger proportion of steamers for the export trade, by
which change, increased despatch and regularity of journey were secured. In
addition to this, many of the steamers frequenting the port exceeded 300
feet in length, so that more accommodation, as well as the best modem
appliances for loading and despatching them in the shortest possible time,
became imperative for the welfare of Newport, as a competing port in the
Bristol Channel. To secure the last object large additions^ space for
sidings and storage was requisite, so that the coal might be standing in
readiness to be shipped as soon as the steamers arrived, and these
facilities were not obtainable in the vicinity of the existing docks. The
inadequate accommodation to meet the demands of trade had in fact not only
become realized, but actual falling off in traffic had set in, and was
threatening to still further increase for the coal and iron merchants In the
district gladly encouraged every attempt that was made to obtain direct
railway communication between their various works and the Port of Cardiff,
where, including Penarth and the area inside the old Canal Gates to the
Great Western Railway Bridge, there was still-water accommodation of 94
acres.
Such is an epitome of affairs
at Newport, when a new company, of which the late Lord Tredegar was
chairman, was formed in 1864, and application made to Parliament for powers
to make the Alexandra Docks ; Mr. Abernethy, who had acted for the old
company in 1856-8, being again entrusted with the engineering, and deputed
to prepare the Parliamentary plans and sections, and subsequently all the
detailed drawings.
The project met with the
unanimous support of all the railway companies in the district, but a moiety
of the directors in the old company, apprehensive of an injury to the trade
in their dock, opposed it, and tendered evidence before Parliament to the
effect that the then existing dock was amply sufficient for the trade, that
no further space would be required for years to come, and that they could,
ii necessary, ship double the quantity of coal at present sent down for
exportation.
With this evidence to contend
against, the promoters of the Alexandra Dock experienced a severe struggle
before the Committees of both Houses of Parliament, but they succeeded in
obtaining their Act, to which the royal assent was given on July 6th, 1865.
When the work was authorized
and about to be commenced trade was flourishing, and with a certain
stability which induced a firm hope that it would continue. The “ black
diamonds,” the produce of the district, were sought for and supplied with a
will. But while the company were indulging in sanguine expectations of the
speedy commencement of the great undertaking fraught with such prospective
advantages, the sudden collapse of the great house of Overend, Gurney & Co.,
followed by an almost unparalleled panic, and a subsequent period of
distrust and stagnation in the monetary and commercial world, necessitated
the suspension of operations. Strikes between employer and employee, too,
tended to drive trade from the district in common with others, while the
crisis in the east paralysed speculators, and trade reached a low ebb
indeed.
As soon, however, as there
was a partial revival of confidence, the promoters again pushed forward
their scheme with energy, and their efforts received invaluable aid from the
secretary, the late Mr. J. S. Adam. By mutual agreement some changes were
effected in the directorate, a few gentlemen retiring to allow of the
admission of some enterprising capitalists, notably the late Mr. J. R.
McLean and Sir George Elliot, in their stead, but continuing to support and
further the undertaking. After careful deliberation it was decided to
proceed with a portion of the original scheme, and to do this on such a
plan, that at any time the entire work could be completed without
inconvenience and within the original estimated cost.
Accordingly on May 28th,
1868, the work was commenced, the ceremony of turning the first sod being
performed by Lady Tredegar, the engineer handing her a silver spade for the
occasion and remarking, — “Your ladyship, I present to you this implement
for the inauguration of a great work, which I have no doubt will prove a
source of gratification to your noble husband and his family in future
years, conducing, as it must, to the prosperity of the trade of Newport and
neighbourhood.”
After seven years of
unremitting patient work the Alexandra Dock was completed, and on April
17th, 1875, the mayor was in the fortunate position of being able to
telegraph to H.R.H the Prince of Wales, at Sandringham, that “The Alexandra
Dock, named after H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, has just been opened in the
presence of 40,000 people of all classes, and the universal rejoicings of
the inhabitants of Wales.”
The latter words might, if
subjected to strict criticism, be regarded as a gentle hit at the exclusion
of Monmouthshire from the Principality of Wales, for which the adjusters of
the Oxford Circuit were responsible, as it was aforetime inalienably Welsh,
but probably there was a sufficient proportion of Welshmen among those
present, and certainly more than a sufficient number throughout Wales who
were not present, but who shared in the rejoicings, to make the message
correct. His Royal Highness, :n reply, took up the same strain, for he
wired,—“I thank you much for your telegram, and I congratulate most heartily
the inhabitants of Wales on the success of the undertaking.”
The Alexandra Dock is
situated about one mile from the mouth of the Usk, a broad and deep river,
having a width of 700 feet opposite to the entrance of the dock, and a depth
of 37 feet, and without a single obstacle of any kind to its navigability
either by day or night. The land upon which it was constructed was the
property of Lord Tredegar, the chairman of the Alexandra Dock Company, and
ample space was secured, capable of future extension, on which to make an
elaborate labyrinth of sidings.
The entrance to the Alexandra
Dock is admirably situated at a bend of the river Usk, and being in the
design of a “trumpet mouth,” affords the greatest facilities for working
vessels in and out. The curves being common to both directions, enable
vessels to be passed in beyond the tideway of the river at once without the
necessity of swinging them across the channel as had to be done in entering
the old dock. This “trumpet mouth” entrance is 350 feet wide between the
line of the river front and the outer gates, with a depth of 37 feet of
water on average spring tides.
The principal works comprise
an outer lock 350 feet by 65 feet, divided by a pair of intermediate gates,
so that it may be used as two locks, or one large lock as required, and
vessels drawing 23 feet of water can enter or leave within an average period
of three hours on every tide throughout the year. The Alexandra Dock. which
receives its water supply from the river Ebb by means of a conduit, has an
area of 28! acres, and being in immediate connection with all the existing
lines into Newport, secures the most complete through communication for
import as well as for export traffic. The chief imports are Baltic and
Norwegian timber, pit props, Spanish iron ore, and railway sleepers; and
exports, in addition to coal, iron, machinery, sleepers, rails, and tin. The
hydraulic coal hoists constructed by Messrs. Armstrong, Mitchell and Co.,
from designs supplied by Mr. Abernethy, are most efficient. These machines,
which are of a high and low level are also ingenious in their method of
work. The lift receives a truck full of coal from the low level metals,
raises it to the shoot, tips its contents into the vessels hold, then lets
the empty truck slip down the slightly inclined high level, along which it
travels to join the empties.
After the opening of the
Alexandra Docks many strides were made the commercial progress of the port.
Step by step the directors added to the facilities already given for the
trade, and on August 7th, 1878, a large graving dock, 500 feet in length and
56 feet in width at the bottom, and 74 feet in width at the coping, was
completed. The bottom is inverted, and has a verse line of one foot six
inches. This graving dock is supplied by water from the dock, which in its
turn is supplied by the river Ebbw, thereby avoiding the use of tidal water,
which generally leaves a deposit of mud. The water is ultimately discharged
into the river through a three feet cast-iron pipe, which is taken down to
low-water mark. This arrangement further did away with the necessity of
pumping, which docks supplied from a river, usually require. The last
mentioned work was completed in thirteen months, to the great credit of the
contractor, the late Mr. John Griffiths.
A large timber pond which had
been in course of construction, simultaneously with the graving dock, was
the next work executed, and later a staging and jetty were added for the
shipment of rails. The timber pond constructed is 300 feet long and 100 feet
wide, and is connected with the dock by a canal some 800 feet in length,
through which the timber on arrival is passed into the float. The Alexandra
Dock has been lengthened since 1875, under the direction of the late Sir
George Elliot, Bart., plans for which were prepared for him by Mr. Abernethy
in 1885. |
