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ONE more harbour work of
importance remains to be mentioned, and that is Fraserburgh, the chief
Scottish port of the herring fishery, some fifty miles north of Aberdeen.
It is just forty years since
the engineer whose career has been given in this Biography, was first
consulted with reference to Fraserburgh Harbour, and although this long
association would naturally suggest the propriety of an earl er mention, it
appears to occupy a more appropriate place in the book as last on the
special list, inasmuch as the advice given in 1857 has only within the past
two years been fully carried out, and also because it was the last work upon
which he was actually engaged.
In the year 1857 he
recommended to the Harbour Commissioners an extension of the Balaclava East
Pier, built in 1851, in an easterly direction, by forming a breakwater 720
feet in length, reaching to the further edge of the Outer Bush Rock, with a
view to sheltering the Balaclava and North Harbours. Sixteen years later, in
1873 a Provisional Order was obtained in order to carry out the
recommendations of the report, and a loan of £60,000 was granted by the
Public Works’ Loan Commission for the construction of the works. These
comprised a breakwater, extending east-south-e^st for 680 feet, and then
turning south-east for 180 feet, and terminating on the outer Bush Rock, and
the widening of the Balaclava East Pier, on the sea side, to the extent of
i6| feet along its entire length of 1400 feet, so as to give width for a
roadway to convey materials to the breakwater without encroaching upon the
quay space or reducing the area of the basin. As the breakwater was to be
exposed to the heavy seas raised by north and north-east gales, it was
designed to be formed of a solid mass of concrete in position above low
water, 30 feet wide, and having its quay 10 feet above high water protected
by a parapet feet high. Mr. J. H. Bostock, M.I.C.E., carried out the work,
as resident engineer. The widening of the Balaclava Pier, the first of the
two works executed under the loan, was commenced at the end of 1875, and
completed in October, 1877, and contains 15,300 cubic yards of concrete. The
breakwater, begun in the spring of 1878, was completed in the autumn of
1882. It consisted of 15,274 cubic yards of concrete :n bags, and 25,106
cubic yards of concrete in position, or a total of 40,380 cubic yards, and
the total cost of the works amounted to £69,000. Thus a good deal had bean
done to give the harbour better protection, but much that had been advised,
had to remain undone until the Harbour Commissioners could see their way to
apply for a fresh loan. This came to pass in 1894, when extensive works were
undertaken, embracing, not only deepening the large area of harbour four
feet in the hard rock, and the erection of jetties, but also the deepening
of the entrance to the channel, the formation of a new breakwater at the
south side, the strengthening of Balaclava Breakwater, and the building of a
dry dock, three and a half acres, the largest of its kind in Scotland, and
intended for wintering the large local fleet of tirst class fishing boats.
These boats have hitherto been drawn up in winter on the piers, a process
which frequently strained them, and the Harbour Commissioners by making this
provision for their fishermen, have shown a timely consideration for them on
the first occasion when :1 has been in their power to do so.
At the time of Mr.
Abernethy’s death, a portion only of these additional works had been
regarded as likely to be carried out in the near future, but all of them
have since been undertaken and completed after considerable difficulties in
the early stage, owing to extensive “blows” through the North Pier, well
within the estimate, and the surplus of the money advanced by the Public
Loan Commissioners on the security of the rates, which remained over after
their completion, has been devoted to building the dry dock. Some four years
since he took his two elder sons into partnership, and Mr. G. N. Abernethy
has continued to carry on this work to its successful termination. Mr. G.
Fitzgibbon has, since operations began in 1894, acted as the resident
engineer at Fraserburgh, and has most ably superintended the carrying out of
a difficult engineering work. The harbour space is now thirty-eight acres,
with a mile and a half of quays, and all the necessary factories for the
landing and curing of fish. The navigation and harbour works may be
pronounced complete, but the fish market so much required remains to b«
built. This the inhabitants of Fraserburgh, who have done so much for their
harbour during the past twenty years, and are now deservedly benefiting by
the increased trade resulting from their enterprise, have decided to erect
as soon as possible.
The Aberdeen Journal of April
12th of this year, in speaking of the work nearly finished, said:—
“The scheme of improvement
planned forty years ago, by the late Mr. James Abernethy, is now nearing
completion, and the work has already been fully justified by the results,
both from an engineering and a financial point of view. The scheme projected
by the eminent engineer has produced the desired effect, and the growth of
the portal revenue by 100 per cent, within twenty years, may be regarded as
a further proof of the well known principle, that where facilities are
provided traffic will certainly follow.”
The cost of the last built
works has been £82,000. Messrs. Price and Wills, of Westminster, undertook
the contract, and executed it within the engineers’ estimate, and in a
manner which has given universal satisfaction. The accompanying plate shows
a portion of the Balaclava Harbour laid dry, and certain of their staff in
possession of the premises. The harbour entrance has been enclosed by a
cofferdam in the autumn of each of the past years till the following July,
the water pumped out, and operations continued ; while in July of each year
the cofferdam has been removed, the sea admitted, and the herring fishery
briskly carried on as usual, and with the advantage each season of the
deepened portions of the harbour which had been effected before the
re-admission of water. |
