Surveys at Odessa and Vienna--Harbour at Ponta
Delgada--Ramsgate--Dagenham.
During the latter part of the year I had some correspondence with the
municipality of Odessa about paving their streets and making a complete
system of sewers for the city; and in the spring of the following year I
was requested by the municipality to come to Odessa, and to confer with
them as to the best means of carrying these works into effect, and the
cost of doing so.
I accordingly started for that city; but when I arrived at Vienna I could
get no idea as to when the steamer would leave for Odessa. So to pass
away the time I determined to visit the Sömmering Mountain, over which
the Imperial Elisabeth Railway passes on the great line from Vienna to
Trieste. As that part of the line which crosses the Sömmering Mountain
was said to be a great feat of engineering, we determined to visit it,
and certainly it was a very creditable performance. The inclines were
very steep, and the curves very sharp and very numerous. Galleries were
cut through the rock, high embankments made, and bridges thrown across
the ravines, and the railway, having to wind round the sides of the
mountain, was very tortuous. The works, however, upon the whole were not
badly designed or executed, though I will not say whether a better line
might not have been found. The engines used were of the most powerful
kind.
Having returned to Vienna we descended the Danube and reached the Sulina
mouth. This mouth of the Danube was selected as the most capable of
improvement, and considerable sums of money have been expended upon
it, under the direction of Sir Charles Hartley, an English engineer of
considerable reputation. The works designed by him consisted of two
embankments or moles carried out from the shore, one on each side, and
nearly parallel to each other, in an E.S.E. direction, for a considerable
distance seaward, having a good opening between them for the entrance.
These moles, by keeping the current of the river to one course, enable
it to act more effectually in deepening the channel and lowering the
bar. The operations of the current are assisted by dredging. The works,
I understand, have been very successful so far, although by no means
completed. An increased depth over the bar and in the channel has already
been obtained, which is a very great improvement, for on account of
the continual shifting of the channel, and its shallow and tortuous
course, it was at all times uncertain and frequently very dangerous.
When we passed, the new channel had not been completed; the captain of
our steamer therefore thought it advisable to come to anchor for the
night and wait until the following morning. There is a wretched place
called the town of Sulina, on the right bank of the river, near the
commencement of the moles; it consists of wooden houses, stores, shops,
and cafés, scarcely two feet above the level of the water, and surrounded
by marshes, that send forth the most pestiferous malaria. I was told that
fevers constantly prevail there, and I am not surprised at it, for a more
abominable, uninviting place I have seldom seen. Next morning we started
for Odessa soon after daybreak, and after a tolerably smooth passage
reached the western harbour at about four o’clock in the afternoon.
The view of Odessa, at about two or three miles’ distance, as you
approach it from the sea, is rather pretty and imposing. It is situated
upon a calcareous sandstone cliff, about 40 feet above the sea, with a
very fine row of majestic stone buildings running the whole length from
north to south, having a spacious road, terrace, and garden between them
and the edge of the cliff. The town behind is for the most part well and
regularly laid out, with wide, spacious streets, at right angles to each
other, and some handsome shops and buildings, the residences of tradesmen
and merchants. A great number of wealthy nobles and landowners reside
here in winter, and houses worthy of the name of palaces, such as those
of the elegant and high-born Countess of Urrenzoff, the Governor-General
Prince Manukebè, Count Tolstoy, Mr. Maas the great banker, and numerous
others. The surrounding country, although the soil is rich, is open, with
very few trees, and has therefore a bleak, uncomfortable appearance. The
custom-house officers were very civil, to my surprise, and gave us very
little trouble, so we soon got permission to land, and immediately went
to the Hôtel de Londres, a very fine extensive building, situated in the
grand row of buildings already mentioned facing the sea. Here we obtained
handsome, spacious, well-furnished rooms, and lived very comfortably at a
moderate charge.
The next day I called upon the Governor, Count Strogonoff; the Mayor,
Count Tolstoy; the English Consul, Mr. Grenville Murray, and several
members of the municipality. Having paid these formal visits of ceremony,
at which I was courteously received, I immediately began to inquire into
the best mode of paving and draining the city, where the best materials
were to be obtained and their prices; in fact, everything connected with
them.
Before proceeding further it may be proper to describe the state of the
place as regards paving and sewers, which may be summed up in a few
words. There was neither one nor the other; and it is difficult to
conceive how such a fine and wealthy city could have been built, or could
have existed so long without them. First, with regard to the streets. The
soil is composed chiefly of sand mixed with clay, which during fine dry
weather makes a tolerably good road, but the moment it becomes saturated
with water, which is the case for a considerable portion of the year, it
is converted into one vast puddle, and the large and constant traffic
cuts it up into deep holes and gullies, so that in a comparatively short
time the road is a sea of mud, and almost impassable. During my stay
there were only a few days’ rain, but even this gave me a tolerable idea
of it, so that I could easily believe the account given to me by the
authorities and other inhabitants was by no means exaggerated. During
the worst state of the streets, the obstruction of bullocks and horses
trying to drag the loaded waggons and carriages was something dreadful,
and many a waggon was left irrevocably fixed in the mud with numerous
carcasses of horses and bullocks lying beside it. It was a singular thing
that nearly all the corn warehouses were in the upper parts of the town,
about a mile from the harbour where the corn was to be shipped, instead
of being close by. During the wet season it costs as much to get the corn
from the granaries to the harbour as to take it from Odessa to London.
The butchers’ shops were at the upper end of the town, from half to
three quarters of a mile from the eastern part, where all the principal
people live, and when provisions were required for the family they were
obliged to hire a carriage with three or four horses to get them; and
unless a family kept a regular store of provisions they ran a great risk
of being starved. The roads in the country round are not a bit better
than those in Odessa; during wet weather they are almost impassable.
About twenty-eight miles from Odessa, at a place on the River Dneister,
is a kind of depôt for the vast quantities of corn brought down from the
interior. Immense heaps or hills of corn were lying there when I visited
it. In wet weather these cannot be removed, and I was informed that a
great deal was burnt or allowed to rot because it could not be taken
away, either on account of the badness of the roads or the dangerous
state of the bar at the entrance of the river.
The sewers were very simple. Gullies had been made along each side of
the streets, into which all the filth was thrown, so that in dry seasons
it accumulated there, creating the most offensive effluvia, and in wet
weather it would not run off, on account of the gullies being blocked
up with mud. It was impossible to find a city in a worse state, and it
was astonishing that such a great, wealthy, and luxurious city could
have so long existed in such a condition. As there was no stone in the
neighbourhood fit for paving the streets, granite or a similar hard stone
being the only kind fit for the purpose, the next question was where it
was to be found, how to get it, and the cost of doing so. Upon inquiry,
I heard that excellent granite might be obtained in any quantity from a
quarry situated on the river Bug, and on proceeding there I found that
very good stone might be got with great ease, and at a comparatively
trifling cost. Having made my report, I returned to England.
In 1862 I was appointed chairman of the Civil Engineering Department
of the International Exhibition, assisted by the Marquis of Salisbury,
M. Bommart, M. Koch, of Berlin; M. Lelere, Belgium; M. Loehr, Austria;
Cesare Valerio, Italy; the Baron Baude, M. Mille, Mr. C. Manby, Mr. Kelk,
and Mr. Page.
Our report, I believe, was entirely satisfactory.
After this I was asked to examine the water supply of Vienna, and
accordingly, having reached that city, I turned my attention to the
following objects:
First, to the mode there adopted for supplying the water; this I found to
be by means of steam pumping engines of inadequate power, which forced
the water through iron pipes to fountains in the different streets,
whence it was obtained and delivered into the houses by carts and
carriers. The supply was not enough for the wants of the town, neither
was the water sufficiently pure nor properly filtered. It contained a
good deal of vegetable matter at the best of times, as the water was
admitted through the porous soil adjoining the river into very small
reservoirs, and it had no time to deposit the alluvial matter with which
it was charged before it was delivered for use. Moreover, this method
of supplying the water by means of steam pumping engines was a constant
expense, and the more water that was required the greater would the
expense be. I found, also, that an English party had proposed to extend
and amplify the existing system, by erecting more powerful engines, and
by making receiving and filtering reservoirs upon a much larger scale
about three or four miles higher up the Danube, on the same side, where
the water was clearer and more free from the sewage of the city. Now,
when I considered that the population was even then between five and
six hundred thousand, and that it was daily increasing, this pumping
system appeared to me to be the worst plan possible to effect the desired
object, unless no other means could be found. I therefore determined
to explore the environs of the city, as I felt convinced, from the
geographical features of the neighbourhood, that there must be numerous
streams amply supplied with water, with their beds sufficiently elevated,
and with reservoir room to any extent, to afford, by gravitation, an
abundant supply of the best water to Vienna, not only for the present
number of inhabitants, but for three millions and upwards. In other
words, I proposed to conduct the water from some of these sources in a
covered aqueduct, simply by its own natural inclination, to a reservoir
situated above the tops of the loftiest houses, in the highest part
of the city; thus all pumping would be done away with, and a vast
yearly expenditure would be saved; the first cost of these works would
not exceed the first cost of the extended plan on the old system
above mentioned, as proposed to be made higher up the Danube. Further
investigation completely established the correctness of my opinion.
On my return I took the railway to Trieste, passing by Baden, Neustadt,
up the line or valley of the Leitha, as far as the base of the Sömmering
ridge. Here I first visited the Fischa Dagnitz river, one of the
tributaries of the Leitha; it is a splendid stream, about twenty feet
wide, three to four feet deep, the water as clear as crystal, and flowing
over a gravelly bottom. During the height of summer the temperature
seldom exceeds 40 degrees of Fahrenheit. It is impossible to imagine a
finer stream; it has been analyzed and highly approved by some of the
first chemists, who pronounce it to be exceedingly pure. This water could
be conveyed by gravitation through a covered conduit to the top of a hill
overlooking Vienna, and from thence it could be delivered to the highest
parts of the city in ample quantity, without pumping or filtration. The
water of the Danube, even after filtration, cannot be compared with it.
The Fischa Dagnitz turned a number of mills in its course, and this
was the only objection to taking the water. But this was a loss that
could easily be compensated for by making reservoirs, to be supplied
by the surplus waters of this and other streams. The Fischa Dagnitz,
therefore, appeared to me to be decidedly the best source for supplying
Vienna with pure water, for any reasonable number of inhabitants. I next
examined the Leitha above the Dagnitz, and here I found that there was
a superabundant supply, although the water was by no means so good as
that of the Dagnitz. I examined several other tributaries to the Leitha,
passing over an extensive mass of _débris_, called the Steinfeld, where I
found that by damming some large reservoirs could be made, from which an
ample supply could be obtained of the same quality as that of the Leitha,
although by no means so good as that of the Fischa Dagnitz. It was quite
clear, therefore, that plenty of water could be obtained for Vienna now
and for all future time from this quarter. But not wishing to overlook
any source from whence a supply of water could be procured, I took the
railway from Vienna to St. Polten, a town on the road to Linz.
Here I found a very fine and copious stream, though when I examined it,
it was nearly in its lowest state. The ground between it and Vienna was
very high, so that to a certain extent pumping must have been resorted
to, if this source of supply was adopted. Another objection was the
much greater distance as compared with the streams up the valley of the
Leitha. I felt therefore satisfied that it would not do, and that the
question lay between the Fischa Dagnitz and the tributaries of the Leitha
on the Steinfeld above mentioned. All these observations I embodied
in a report to the municipality of Vienna, and recommended the Fischa
Dagnitz; for although there might be a few feet less fall, still, taking
into account the far greater purity of the water, it was the best. The
municipality received my report, and returned me their thanks for it. At
all events, I had decided the question against taking the water from the
Danube.
Having made these investigations and sent in my report upon them, it
now remained for the municipality to decide. They said they would take
time to consider, and accordingly appointed some of the most able and
scientific officers of their own body, as well as those attached to the
Government, to investigate the subject further. After above two years’
examination these persons made their report, recommending that the
principle of gravitation as proposed by me should be adopted, and that
the supply should be taken from the tributaries of the Leitha in the
Steinfeld: this was in fact adopting my plan, although I preferred the
Fischa Dagnitz as the source of supply, as none could or did dispute the
superior quality of its water to all others.
The municipality have been deliberating ever since on the best plan of
carrying this great work into effect, whether by a private company, or
whether they shall execute the works by contract and supply the water at
their own cost. This question, as far as I know, has not been settled,
although it has been now nearly six years in agitation; meanwhile the
city suffers materially from the want of a good supply of pure wholesome
water.
In the spring of 1861 a Mr. Parkenscholz, and M. José de Conté, a member
of one of the wealthiest and most respectable families of St. Michael’s,
the principal island of the Azores, called and informed me that the
Portuguese Government had decided to make a harbour at Ponta Delgada,
the chief town of St. Michael’s, the cost of which was estimated at the
sum of 134,000_l._ I replied that I should be willing to undertake the
superintendence and construction of this harbour, provided that I was not
compelled to serve them beyond the term of four years, and that I was
not to be responsible either for the plan or for the amount estimated to
complete it. To these terms the Portuguese Government consented, and I
started for the Azores in September, 1861.
We reached Ponta Delgada on the 20th September, and were very much
delighted with our first view of it. The town rose rapidly from the sea,
and presented a most interesting appearance. The spires of numerous
churches, starting up from the level of the surrounding houses, pierced
the blue sky, while here and there were gardens filled with the gayest
of flowers, and groves of orange, lemon, and olive trees, the whole
embosomed in a picturesque bay, backed by evergreen conical hills,
reminding one a good deal of Naples.
On landing I was received with great ceremony, and was waited on by
the Junta at my hotel. The next day I attended a meeting of the Junta
at the Governor’s house, when we discussed all the various preliminary
operations that were necessary preparatory to commencing the harbour.
It appeared desirable that the first stone should be laid before I left
the island, and preparations were ordered to be made accordingly. I
gave Mr. Plews full instructions as to what was necessary for this, and
having two days to spare I determined to accompany my friend, Mr. Thomas
Ivens, on an excursion to Furness, a celebrated watering-place, situated
near the eastern end of the island, about 27 miles distant. We started
on a couple of good donkeys, with another carrying some provisions, and
proceeded along the south shore over a very fair carriage road, for
about five miles, through some neat villages embowered in orange and
lemon orchards, passing also by comfortable villas and country houses,
and then struck in a north-easterly direction across the island over an
undulating well-cultivated country, chiefly growing Indian corn and other
cereals and green crops. When we reached the summit of this part of the
island we got a good view of the mountains to the eastward and of the
sea on the north and south sides. We halted for about an hour, and then
proceeded to a large town situated on the northern shore, surrounded by
rich gardens and fields, having every appearance of prosperity. From
thence we proceeded along the north shore over some very steep hills and
cliffs overlooking the sea, the road still good, until we got to a little
roadside inn about dark. There was, however, light enough from the stars
to find our way, so off we set again, and going over a very wild hilly
country got to the top of the pass which descended to Furness about ten
o’clock at night. Here the road ceased, and we found it necessary to get
off the donkeys and walk, for fear of being tumbled over their heads,
although they were very sure-footed. At a subsequent visit to this place
I crossed over the pass by daylight, and the view from the summit is
very fine, looking into what was formerly the crater of a volcano, which
is nearly two miles wide, surrounded by lofty rugged hills between 2000
and 3000 feet high, the bottom of the crater valley being now covered
with rich verdure and gardens and tropical trees and plants of various
kinds. Near the crater was the little village of Furness, with its church
and white houses dotted about, and close by were the sulphurous hot
baths sending forth volumes of steam, the whole forming one of the most
picturesque and agreeable scenes imaginable. We got to the inn at the
bottom of the valley at about 12 P.M., thoroughly tired, having ridden
and walked for nearly eleven hours. The inn, considering all things, was
by no means bad. I got a good bed and supper, and soon fell asleep, while
my companion, Mr. Ivens, went to his family, who were stopping there.
After a sound night’s sleep I got up in the morning and took a warm
sulphur bath as hot as I could stand it, which was about 96°; but you
may have the water at almost any temperature, as it issues boiling from
the spring. Close by, within a few yards, is a cold chalybeate spring,
and not far distant is a vast extent of rich alum deposit, from which
great quantities may be extracted, and a manufactory had then commenced
operations. I walked about until midday, quite enchanted with the beauty
of the place, dined with my friend Ivens and his amiable family, and
about one o’clock in the afternoon mounted my donkey and started off
with the guide for Ponta Delgada, being determined if possible to get
there that night. We had a tolerably stiff hilly road fit only for
mules, donkeys, or horses, before we could get out of the valley. Having
ascended the summit of the first pass, we had a delightful view behind
over the delicious valley of Furness which we had just left. We then came
to a rather extensive lake, surrounded by evergreen hills of much less
elevation than those surrounding the valley; and on the opposite side
of this lake, which was two to three miles long and about a mile wide,
we observed the country house of our Consul, Samuel Vines, Esq., seated
on the side of a hill about 200 or 300 feet above the lake, embosomed
in woods; and at the foot of the hill, close by the water’s edge, was
a strong sulphur spring, of the same temperature as those of Furness,
and like them covered with clouds of steam. There was not a house near
it all round the lake. It was singular that he should have chosen such
a solitary spot. I continued along the south and west side of the lake,
which is bounded by hills covered with underwood and evergreens, but not
a house nor even a shed to be seen; only a few solitary cattle here and
there with a shepherd boy. Nothing could be more still or lonely; but at
the same time there was a degree of quiet and repose which gave to the
place a certain undefinable charm not to be resisted.
Upon leaving the west end of the lake we ascended the hill over a rugged
path, passing through a wild, bare district, and from the summit enjoyed
a fine view of nearly the whole of the island, which was very beautiful
whichever way you looked. We now descended a very steep path, the view
changing at every turn. At last, about five o’clock, we reached the
clean, pretty town of Villa Franca, where I halted nearly an hour for
refreshment.
Villa Franca, which is situated in a small bay on the sea-shore, was
formerly the capital of the island, but an earthquake having occurred
near, it was abandoned for Delgada. It is still a thriving little place,
with a rich surrounding country. There is a small island, a few hundred
yards from the shore, where a good harbour might be made.
After leaving this town we had to take a rough road along the sea-coast
for a couple of miles, partly through deep sand, and partly among
scattered rocks, for there was no regular road. We then left the shore
and travelled over the cliffs by an equally bad path, sometimes over deep
chasms and sometimes up narrow glens, until we reached the high road
again, at which I was very glad, as it was now dark and very difficult to
find our way. We pushed forward with confidence, and the donkeys went on
very well; after passing through numerous villages, sometimes lying on
the sea-shore, at others a little distance inland, at last, much to my
satisfaction--for I was very tired--we reached Mr. Rodrigue’s comfortable
hotel about midnight. Old Rodrigue was surprised that I had made the
journey of between 50 and 60 miles in so short a time, for although it
was the month of September, the sun was very powerful, and the road for
many miles was very bad.
Next day we had another meeting of the Junta, and they made all the
arrangements for laying the first stone of the new harbour, which was to
take place with every possible ceremony. I found that Mr. Plews had got
a couple of large stones well dressed for the purpose; the captain of
the port had provided the sheers and tackle for hoisting them; and the
Junta had procured in the town a very pretty silver trowel, a mallet,
and mortar holder. A commodious gangway had been prepared from the shore
to the west end of the old mole, fronting the area where the new pier or
mole was to commence, according to the plan approved of by the Government.
The whole town was in motion at an early hour, and great numbers of
people came in from the neighbouring towns and villages, all dressed
in holiday costume. The town was decorated with the flags of various
nations, amongst which the Union Jack was particularly conspicuous. In
fact, it was considered a great national fête; the more so, as a work
such as this was intended to be had never been previously undertaken in
this island, or in the kingdom of Portugal itself. The procession was
marshalled at the Town Hall, and consisted of the band of the militia of
the island; then the governor, his secretary, and the Junta or committee
that was to conduct the work, followed by the principal officers,
merchants, and deputations from the chief towns in the island, with
their respective banners, closed by a number of the most respectable
inhabitants of the place; the lower orders, clad in their best, lining
the way by which we passed. Upon arriving at the place we were met
by the chief priest of the island, who, in a short prayer, invoked a
blessing from the Almighty that the enterprise might prosper. Then, upon
a signal being given, coins of the realm, together with a printed paper,
containing an account of the proposed work, the names of the governor
and Junta, the engineers, officers, &c., were placed in a glass bottle,
and deposited in the cavity of the lower stone, which had previously
been prepared and set. The governor having placed the glass case in the
cavity, I handed to him the silver trowel, with which he spread out the
mortar. The stone was lowered into its place, and the governor, having
previously adjusted it, gave the usual three taps with the mallet, and
the ceremony was finished with a discharge of guns from the fort, and
numerous showers of rockets from the town, amidst the cheers and vivas
of the bystanders, the band playing the national anthem. In the evening
a very handsome entertainment was given at M. José de Conté’s villa,
on the outside of the town, to which the Junta and principal officers
and merchants of the place were invited. The Portuguese band played
admirably during and after dinner, and we all retired much pleased with
the success of the day’s proceedings. The governor presented me with
the silver trowel, which I respectfully declined, and requested him to
keep it as a memorial of the happy day; which he, after some hesitation,
accepted, and I contented myself with the polished mortar holder, and the
next leading man of the Junta accepted the mallet.
The next day I made final arrangements for my departure by the packet,
which was expected on its return from Fayal the day after. In the mean
time I had been considering the danger of the harbour as laid down or
rather approved by the Government, and found that if the west mole was
commenced at the east end of Fort San Bray, as proposed, the fort would
be exposed to a much heavier swell; but that by making it commence at
the western end of the fort this would be avoided; moreover, the sum of
600_l._ would be saved, and the harbour would be made so much larger.
This recommendation was afterwards adopted by the Government. I now took
my leave of the governor and all the authorities, and my other friends,
with my grateful thanks for their kindness and attention.
The island, taken in a direct line from north to south, is about 40 miles
long, and from 7 to 9 miles wide. It is entirely volcanic. The east
and west ends exhibit the most powerful effects of the volcanic force.
In the former we see mountains raised to the height of about 3300 feet
above the level of the Atlantic, in the centre of which lies the valley
of Furness, the bottom being occupied by a lake that still sends forth
sulphurous vapours; and in the latter or west end we find mountains
of about 3000 feet, the centre of which is occupied by a large lake,
without any exhibition of existing volcanic action. Near the centre
of the island, which is the narrowest part, there are numerous minor
conical-shaped hills of less elevation, but all more or less showing
their volcanic origin. The island enjoys a most genial climate, and frost
or snow is of rare occurrence; but during the autumn and winter it is
visited by heavy gales from all quarters of the compass, which extend
over a distance of about 100 miles. During this period a great deal of
rain falls, and the climate may be said to be moist, much resembling that
of Madeira. Formerly a good deal of wine was produced here, but since
1855, when the oidium disease made its appearance, the vintage has been
very unsatisfactory; and although a certain quantity of wine, resembling
that of Madeira, is still made for home consumption, none is exported.
The principal productions of the island now are oranges and lemons, of
which vast quantities are annually exported to the north of Europe. The
district where these are produced is restricted to the centre of the
island, commencing at Ponta Delgada, and extending eastward about 7 or
8 miles. On the north it is bounded by the central ridge of hills, and
on the south by the sea, the width being about 3 or 4 miles, so that it
enjoys the full rays of the southern sun. These orange and lemon orchards
are cultivated with the greatest care, and wherever they are exposed to
the east, west, or southern gales are protected by high stone walls. On
the north the hills alone afford sufficient shelter.
Towards the latter end of October the season commences, and continues
until about the end of February, during which time the harbour of Ponta
Delgada is continually crowded with shipping, whilst on shore the
inhabitants are busy packing the fruit in boxes; these boxes are made
from the wood brought chiefly from the forests that clothe the mountains
at the eastern end of the island. The vessels in which the fruit is
exported are principally small schooners, built rather short, capital sea
boats, and manned by the best of captains and sailors, who thoroughly
understand their profession. They go to sea in any weather, which is at
times most severe, rarely if ever meet with any accidents on the voyage,
and make the passage to England in from eight to ten days. It is true
they are sometimes driven ashore when they break from their moorings
in the exposed roadstead of Ponta Delgada during heavy gales from the
south-west to the south-east, to which it is exposed; but this will be
obviated by the new harbour, and was one of the objects of its being
made. Sometimes, during the prevalence of these gales, they are obliged
to slip their anchors, and run for shelter to the northern side of the
island, where they occasionally ship their cargoes, which is always done
by means of lighters from the shore. Immediately they are laden they
start with the first fair wind, however strongly it blows; they never
wait for weather, but as soon as laden they put to sea, and generally
make good, indeed, the best of passages.
I met a young botanist who had come out in one of these vessels to Ponta
Delgada, for the purpose of making botanical researches in this and in
the neighbouring islands, in the month of March; they had an excellent
passage until they got within about a hundred miles of St. Michael’s,
when he said to the captain, “We shall be there to-morrow.” The captain,
an excellent sailor, looking at the signs of the weather, replied, “I
don’t think so. We are going to have a hard gale from the southward.” He
immediately ordered his mate to well batten down the hatchways, shorten
sail, and make all as snug as possible. The captain was right; the gale
from the south came a few hours afterwards, with a very heavy sea.
The young botanist frankly confessed to me that he began to be terribly
afraid at seeing the tremendous sea running after them, and asked the
captain if there was any danger; when the captain coolly replied, “Never
fear: it is only a little loss of time. Go to your berth, and lie there
quietly. We shall get there safe enough, with a little patience.” The
captain then ordered the vessel to be hove-to, and there she lay as
comfortably as possible, never shipping a single sea, although the waves
were running mountains high. After about five or six days she entered
the bay of Ponta Delgada without having sustained the least damage. She
got her cargo of fruit aboard and returned directly, and made one of the
quickest passages that season to England.
Besides oranges and lemons, St. Michael’s grows large quantities of
Indian corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, and other articles, of which
she exports largely to Portugal, and is considered the granary of the
kingdom; her exports are much larger than her imports, and she receives
back in return wine, oil, and manufactured goods. In fact, St. Michael’s
is looked upon by the Portuguese as their most productive and wealthiest
island. The population is extremely civil, hard-working, and industrious,
and the upper classes are wealthy, enterprising, and energetic, and send
some of the most talented deputies to the Cortes, who by their ability
and perseverance attain the highest offices in the State; for example,
the late Minister of Finance, Senhor Avila, who, although a rough
subject, was yet possessed of great talents and integrity. The island
also furnishes some very fine hardy sailors and soldiers; and I was told
that the other islands of Pico, Fayal, and St. Mary’s, although not equal
in extent or wealth, do the same.
On the 9th of October (1863) I again left London for Lisbon by one of
the Royal Mail steamers, and reached it on the morning of the 13th
following, and on the 15th, in the evening, I started in the packet for
Ponta Delgada, which we reached on the morning of the 20th, after an
agreeable and tolerably smooth passage. I found that some considerable
progress had been made with the preliminary works; although these were
not so far advanced as they might have been, in consequence of the Junta
not having found the necessary funds. I had previously explained to them
in written reports, that the more complete the preliminary works were
made, and the larger the scale on which the operations were conducted,
the sooner the harbour would be completed, and the greater would be the
economy. I have already observed that the Government had approved of
a certain plan for the harbour without consulting me, and that it had
simply confided to me the charge of carrying the design into effect.
However, I felt it my duty to consider the plan more maturely, so as
to ascertain how far it was likely to answer the object intended; as,
for example, whether the estimate made was sufficient for the purpose,
and whether it could be done within the time stated. I could not at
first do this, because I had not had time sufficient to investigate the
local circumstances; however, upon my second visit, the experience of
my former one, combined with the observations which Mr. Plews had made
in the meantime, enabled me to master the subject; and upon carefully
considering the plan adopted by the Government, and comparing it with
the local experience which I had now obtained, I felt convinced that the
design would not effect the object proposed. Vessels would neither be
able to enter nor depart during the most dangerous and prevalent winds,
without the risk of being shipwrecked; neither could those vessels lying
in the harbour be considered safe. The plan was deficient in all the
qualities necessary for a good harbour; as regards the expense, it would
cost at least more than double the estimate; and as to the time, it
would be extremely difficult to state when the works would be completed.
Having clearly satisfied myself upon these points, I felt it my duty to
inform the Junta, so that they might report the same to the Government.
The Junta received my remarks very cautiously, and said that several
objections to the plan adopted had occurred to them; however, they did
not pretend to give any opinion upon the subject, and they requested
me to make a full report upon the plan adopted, together with all my
objections, and the cost of carrying it into effect. They also requested
me to prepare a new plan, according to what I conceived best adapted to
the local circumstances; also an estimate of the cost of carrying it into
effect; and said that as soon as they received them they would send them
to the Government, and would communicate to me their decision as early as
possible. This I accordingly did upon my return to England.
This report was submitted by the Junta to the Government, and it was
decided that the plan I proposed was the best, and the Government ordered
it to be carried into effect. This decision was very gratifying to me,
for I was strongly convinced that I was right, and if the Government had
decided otherwise I felt that there was no alternative but to resign
my situation. The works were therefore ordered to be proceeded with
according to the new plan that I recommended. The Junta before I departed
arranged with me that the contract for my services should be limited to
five years from 1861, although I was previously informed that it should
only be for four years, the sum for my remuneration being the same for
five as for four years; this was certainly a loss to me, but I did not
wish to make any difficulty about it, as I was anxious that my plan
should be adopted.
My design consisted simply of one mole or breakwater carried from the
west side of Fort St. Braz, and in such a direction that no eastern pier
would be required, as the opposite shore of the bay would answer that
purpose. The mole consists of two arms, one at the shore end, 2000
feet long, and the outer end from 800 to 1000 feet long, with ample
depth within from 40 to 50 feet, and covering a water space of nearly
double the extent of the old plan. This new mole when finished will
have a strong promenade stone parapet 20 feet above the level of high
water, and a roadway below 40 feet wide, lined by a quay wall on the
inside, alongside of which the largest vessels may approach and take in
and deliver their cargoes at all times. Railways will be laid along the
quays, and cranes worked by steam will travel along them for loading and
unloading the vessels.
This mole is now advanced outwards about 1600 feet, and if the Junta had
only followed my advice, it ought to have been finished by this time.
I always calculated that after the first year, when the whole of the
works were in full operation, from 1000 to 1200 tons of stone should be
daily deposited, whereas, upon an average they have not done half that
quantity, in consequence of their not employing sufficient plant in the
shape of waggons, trucks, cranes, locomotives, tools, &c.; however, that
is their fault, not ours. I have constantly made reports pointing out
these deficiencies.
The quarries having now been opened, railways laid, and a sufficient
number of locomotives, waggons, and trucks having been provided for the
present, I proposed to the Junta that they should commence depositing
stone on the line of the great mole. The laying of the first, as
mentioned before, was simply a matter of ceremony, as they were really
not then in a position to commence the actual work. The Junta approved of
my proposal, and accordingly, two days before my departure, this ceremony
took place. About six waggons laden with blocks from two to five tons
weight were drawn by one of the locomotive engines from the quarries
to the end of the staging or platform in the line of the mole, and
were there deposited with great _éclat_. The locomotive then returned
with the empty waggons and brought six more, which were deposited in
the same manner, and this operation continued throughout the day. As
this mode of conducting the harbour works had never been before seen
on the island, it created much interest and astonishment amongst the
natives, and the ladies were particularly amused by taking a ride upon
the locomotive engines. I simply observe once for all that this mole was
to be constructed by depositing, from open staging in the line of the
mole, blocks of rough stone varying from a quarter of a ton to 10 tons
in weight, when they could be obtained. These blocks being deposited in
the sea, the waves would soon drive and consolidate them together, until
after a time the mass becomes immovable; in fact, the sea is the workman
or mason to arrange the stone deposited in such a manner that it shall
become fixed in its place; therefore, during the operation the more and
heavier the storms the better, the great point being that the stone shall
be carried out and deposited in such masses that the sea shall not break
through it, but merely act upon it, by drawing down the exterior or sea
slope to such an angle that it will stand after the heaviest storms. Now
my father, who commenced this system at the breakwater in Plymouth Sound,
and in other places, found that the sea slope of a mole or breakwater
constructed in this manner would stand an inclination of about 5 or 5½ to
1 for every foot perpendicular, and 1 to 1 on the land side, as I have
mentioned in a former chapter.
Throughout all my experience I have found the same, therefore the
breakwater at Ponta Delgada was founded upon this principle. Five lines
of railway of the 7-feet gauge have been carried out upon the staging,
so that the top has a width of fully 50 feet; and as the works proceed
outwards another will perhaps be added, if circumstances require it,
which will make the width 70 feet. By keeping up a constant supply of
stone, there will always be sufficient for the waves to act upon until
the sea slope has attained its ultimate point of repose. As fast as
the large blocks of stone are deposited and washed into their place,
great quantities of quarry rubbish are supplied to fill up the minor
interstices and render the whole mass more solid, until the slopes are in
a fit state to be regularly formed and paved for receiving the parapet.
For some years there had been constant complaint from merchants and
shipowners that they were taxed for Ramsgate harbour when their vessels
never did or could use it. These continued complaints, so often repeated,
at last had effect, and Parliament decided, in the year 1861, that the
passing toll of Ramsgate harbour should cease, and that only those
vessels that used it should pay, according to a certain tariff. The
trustees under whose direction the harbour had been made and maintained,
complained to the Government that without the passing toll they did not
see from whence funds could be derived to maintain it in a proper state
of efficiency, and therefore they requested to be relieved of their
responsibility, and tendered their resignations, which were accepted by
the Government, and an Act of Parliament was passed in the year 1862
relieving the old trustees from their trust, repealing their Acts of
Parliament, and vesting the harbour, all its funds, and responsibilities,
in the Board of Trade. I succeeded my father in December 1821 as
engineer-in-chief to the harbour, at the same salary, namely, 210_l._
per annum, which included travelling and office expenses of every kind,
the trustees paying the salary of the resident engineer themselves. The
harbour was in a very dilapidated state, in fact, it almost required
rebuilding, when it came under my direction, and monthly visits of two
and three days were necessary, besides attending the Board in London
once every fortnight examining accounts, correspondence, reports, and
plans, all of which required a good deal of labour and responsibility,
and which, if paid for according to the usual professional scale, would
have amounted to at least treble the sum of 200_l._, or more; but
considering the appointment to be permanent, and that upon retirement
I should be entitled to an adequate pension according to my years
of service, I thought it better not to decline. In the year 1822, a
committee was appointed by the House of Commons to investigate Ramsgate
harbour and everything connected with it. Mr. Wallace, afterwards Lord
Wallace, was chairman of this committee; he made a searching inquiry, and
found nothing wrong. I was examined at great length touching all works,
the mode of managing them, and what would be the total cost of doing so.
The cost it was extremely difficult if not impossible to state, for the
greater part of the works were under water, and failures and accidents
were constantly occurring without any previous warning, so that what was
sound one day was in ruin the next.
As an example, I may mention the west pier-head: this upon examination
carefully from above appeared quite sound; not a crack could be seen
above low water. It is true that the projecting basement floor of the
lighthouse, which was not properly connected with the lighthouse tower
itself, and was little more than a mere shed, showed a slight subsidence,
but this outer part of the lighthouse was in no way connected with the
outer walls of the pier head; in fact, it rested upon the chalk filling
between the outer walls and the lighthouse. Now this chalk filling might
have subsided, by some leaks through the outer wall of the pier head,
without denoting any serious defects in the pier-head walls; however
the walls fell, with little or no warning, and the consequence was that
it was necessary to rebuild the whole pier-head, and the lighthouse
also, at a cost of nearly 20,000_l._ To a certain extent the same
thing occurred at the east pier-head; but this I observed in time, and
completely secured it at a cost of 2000_l._ The whole of the inner walls
of the east and west piers were completely undermined, although from
above they showed no signs of failure, and I was obliged to underpin them
to a depth of from 10 to 12 feet below low water of spring tides. The old
wooden sluices were worn out; and these it was necessary to replace. The
main entrance from the harbour to the basin was in such a dilapidated
state that it was necessary to take it down and rebuild it; this cost
18,000_l._ The quay walls of the inner basin were fast going to decay;
and I was obliged to take them down and rebuild them. All the filling
in between the outer and inner walls of the outer harbour had sunk in
numerous places, and it was unsafe for any person or carriage to go over
it; it was therefore imperative to take the whole of this out and refill
it with proper concrete. The pavement also was completely worn out, so
that we had to renew it. There was no means of supplying the ships with
fresh water, or of extinguishing fires. It was therefore necessary to lay
pipes with stop cocks and hoses round the piers and basin, connected with
the main water-pipes in the town. The whole of the sewage of the town was
discharged into the basin, and at low water it created a most offensive
effluvia, which rendered this part of the town unhealthy; I therefore
recommended that an intercepting sewer should be made round the basin,
so that all the sewage should be diverted from the town and harbour into
the sea, to the westward, and by this means it was carried away by the
tide, and a great nuisance taken away from the town. There was no regular
tide gauge to ascertain the exact rise and fall of the tide, so that the
harbour light at night could not be shown at the proper time, neither
could the day signal be hoisted to show when there was sufficient depth
at the entrance. This defect I remedied by establishing a self-acting
tide gauge in a well within the lighthouse at the west pier-head. The
pole of this tide gauge was connected with a cylinder and a clock hand;
on the cylinder was a roll of paper, and to the hand of the clock was
attached a pencil, which, as the rod or tide gauge rose and fell, marked
it on the paper; thus the rise and fall of every tide was indicated upon
the paper, and the clock showed the time, so that the rise and fall of
every tide was regularly registered and kept in a book from year to
year. I also established barometers at different parts of the harbour,
under lock and key, the latter of which was kept by the harbour-master;
these barometers were set every morning, and the rise and fall was
registered in a book, so that all the captains of vessels in the harbour
could ascertain as nearly as practicable the state of the weather;
rain gauges were also established, a regular account of the rainfall
being registered. Before my time the trustees had got an admirable time
clock, by Moore, for which they paid 200_l._, and Mr. Turner, one of
the chairmen of the trustees, got another clock from Dent’s, which cost
105_l._ These two clocks were kept in repair by a competent person, and
corresponded to a second with the Royal Observatory time at Greenwich,
hence every captain of a vessel starting from Ramsgate could carry
the correct time with him. Thus Ramsgate was provided with all the
instruments for ascertaining the correct time, the state of the tides,
together with the barometer, thermometer, the wind and rain gauges, and
everything necessary to indicate the probable state of the weather.
All harbours ought to be provided with these instruments, and a regular
journal should be kept, forming a careful record of the observations made
from them. After the harbour was transferred to the Board of Trade I
still continued as principal engineer, at the same salary, viz. 315_l._
per annum and travelling expenses.
In the middle of the last century a breach was made on the left bank of
the Thames, near the village of Dagenham, and many thousand acres of the
adjacent lowlands were inundated. The most skilful engineers of the day
tried long and in vain to close the breach, but at last it was effected
by Captain Perie, at a cost of 20,000_l._; but although the breach was
closed, and nearly the whole submerged lands relieved from the water,
still a space amounting to about 100 acres, where the breach took place,
has ever since remained covered, and is called Dagenham Lake at the
present day.
The position of this fine sheet of water being on the London side of the
Thames, its depth varying from 4 to 20 feet below low water of spring
tides, the great depth and width of the river in front of it and its
proximity to London render it admirably adapted for wet or floating
docks. For a long time it passed unnoticed, until, the trade of London
increasing, other docks were established on both sides of the Thames at
and close to London; the enormous cost of these and the high rates which
they were necessarily obliged to charge in order to get anything like
a remunerating dividend for the capital expended, induced enterprising
people to look out for some situation lower down the river where docks
could be established upon more moderate terms, and where consequently
the rates would be much lower. Amongst other places Dagenham Lake
attracted their notice, and very naturally so, for it possessed all
the requisites for making a complete establishment of the kind at a
most moderate cost, far below that which had been expended upon any of
the great dock establishments in London. Who were the first persons
who originated the idea of converting Dagenham Lake into a great dock
establishment I do not know, but amongst others, I am told, was Mr.
George Burge, the well-known contractor, about 1845. Subsequently Mr.
Crampton took up the idea, and proposed to convert Dagenham Lake into a
great dock establishment nearly twenty years ago, but the project never
came to maturity. At last Mr. George Remington, a well-known projector,
entered into it in 1854, and asked me to join him. On investigating
the subject I was satisfied of its intrinsic merits, and agreed to
co-operate in the undertaking. A Bill was therefore obtained in the year
1855 for this purpose. It was simply proposed in the first instance to
connect the Dagenham Lake with the Thames by means of a lock, together
with some small warehouses, landing wharves, and a railway to connect
it with the London and Tilbury line; the whole estimate of what it was
proposed to do there being confined to 120,000_l._, that is to say,
90,000_l._ subscriptions, and borrowing power of 30,000_l._ This, it
must be observed, was merely to commence the undertaking upon a moderate
scale; and it was intended to extend the quays and warehouse room in
proportion as the increased trade required it, for the floating basin
accommodation was equal to that of the largest docks in London, and the
depth of water in the river and in the dock was greater. The dock, if it
could be commenced upon this moderate scale, could not, it is true, have
been considered as a powerful rival to the other dock establishments, but
it would have relieved them from the greatest part of the lumber trade,
which they could not accommodate without great inconvenience and even
loss, such as the timber, guano, hemp, flax, coal trades, &c.; moreover,
it would give accommodation for laying up in ordinary the great number of
vessels which are always more or less unemployed in the port of London.
It is computed that of unemployed vessels there are generally about
150,000 tons; now these vessels, at a penny per ton per week, would
alone return 7000_l._ per annum, and as they require no superintendence
except from their owners, they alone would have paid 5 per cent. upon the
total capital of the Company, and all the other trade would have added
so much more to their income. It was quite clear that it would be to the
interest of all the unemployed vessels to lay up there, because they
could do so at half the expense compared with the other docks; for even
if they were to lie at their moorings in the river, although they would
be charged nothing, still their expenses would be a great deal more.
There was, besides, another trade open to these docks, that could not
be accommodated in any of the others, namely, the foreign cattle trade,
which is every day increasing, and which must continue to increase with
the population of the metropolis.
The first Act, as I have already said, passed in 1855, and although
several attempts were made to form a company to carry it into effect,
they all failed. In 1862 another Act of Parliament was obtained, as the
original one had nearly expired. In the new Act the powers were enlarged,
and the works were extended to 300,000_l._, with power to borrow
100,000_l._ more; and it was again attempted to form a company to carry
it into effect, but failed. In 1865 a third attempt was made to form a
company, and by the aid of Messrs. Rigby, the well-known contractors of
the great Admiralty harbour at Holyhead, a company was at length formed.
Those gentlemen contracted for the works at a certain price, and agreed
to take a large number of the shares as well in payment. The works
commenced under my direction, in the month of May 1865, and proceeded
very well until the end of March 1866, when the Messrs. Rigby got into
difficulties, and were unable to complete their contract, and the
consequence was that the whole of the works were stopped. The state of
the money market ever since has been so depressed that it has hitherto
been impossible to find the money to carry them on, and thus this really
valuable concern remains still in abeyance.
In 1866 another Act of Parliament was procured, enabling the Company to
obtain more land and to increase the works, so that ultimately, when
times become favourable, it is very probable that this great undertaking
will be carried out, and will form one of the largest and most important
dock establishments on the banks of the Thames.
During the year 1866 it was attempted to obtain an Act of Parliament for
making a railway between Romford and the docks. It passed the House of
Commons, but when it got into the House of Lords its supporters drew back
and the Bill was abandoned.