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towards Shoreham. These arms, or reaches were sufficiently capacious (with proper moorings laid down) to contain a number of vessels of as large as 400 tons burthen. In order to prevent the formation of a bar at the entrance to the Harbour, piers were placed at right angles with the shore, both of equal length, and extending to near low water mark at spring tides. This extension of uniform length confines the ebb tide into a narrow compass until it passes the Pier heads ; and there being but a weak ebb and flow in the bay, the tide will continue rapidly eastward. The mouth of the Harbour is formed by two curves, eastward and westward, on which are placed six dolphins (three on each side); rows of piles are driven and wattled at the bottom of the slope, and finished with a facing of chalk: these curves were a wise iuvention of the Engineer, as they give the current of the tide a true and direct course between the two piers, which, jointly, are not unlike a trumpet-mouth, and thus a quantity of water is collected and forces itself out with great rapidity. According to the report of Mr Chapman, the improvements before enumerated amounted to £36,432. In this state matters relative to the Harbour remained till the year 1851, when it was thought expedient to make considerable alterations, with a view to extend the eastern reach or arm to the "Wish," near Hove, for the purpose of bringing it as near Brighton as possible (which was rapidly extending itself westward), for the convenience of landing coals, &c, and with the desire to compete with the Eailway Company, who had erected a wharf at Kingston for the same purpose, and were bringing large quantities of coals into Brighton by railway transit from thence; also from their wharf at Deptford, —coals being brought from the north to the Thames by powerful screw steamers, which thus reduced considerably the price of that article of daily need. Inland coals |
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