Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/39

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AIRE AND CALDER NAVIGATION
17

"For the warehouses and timber pond, general bonds have been given, whereby a considerable saving of expense, as well as trouble, will accrue to the merchant."

"The undertakers will not now give themselves, or the public, the trouble of entering upon a formal answer to the numerous misstatements that have been made by interested parties."

"It is sufficient to state, that two years have now elapsed since the opening of Goole, and five months since it was declared a port for foreign trade, and during that time no accident has happened to any of the numerous ships or vessels which have been there: every shipowner has manifested the most perfect readiness to repeat his engagement with Goole, and the trade there is daily increasing."

"The approbation of the public is the best test of the security and advantages of the port."

"A steam towing boat, called the "Britannia," of fifty horse power, is provided to facilitate the navigation of the Rivers Humber and Ouse: her usual station is off the port of Hull, where vessels bound for the port of Goole are boarded by the boats belonging to the officers of the revenue. The master of the "Britannia" is at all times ready to take charge of any vessel bound to Goole."

In consequence of an application to parliament, by the projectors of another line of communication from Wakefield to Ferrybridge, the undertakers of the Aire and Calder called in Mr. Telford, who surveyed the country and made an estimate for shortening and improving the navigation between those two places, and also between Leeds and Castleford; and on the 19th of June, 1828, their projected improvements were sanctioned by an act, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Undertakers of the Navigation of 'the Rivers Aire and Calder, in the West Riding of the county of York, to make certain Cuts and Canals, and to improve the said Navigation' The estimate for this work, including £135,350, for extending the docks at the port of Goole, exclusive of land there, amounted to £462,420, and parliament granted a power to the undertakers to borrow at interest the sum of £750,000. This work is already in execution, and when completed, the navigation will be some miles shorter, and the depth of water will be sufficient