Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - 1898 - A Clever Piece of Engineering . . .

Ways were laid down on the slope, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19. The lower end of these ways was hinged, and a cradle was arranged for carrying the gates, and this cradle was run down on the ways. The hinged end of the ways approximated to the slope at which the gates floated, and the cradle was naturally on the same slope.

The cradle being at the lower end, the gate was floated against it, and chains being attached, the whole was pulled up the slope. Rather above the level of the quay there was another hinge in the ways, and this enabled the front end of the gate to be pulled down, thus bringing the latter to a horizontal position.

A new pair of gates had in the meantime been made, and these were put in place by reversing operations above described. Other gates have since been changed in an exactly similar way, in every case without interfering with the working of the docks.

During the time the gates were out, the roller paths were adjusted by divers, and by making sucker dams to place on the walls (see Figs. 9 to 12) new wing rollers of the gate chains, for opening and closing the gates, were put in. The faces of the walls and brackets were also made good by aid of these dams under 27 ft. water, thus effecting a considerable saving over what would be required if working with the diving bell, even if the operations could have been carried on at all.

The contractors for this work were Messrs. Handyside and Co., of Derby, and the Thames Iron Works, Mr. Hurry Riches making the necessary arrangements for designing the work and directing the operations.