Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/620

 614 LONDON Besides 109,000 for the western extension of the metropolitan meat market, and 28,393 for that of Billingsgate, the City spent in 1873 87,231 for the maintenance of various mar- kets, of which 75,284 was derived from the two great metropolitan markets, and about 10,000 from the others. Covent Garden has been since the middle of the 17th cen- tury the principal market for fruits, vegeta- bles, and herbs, and the present market place dates from 1830. Early on summer mornings it is especially animated and fragrant. A flower market covered with glass, the finest in the world, was erected in 1859, on the S. side of the Covent Garden opera house, and is ac- cessible both from the fruit market and from Bow street ; it is proposed to remove it to an- other locality. The other London fruit and vegetable markets are the Borough and the Farringdon. Rag fair is held in Middlesex street, near Tower hill, and is almost exclu- sively devoted to the sale of old wearing ap- parel. Another market of the kind in Hounds- ditch occupies a square open area a little off the street, and is of a somewhat more miscella- neous character; broken umbrellas, old iron, bones, pieces of old harness, all sorts of wear- ing apparel, and articles of the meanest de- scription, are gathered and sold here. The most celebrated commercial marts are the coal exchange in Thames street, the corn market in Mark lane, and the colonial produce market in Mincing lane. A wool market was opened in 1874 near the guildhall, in an elegant build- ing with extensive accommodations, and there are various other special localities for markets and salesrooms. The port of London extends nominally and legally 6 m. below London bridge, to a point called Bugsby's Hole, over against Blackwall ; but the port itself does not reach beyond Limehouse, though the port sani- tary jurisdiction extends over 88 m., with 8 sets of docks and 13 creeks. The " Pool " com- mences just below London bridge, where the river is divided into two channels by the treble range of colliers anchored in it to discharge their cargoes. Only a certain number of the colliers are admitted into the Pool at once, the remainder waiting in the lower pool until the flag which denotes that it is full is lowered, when those enter whose turn is first. Close to London bridge there is water sufficient for vessels of 800 tons. The legislature has placed the shipping of the port and their moorings under the direction of harbor masters nomi- nated by the City corporation and ratified by the Trinity house. The society of the Trinity house, on Tower hill, incorporated in 1815, possesses great wealth ; it has the superinten- dence of the placing and repairs of landmarks and buoys to indicate the channels, and of the whole English lighthouse system, and the ap- pointment and control of pilots. Although the conservation of the river is in some mea- sure under the care of the City corporation, Trinity house has concurrent jurisdiction. The principal docks of London are the West In- dia, East India, London, St. Katharine's, Vic- toria, and Commercial. (See DOCK.) A lit- tle below the tower are the St. Katharine's docks, enclosed by warehouses, over which the masts of the larger shipping are observa- ble. Next are the London docks, with famous wine vaults. On the opposite shore is the grand Surrey dock, devoted together with the Commercial docks to the timber and corn trades. A little below the Pool, where the river bends abruptly in its course at Lime- house reach, is one of the entrances to the West India docks, which run across the base of the tongue of land called the Isle of Dogs and open into Blackwall reach, the vast num- ber of masts seen across the pasturage resem- bling a forest of leafless trees. The East and West India docks have been recently extended by the construction of a new south dock cov- ering 33 acres, with many quays, jetties, ware- houses, &c., and four pairs of gates, the main lock being 300 ft. long, 55 ft. wide, and 30 ft. deep at high tide. Other extensions and tun- nels for the convenience of intercommunica- tion between the great docks are in course of construction. The total number of wet docks in London is now 28. The authorized share capital of the East and West India dock com- panies (1874) is 1,005,688 ; of the London and St. Katharine's, 5,756,697, besides 1,062,- 500 in debenture stock; of the Milwall, 500,- 000; and of the Surrey Commercial, 964,- 813. Opposite Greenwich are many ship builders' yards. Below Greenwich the shores on either side are exceedingly flat as far as Blackwall, where are the East India docks, full of the largest merchant ships. Still further down the river is Woolwich arsenal, the lar- gest government ordnance depot ; and here also is a depot for convicts. Gravesend, the last town on the banks of the Thames, is about 20 in. from London. Parallel to the basin near Dog and Duck stairs, sometimes called the East Country docks, leading to the Commer- cial docks, is the Surrey canal, which commu- nicates with the Oroydon canal. The Regent's canal (9 m. in length, and provided with 12 large locks) communicates with the Grand Junction canal, and passes from Paddington by a tunnel under Maida hill to Regent's park, thence to Islington, under which it is carried by a tunnel m. long, and so on to Hoxton, Hackney, and Limehouse. Some of the local traffic is carried on by means of these canals. The principal commerce passes through the docks. At Deptford, 3 m. S. E. of London bridge, and contiguous to Greenwich, is the victualling department of the navy ; but the royal dockyard and ship-building establish- ments were closed March 13, 1869 (see DEPT- FOBD), and those at Woolwich on the follow- ing Oct. 1. A new royal dockyard was opened at Chatham, 30 m. S. E. of London, June 21, 1873, where as well as at Portsmouth ex- tensive preparations for additional docks are