Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The Shipping World Article of June 1886 . . .

In 1880, the Taff Vale Railway, finding their dock accommodation scarcely adequate to meet the demands of a rapidly growing trade, sought and obtained power to enlarge the dock and continue it inland, adding 870 ft. to the dock, and making it 2,900 ft. long, the width of the new portion being 370 ft. at its junction with the old part and 150 ft. at the further end, the water area being increased by 5½ acres. It was found necessary in carrying out this extension to remove a mound on the hillside, 125 ft. above the dock level, and containing over one million cubic yards. In the progress of this work, as well as in excavating the dock itself, large quantities of dynamite and other explosives had to be used. The cost of this extension, including a sum of £5,000, which is going to be expended in erecting a stage on the north side of the Ely Tidal Harbour, specially intended for the discharge of iron ore, amounted to £255,000.

Mr. T. A. Walker, of Westminster, who constructed the Prince of Wales Dock, at Swansea, carried out the work in less than two years. Sir John Hawkshaw designed the old dock, but Mr. George Fisher was associated with him as engineer for the extension. The curved line of the dock was maintained, so that vessels of a great length are enabled to overlap one another between the tips, thus economising space and preventing delay. The extension was also leased to the Taff Vale Railway Company.

The following vessels cleared from the dock during the last two years : -

		1884.		1885.
		No.	Reg. Tons.		No.	Reg. Tons.
	Steam  . . . . . . .	1,747	925,203		1,892	1,059,077
	Sailing . . . . . . .	1,925	458,775		1,778	495,771
		---------	------------		---------	------------
		3,672	1,383,978		3,670	1,554,848

It will be seen that though there was a decrease in 1885 of 147 in the number of sailing vessels, the sailing tonnage shows an increase of 36,996 tons, while the steamers show an increase of 145 vessels, representing 133,874 tons.