9. Building the Manchester Ship Canal.

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Floating pontoon dock.

 

The construction of the Manchester Ship Canal faced several difficulties. A major problem in 1890 was terrible floods after very heavy rain, which broke through into the newly prepared cuttings, destroying months of work and submerging the area, including machinery and railway tracks, under deep water. This image shows the result of one such flood at Latchford.

 

After the Flood at Latchford, flood water frozen up.

 

The flood at Thelwall.

 

Floods at Flixton with spoil waggons overturned.

 

A French Land Dredger removing soil at the Frodsham section.

 

A French land excavator, or navvy, at work on the Manchester Ship Canal. There were various types of land dredgers. French machines like this one were produced by Messrs. J Boulet & Co of Paris. Removed material was carried in buckets up the slope and into waiting wagons at the rear of the machine. The dredger moved along the work site on rail tracks. These had to be taken up and moved when an area of work was completed.

 

Dredging soil at Partington.

 

Various types of machines were used during the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, including land dredgers like this one, seen here while not in use. This particular model appears to French. French machines were produced by Messrs. J Boulet & Co of Paris.

 

The two large cast iron tubes seen here in the centre are the River Gowy syphons. They were put in place to carry the River under the Manchester Ship Canal and into the River Mersey.