Carlisle Patriot, 31 Dec 1825 - Dinner at Workington
petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk
Saturday 31 Dec 1825 (p. 3, col. 1-2)
DINNER AT WORKINGTON.
On Monday the 19th instant, a public dinner took place in the Assembly-rooms, Workington, to celebrate the completion of the new pier at that port. In the afternoon the Light-house, at the end of the pier, was lighted up for the first time. It is constructed of iron, and stands upon pillars 50 feet high; and the gas-lantern is so contrived that the light is reflected upon the head of the pier, and vessels may approach it in security.
At four, the company, upwards of eighty in number, sat down to dinner; J. C. CURWEN, Esq. in the chair. It is stated in the Whitehaven Gazette, as a fact worthy of notice, that "the Rev. Mr. DALZELL said grace."
The toasts of, "the King," "the Duke of York and the Royal Family," "the Wooden Walls of Old England," and "the Lord Lieutenant," having been given from the chair, Mr. Allison CROSTHWAITE rose, and after complimenting Mr. CURWEN for his exertions to get the pier completed, proposed the Hon. Gentleman's health, and moved that the pier should be called "John's Pier." This was carried with general approbation.
Mr. CURWEN returned thanks, and entered into a history of the harbour of Workington.—The pier and light rendered the port not only accessible, but exempted it from those dangers to which it had been previously subjected. He did not think he should overrate the annual loss sustained by vessels being driven upon the Garth, in attempting to enter the harbour, by estimating it at two thousand pounds—in damage and by detention. This calamity, which they so long experienced, would hereafter, he trusted, be only known in the records of tradition. (Applause.) It was forty years since the public had called for additional room in the Harbour; and to meet their wishes, the Gut was widened, and the Dock made. But whether the money expended on the latter object was wisely expended or not, might be matter of doubt. The inroad of the sea upon their coast had then only begun to manifest itself, and the Travelling Beach was comparatively small. About thirty years ago, the latter had increased to such an extent, that very serious alarm was created that it would force its way into the Harbour and completely choke it up. Upon that occasion their excellent countryman the late Captain HUDDART, a gentleman whose name could never be mentioned but in terms of the highest praise, was consulted: and at his recommendation the stone pier at the entrance of the dock was erected. By narrowing the channel of the river (the Derwent) it was hoped both the entrance and the channel would be kept open; but although the entrance of the Travelling Beach into the harbour was stopped, it did not prevent the narrowing of the channel below, and thus forcing the river to the north from its ancient course; and the ebb tide and the river acting in opposition to each other, the water had been rendered shallower, probably not less than from two to three feet. The injurious effects to the shipping resulting from this decrease in the depth of water, caused a very general complaint, and a call upon the trustees to apply a remedy. About fifteen years ago, it was decided on to erect a pier, such as they had now happily seen accomplished,—and to enable them to carry on the work (the income of the harbour not being then more than adequate to support the existing works and pay the interest of the debt) it was unanimously agreed to impose an additional annual duty of 1s. 6d. per ton on the register burthen of each vessel belonging to, or entering the port. Unfortunately the distresses of that period (1810) fell so heavily upon the town, that it was found impossible to carry the wise and liberal intentions of the trustees into execution. Before the losses sustained by the unfortunate failures of 1810, could be recruited, the peace inflicted a still heavier blow upon the shipping interests of the kingdom; many other interests suffered temporary embarrassments in consequence of that event, but none to so great a degree as the shipping. The profits formerly realized, were diminished above one-half; so that he thought they would all agree with him that that was not the time to push forward the contemplated work, however necessary it might be to the permanent prosperity of the town; for by doing so they might, from the necessity of an increased tonnage-duty have driven the shipping from the port, and thus inevitably bring upon themselves the ruin it was their object to avert. Thus things remained until three years ago, when an action at law was brought to restrain them from repairing or keeping up the wooden frame works on the north side, which works, in the situation of the harbour at that time, were indispensable; but which, now that they had gained security on the west, were, or might soon be made, of no further importance; and as proper security to the west had been obtained, he would say that every erection to the north would prove injurious. The ultimate decision of the question was to him wholly unexpected, and awakened him to a full sense of the dangers in which his own and the public interests were placed. Thus compelled to turn his attention to the subject, he found the channel so narrow as barely to admit the passage of one ship at a time, and that close to the Garth; so that had the Garth given way, the channel would have been blocked up, and all access to the harbour stopped. To remedy such an evil as this was not a task that would have evolved upon them, they could only have been spectators of the ruin of the town. He confessed he did think it a great hardship that they were not permitted to protect their property when they saw it was imminent danger; here the meeting might find the real clue to his exertions; and however great they might be pleased to consider them, they were not greater than his duty to the public and self-interest dictated. (Applause.) The works on the north side incurred a heavy annual expenditure, freed from which the harbour yielded a surplus revenue. But still, the expenses of the works which were thought necessary to rescue the port from impending ruin, were estimated at twenty thousand pounds—a sum which he saw no possibility of raising. Fortunately, however, a small jetty had been built by the excellent and zealous pier master (Mr. Edward SMITH), and the Travelling Beach having immediately filled up the sand, gravel, and clay, which cemented together like a solid rock behind this work, it suggested to him (Mr. CURWEN) the possibility of stopping the progress of the Travelling Beach by a frame work of wood. Drowning men are said to catch at straws, and he believed the public thought this idea presented little more of real security, and, if acted upon, about an equal chance of escape. Yet he proceeded to carry it into execution; and the first height of six feet was scarcely finished, when the gravel was up to the top. Encouraged by this favourable appearance he persevered, and carried down the apparently fragile work the length of 115 yards, and then supported the inside with stones. Having thus gained one-half the length supposed to be necessary at an expense of only £800, he immediately saw the possibility of erecting a stone work. But although he did not at first meet with that cheering co-operation in the undertaking, which he had expected, his sense of the danger which threatened the best interests of the town, made him determine to appeal to the public; and it was fortunate that he did so, for he then met a ready disposition to render assistance, and a number of spirited individuals stepped forward to subscribe their money to enable him to go on with the work. To that union and co-operation they owed all the benefits likely to result from the erection of the pier. Many who were at first inclined to laugh at it, and to prophecy its tumbling down, were now ready to acknowledge its great utility; and the work, though it could not boast many external beauties, was substantial, and every way calculated to answer the purposes for which it was intended. Indeed, it had already been proved that it was well adapted to afford all the convenience and security required. (Great applause.) Much had already been done to make the port one of the best on the coast, and what remained to be done was now fully within their power. The moment was propitious for furthering their views: party feeling had happily subsided; and the Government of the country, being left at full liberty to employ its time and attention to improving and extending trade and commerce, had adopted a wise and liberal policy. Trade had been freed from ruinous restrictions, and great facilities to commerce granted. The fruits of this policy had been seen and felt in the great extension of trade and commerce. (Applause.) It was true, a passing cloud now hung over the commercial world, but he confidently trusted it was only temporary, arising, he believed, from a plethora of wealth, which, for a season, had put in abeyance that sound sense and discretion which were characteristic of the country; and it could not be too strongly impressed upon all, that none of the sources of manufacture and trade had been stopped. The panic of the moment, he felt assured, would soon give way to re-established commercial confidence. The disposition of Government to give facilities to trade, had been manifested even in that town (Workington) which owed them obligations for suffering the timber and flax imported to be entered at their own Custom House, instead of obliging their ship-masters to travel to Whitehaven, and he might here add that Maryport had also partaken of the same liberality and profited by a similar arrangement. It would be unfortunate in the extreme, now that they had qualified themselves to partake in the tide of general prosperity, if they should not feel its effects; but of this he had no fears, and he confidently anticipated increase of trade and a consequent augmentation of wealth. The erection of the patent slips, for which so much merit was due to the public spirit of private individuals, would enable their larger ships to return and repair in their native port; and they had only now to deepen the water in the harbour, to secure the return of such vessels, to induce ships belonging to other places to come and profit by the convenience which these slips afforded.—He concluded a long speech, by giving a toast, "Prosperity to the Town and Trade of Workington."
Many other local toasts followed, which were all well received.
[Several toasts and speeches not transcribed.]
The company separated about ten.