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Subject: Re: [DOR] Oil Storage Tanks, Chesil Beach, Portland
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2002 10:26:21 EST
Ray Collins in his reply, putting a 1905 date to the Portland OIL STORAGE
TANKS, makes mention that they became operational from circa 1905. At that
time some ships of the Royal Navy were being converted to burn both coal and
oil.
Ray's comments triggers my memory of reading the Thomas A. Walker book, 'The
Severn Tunnel' (Its construction and difficulties 1872 - 1887). Bearing in
mind that immediately prior to 'oil fired' boilers being introduced for
shipping, coal was the fuel they used. There is a statistic in the
aforementioned book which forever remains in my mind.
When the 'underwater' Severn (estuary) Tunnel first provided a short
transport link between Wales and England in September 1886, coal would come
up from the S.Wales pits early a.m. and loaded onto railway trucks. It was
then transported to Portland (via The Tunnel) where it would be unloaded (1)
onto the Portland Dockyard Coaling Pier, and (2) then loaded by detailed and
'defaulter' members of the ship's crew, onto the Royal Navy ships by teatime
on the same day.
Alec Palmer.
ii. ii. mmii.
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