South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Wednesday 9 May 1883, page 1


NAUTICAL.

Purchase of the Western Australian Line of Steamers.— We understand that the negotiations which have been pending for some time past between the owners of the

line of steamers trading between Western Australia, Port Adelaide, and Victoria and the Adelaide Steamship Company for the pur-chase of the steamers Otway and Rob Roy, with all the plant, have been completed. The boats belong to Messrs. Anderson & Marshall, of Victoria, Messrs. Lillie & Co, of Western Australia, and Mr. G. Robertson, of Victoria, and they will be handed over to the Company at once. The Adelaide Steamship Company also takes the local mail contract, and the service commences temporarily with the Franklin until the arrival of the other steamers. Ocean Dock Accommodation.— At the Marine Board meeting on May 3 a letter was read from Mr. Richard Jagoe, of the Semaphore, in whiih he sketched another site and plan for berthing ocean steamers at the Semaphore. His idea was to make a dock between the Semaphore and Largs Pier, reclaiming the foreshore, sheetpiling the bank, running out jetties in a semi-circular direction so as to form a perfect mole and breakwater, and performing the necessary dredging. He asked the Board to cauBe an estimate to be made of the cost, but they decided after a slightly personal discussion that they could not consider the letter at present. In the course of remarks made, it was said the dispatch and facilities in respect to the discharge and loading of cargo at the Semaphore were equal to those in Sydney and Melbourne, The only i improvement necessary was better accommodation for landing passengers. The Ocean Dock.— We understand that the Government have received a proposal from the Ocean Dock Company, submitting an amended plan as suggested by Mr. Abernethy, C.E., of London, from which it appears that the Company wish to alter their plan so as to increase the area of the land to ne operated npon from twenty-six to fortytwo acres, at a cost of half a million instead of £350,000 as formerly intended, It is proposed to abolish the three piers which formed a ieature of the original plan, and to erect a large jetty in the centre of the oblong which the dock in its increased size will form. The Government are obtaining a report from the Marine Board on the subject.