'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎10v] (20/134)

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accmnmodation of river craft and flats, as shown in drawing No. 2 accompany
ing this note.
The procedure would then be as follows :
(1) Certain areas of land with a river frontage would be allowed to the
Supply and Transport, and Ordnance Departments, respectively.
(2) Sea-going vessels would discharge at the sea-going berths r and their
cargoes would be sorted and delivered to the department concerned.
(3) Goods for despatch up country would be shipped into the river steamers
from the floating pontoon landing stages.
The objection to this scheme is that inward traflic from the sea-going vessels
would cross outward traffic to the river boats, but \ do not see how this can be
avoided.
The plan* shews 5 berths for sea-going vessels and 4 berths for river steamers
and if more are required they can be
♦Plan No. 2. erected above the Baghdad Railway
Wharf, where there is an ample length of deep water frontage. I have allowed a
space of 200 feet between the jetties of each berth and 640 feet between the berths
themselves, but these spaces can be altered if from the marine point of view others
are more suitable for steamer hatches, etc.
At the conclusion of military operations the flo'ating landing stages could be
removed, the gaps between the sea-goin» wharves filled in and the whole wharf
extended one way into the river, the result being a fine wharf 2,800 feet long, with
a depth alongside of 30 feet below mean sea level.
(E) Construction of wharves.
The existing jetties at Magill, although admirable for a sudden emergency can
only be classed as very temporary (see photos attached), and the new wharves have
been designed as cheaply as possible compatible with stability.
Whether they sould be builtjof steel screw piles and steel bracing, or of wooden
piles and bracing has received my serious consideration, and I have decided
in favour of the latter method because it is cheaper, easier and quicker to make
in a country where skilled labour is scarce, an almost as durable as steel in a river
which is not affected by the marine motion. ■
I propose to do the work by degrees, one berth at a time, so that the existing
temporary jetties would be kept in use until they were gradually supplanted by
the new ones.
In the matter of actual construction, the whole of the port works have been
executed hitherto by the Military Works Department, and they could no doubt
carry out the building of the new wharves with speed and efficiency, if however
in view of the numerous demands on his staff the B. G., R. E., wouldj like to
be relieved of this work, I should be quite prepared to carry it out entirely in my
department.
(F) Floating Pontoon Landing Stages.
For permanent use steel bowstring girder bridges and steel pontoons tied
together with steel girders are usually employed, but they will take some time
to manufacture, and in this case I propose to utilise some of the pontoons which
have been retained here from the pipe line of the dredgers " Jinga " and " Kalu,"
tie them together with timber bearers and make a wooden bowstring girder bridge.
In the event of the pipe line pontoons being required elsewhere, the Rangoon
Port Commissioners have, to my knowledge, a number of small iron barges which
are not at present in use and which I think could be made available.
(6r) Time.
For military purposes speed is the essential element, but unfortunately
engineering work requires a certain amount of time to collect material and there
after a further period for construction.