'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎12v] (24/134)

2a
2. With regard to plan 2, and the arrangement proposed to'meet our urgent
requirements for berthing ocean-oging transports and river craft, I wish to make
the following remarks :—
The proposed new berths consisting of two 36 feet square-headed jetties
200 feet apart with leads to the shore from each and a distance
apart between berths from centre to centre of 640 feet, will be a
great improvement (when erected) on our present mahaila plat
form arrangements which were designed by me as a very tempor
ary expedient to fulfil our purposes, namely, to improvise something
in the way of a jetty as quickly as possible to permit of the dis
embarkation of troops, animals and stores without loss of time on to
the bank.
3. The distance between the mahaila jetties was arrived at to suit the average
vessel and intended to be the same distance of 200 feet as now proposed and I am
still of opinion that this is probably the best distance to work on.
4. It is, however, at best a compromise and cannot take the place of a con
tinuous wharf, as it necessitates hauling vessels ahead and astern some 100 feet or so
to work their hatches as required. It is seldom that we get a vessel of less than 400
feet in length, the average being 430 — 448 feet, and the longest we have dealt
with being 474 feet.
5. I do not consider that the proposed scheme for ocean-going vessels berth,
with river craft berths between each, is a workable one and am of opinion that
it should not be adopted, as it would not permit of sufficient space for ocean-going
vessels to either manoeuvre into a berth nor allow them space to work in when
there.
6. I request that 600 feet distance from centre to centre of the proposed
ocean-going vessels wharves be reserved for them and that sites to the north
of No.^1 Berth and to the south of No. 5 be utilised for river steamers, and that
steps be placed on the inside of berths in order that boats can land at them.
7. In view of the extreme urgency of our needs for wharves, both for ships
and now in particular for river craft, that my requirements for marine transport
work outlined in Maftne Transport notes 1, 2 and 4, and in my No. A.-426 of 11th
February, may, so far as material is available, be taken in hand without delay,
and such temporary expedients as suggest themselves to those responsible for the
building of wharves and jetties be utilized as the lack of wharfage facilities for
the river craft here and coming, is causing me the greatest anxiety.
(Sd.) W. B. HUDDLESTON, Captain, R.LM.,
Principal Marine Transport Officer, I. E. Force " D. ~
Copy to I. G. C.
No. 70-A. 16.
Ofiice of the Director-General of
Port Administration and River Conservancy,
53, Strand Road,
Basrah, 2nd March 1916.
To the D. A. and Q. M. G.
Memorandum.
Please see your No. 1142-13 -Q., dated 29th February 191G and enclosures,
with special reference to Memo. No. A.-546, dated 2oth February 1916, from
the P. M. T. 0. on the subject of the proposed new wharves at Magill.
2. In my note, dated 10th February 1916, on wharfage accommodation at the
port of Basrah, I pointed out that under ordinary circumstances I should much
prefer to have a continuous line of deep water wharves, the light draft river