Towns > Dundee > 1809-1912 - Dundee directory > 1878-1879

TOPOGRAPHICAL GUIDE. f
wooded grounds around the mansion-liouse of Craigie on the north, and
terminates at Broughty Ferry.
Dock Street, a wide and spacious thoroughfare, separating the town
from the Harbour, extends from the foot of Union Street to the Rood-
yards. It is bounded on the north side in its western division by the
Public Warehouses, the Greenmarket, Shore Terrace, the Music Hall,
shops, offices, and other places of business. Then, after passing Trades
Lane, by the Dundee Foundry, the Boiling Yards for the Whalers and
Sealers, the Gas Works, the Cattle Market, &c. The Arbroath Railway
Station and the Customhouse are on the south side. The Custom-
house is an imjaosing and elegant edifice. The central part consists of
a portico of the Ionic order, elevated on a rusticated basement, sur-
mounted by a pediment, enclosing the Royal Arms of Scotland.
The Royal Arch, a finely designed structure, intended to com-
memorate the landing of the Queen at Dundee in 1844, possesses a pro-
minent position near the north end of the Mid Quay. It was erected
by public subscription, at a cost of between £3000 and £4000, according
to a design by Mr Rochead of Glasgow.
The Harbour consists of four wet-docks, having an area of about 30
acres, and two dry-docks — one of 500 feet in length, and one of 300,
admitting vessels of any length or tonnage. At Camperdown Dock
there is a tidal entrance, and another at King William and Earl Grey
Docks. For the repair of vessels of moderate size there is a commodious
patent slip. The money spent upon the Harbour works since 1815 has
been £800,000. Access is gained to the Ferry Harbour for the accommo-
dation of the traffic between Dundee and Newport either by South Union
Street or Craig Street. The Harbour Trustees have now the manage-
ment of the Ferry, as well as of the Lights of the Tay, the Light-ship,
and the placing of the buoys laid in the river for the purpose of point-
ing out its proper channel. The Public Baths stand between the Lock
of Earl Grey Dock and the West Protection Wall. They belong to
the Police Commissioners, and are managed by them for the benefit of
the community. They have lately been reconstructed, and are now in
a very complete state.
The vessels belonging to the port are about 200 in number. Several
of them are of large size and elegant appearance.
The Railway Bridge, which now so majestically stretches over the
Tay, was begun to be built on the 7th of February 1871. On the 22d
of September 1877 the first engine was slowly run over its whole length.
It is the longest bridge over a tidal river in the world, and was attended
with many engineering difiiculties, but they were all successfully over-
come. It consists of 89 spans, varying in width from 27 to 245 feet,
the roadway being 88 feet above the surface of the water. At the
Dundee side, the line, while proceeding along the Harbour, has to pass
through a Tunnel, with the bottom of which the Station is on a level.
The line has, therefore, to come down from its lofty position at the rate
of 1 foot in 73 till the required descent has been gained. Passengers
leaving Dundee descend to the Station by means of stairs at the southern
extremity of Union Street. The entire length of the Bridge is 2 miles
and 50 feet. The time usually occupied by the trains in passing along
it is about seven or eight minutes. After being completed, it was