In the magazine Army and Navy Chronicle was a quite description dealing with the French dockyard at Cherbourg published. In France were several naval bases equipped with yard facilities. This sort of descriptions are quite useful if we want to compare the dock yard facilities available for the European, African and North American navies.
P. 162: “The dockyard (le Port) which occupies the north west point of the inner bay, at present sheltered by the Breakwater, may be said to be a vast irregular fortress, with its ditches, ravelins, bastions, &c., on the land and sea side, and only open on the road side, where it is approached by shallow water and a rocky bottom to the entrance to the great basin, opened for the first tome in 1812, at which period it may be said to have been in its infancy. Taking the outer line of the work, on the land side, it must be a mile in length; perhaps a mile in its greatest breadth, from the western extremity to the Fort du Hommet: an inner wall cuts off part of this vast space within; but the area is wholly available whenever wanted. Some of the naval establishments connected with it, such as the sailors’ barracks, rope walks, timber stores, artillery ground, begin at the extremity of the streets in the north-western part of the town; but the nearest wall of the dockyard begins round the bay further on, about half a mile, running within the works, in an irregular line to the west-north-west towards Querqueville, and coming out on the sea in its prolonged bay, to which that fort forms a point three miles distant, and taking off some of the brunt of the heavy south-westers. The first part of the yard, nearest the town, contains an immense building, running across it east and west, of 950 feet in length. Beneath are the various sheds and workshops; coopers, boat builders, gun-carriages, capstans, &c., and partly employed as storehouses for their various articles when made, together with timber of all descriptions. Above, the chief floor is divided into various lofts. The first, approached by a handsome double circular staircase, is for the plans of the ships to be built, 300 feet in length; there the lines are chalked out and decided on. The next in the model loft, kept in the most exact order and neatness, and filled with the models of the ships and vessels already built, together with those of all sorts of machines, and new inventions of all descriptions connected with ships' furniture. Next to this the block loft, in full activity, and aided by some very simple machinery, lathes, &c. The rest of the building is occupied above
p. 163: by ship carpenters in the finishing and lighter departments. Ranged collaterally are other inferior buildings; various stores and workshops in wood and iron, with some few offices. The sculptors’ shops, in which were some very able and elegant specimens, though comparatively there was little doing, and that chiefly in-busts; full-length figures, however beautiful, being found too heavy, or, perhaps, too expensive, perhaps, to follow our fashion! But if beauty of ornament is to be laid aside as trifling, why have even insignificant busts, or any thing whatever? The French now only build first-rate 60 gun frigates and large sloops of war, as large, in many instances, as our small frigates. In this part of the yard is the Forte on the stock;, her slips sloping on the bay to the past. There were also two fine cutters on slips coppering, meant for the coast guard and looking after the oyster fishery This part of the yard is separated from the chief part of the dry dock and basin and line-of-battle slips, by a ditch some eighty feet wide cut in the solid rock, and which, running across here, forms part of the ditch round the outer works; in other words, this part of the yard is without the fortifications, having been added to it of late years, as they found they wanted room, or from its very convenient position near the town. Round this part there is only a moderate wall of seven or eight feet high. In one of the boat-houses near the gate here, is the King’s Mate barge, a very beautiful boat, double banked. pulling forty oars, originally built for the Emperor, and sent round from L’Orient near thirty years ago, but never yet used, though they fully expected it this last summer, while the King was at Eu for a short time; when the yacht La Reine Amelie (a handsome brig) attended on the Royal family at Triport. Although within the yard, there is a sentinel at the wooden bridge across the ditch leading to the chief part - altogether there are at least a dozen in various parts; at the four gates, on the ramparts, and at the water entrance from the roads, not including the guard or rather garrison of the Fort du Hommet, and the corps du garde behind the great basin now in progress, besides the various porters and superintending petty officers, and gens d’armes. No stranger can enter the yard on any pretence without a written order from the Major du Port’s Office, nor can that be had without the accompaniment and responsibility of two respectable citizens. The most prominent features of the yard far and near are the four great buildings over the slips of the line-of battle ships now on the stocks, on the south side of the great basin. Each of these sheds or rather houses consists of sixteen square granite columns, eight on each side, which support the roof. About two-thirds up they are arched together: immediately below the roof, on both sides, are rows of windows, besides the light admitted from above through the roof by panes of glass at intervals. The arcades are fitted half way down by jealousies so as to protect all, without too much excluding the light. The north and south ends are partially boarded up, until the ships are finally launched. These men of war lave been long on the stocks, almost completed; their planks and decks left partially open for air and inspection. The first, from the chief entrance gate, the Friedland, is of 120 guns, begun during the empire; still good, and nearly completed. Next, the Diomede of 90 guns; the Ajax of 100; and the Henry IV, of 100. There is nothing doing on board these fine ships for the moment, but they may be at certainly at two weeks’ notice. From the foot of these slips the great basin stretches northward, and communicates with the inner basin by flood gates both together taking up hat part of the field of the yard next the roads, there is another smaller basin, nearly finished, at he northern extremity, close to the curtain of the rampart next the sea on the outside, which opens to the inner basin. From this smaller inner basin they contemplate culling through the works and rocks, and thus making a north entrance for the shipping. These three basins take up nearly the whole length of the yard within the southern ditch and ramparts, except a range of store houses and offices at the head of the slips and dry dock (which lies between them in the centre.) The largest outer basin is about 400 yards square, opening to the roads by a passage of 100 yards wide within, and about 70 at the outside, where, on each side of the broad flagged space, two circular platform batteries are ready to receive the guns, though none are as yet mounted; these are to defend the side of the yard lacing east on the roadstead.”
Source
The Army and Navy Chronicle. Vol VI. New Series. 1 January-30 June 1838. Edition Thursday 13 September 1838, no. 193. Washington, 1838. Digitized by Google.
