On Monday, the Manchester Ship-Canal was unofficially opened for traffic—the
formal and ceremonial opening is to take place later—and Manchester became a sea-port, with a harbour-master, a Custom-house, and every other attribute of ocean traffic. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon there were a couple of steamers quietly unloading at the Salford Docks. The crowds of enthusiastic shareholders and other patriotic Manchester men who lined the sides of the great waterway up which the procession of ships passed from the sea, formed a very impressive spectacle, and proved how intense is the local feeling in favour of the Canal. This is the best possible augury for its success. The first ship entered at the Custom-house on Monday night was the Albatross,' from Rotterdam. She is a steel screw-steamer of 1,450 tons, 250 ft. long, 37 ft. beam, and 18 ft. 6 in. in depth. With a miscellaneous cargo of 500 tons, her draught was a little under 15 ft. The engines have an indicated horse-power of 1,273. It was on her account that the first Canal-dues—£103 —were paid. We have deft with the prospects of the Canal elsewhere, but will only say here that everything seems to point to the Canal proving a source of increased prosperity to Manchester.
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