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over a tide, a good deal of time was lost, but there was no charge for the sand.

DETAILS OF SOUTH APPROACH PIERS.


Water.

Fife.—On the Fife shore the water required was drawn from the mains of the Dunfermline, Aberdour, and Burntisland water supply; but this supply becoming scarce, the contractors were obliged to construct a storage tank above North Queensferry.

Inchgarvie.—As already stated, no water was found on Inchgarvie, and, after some trials with condensers and filters, it was decided to use the lower 5 ft. of the holds of two of the steam barges as water-tanks. A large water-tank was set up on Inchgarvie, and the water was forced from the holds of the steam barges into the tank by means of pulsometers, the latter being worked by the steam of the barges' boilers. The water was taken from either the North Queensferry or South Queensferry supply, and this work was generally performed during the night by one or two barges, there being thus a steamboat available all night in case of emergencies.

Drinking water was supplied to the people on Inchgarvie in iron boxes encased in wood, holding about a cubic yard—the water being always taken from the Dunfermline mains for this purpose.