London Times, 5 April 1850, p. 8: GREAT NAVAL WORK IN RUSSIA.
In the month of February last the great naval basin at Sebastopol was completed, and the largest ships-of-war in the Russian navy can now be docked with the greatest ease at that port. Some idea may be formed of the magnitude of the works when it is stated that the basin covers an extent of 10 acres of ground, and has seven dry docks, three on one side, and four on the other. The water in the basin is 30 feet above the level of the Black Sea, and the vessels are taken into it by means of three locks, the iron gates of which were made by Messrs. George and Sir John Rennie, and are 6½ feet broad, the breadth of the locks, being 28 feet deep. A large reservoir has been constructed at some distance from the basin, and the former is constantly supplied with water, by allowing a river to enter it; while the quantity of the water in the basin is regulated by sluices from the reservoir. Each of the dry docks has a sluice, which can be opened and the water emptied out in a very limited period, without the trouble of pumping, the plan adopted at the docks adjoining basins in this country when it is found requisite to empty them at high water. The emperor of Russia is reported to have about 50 ships of war at present at Sebastopol, and has recently received the best (?) description of machinery for making blocks and other purposes.