St Nazaire — Chambers's Encyclopaedia

St Nazaire, a seaport of France, dept. Loire-Inférieure, is situated on the north side of the estuary of the Loire, 40 miles by rail W. by N. of Nantes. Between 1831 and 1887 £1,450,000 was spent on harbour improvements, extensive docks (82 acres) having been built in 1845-57 and 1864-81 to accommodate the larger vessels that were unable to get up the Loire to Nantes (q.v.). Since these began to be used the shipping of the place has increased at a very rapid rate. In 1887 there entered 755 vessels, with a total tonnage of 504,286 tons; in 1890, 1621 vessels of 860,625 tons (637 of 443,714 tons being British and 911 of 381,746 French). The most important of the imports are wine ( $\frac{1}{2}$ to $1\frac{3}{4}$ million gals.), coal (533,000 to 780,500 tons), tar, iron and lead, wheat and flour, timber, and manure; the exports embrace chiefly brandy (11,600 to 109,600 gals.), wine, coal, wheat and flour—these four in transit—eggs and poultry, sardines, butter, bone-dust, vegetables, dyes, glass, and toys. The respective values are not returned; but in 1886 the total trade was valued at £5,124,000. Pop. (1851) 2400; (1881) 16,314; (1891) 26,461.