The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-03
OUR sHIPYARDs.
Sketch Of Their Present Condition-Whst
Has Been Done, and What IL Doing,

THE PAST AND PREsEST.
Four years ago all shipyards without single e.
ception, presented scene OF busy life and activity.
From morn till night the air resounded with the shrl
'whiz Of the 'broadaxe and the sharp, clear ring OF
the cauers hammer tdrovs the oakum into the seams
OF some beautiful model Of Yankee marine architecture
The minute particles of oak few of in every direction
from the huge horizontal saws that vigorously piled
by strong arms in the pits, and altogether such
brisk business in shipbuiding carried on in New
York during the past four years was never witnessed
here before. Night and day the men were employed,
and the employers often found It exceedingly difficult to
obtain men enough TO perform the work which
they had on hand There was work for all
Every man who sought, or was DESTROYS Of
obtaining employment, was certain TO hnd
work somewhere, and at that time to receive
for his labor good remuneration Now, how changed
the scene. Scarcely work 10 being done, and what
little there is is principally confined to those yards where
contracts entered into long before the termination
of the war; and these yards appear to be pushing
the work rapidly forward that is yet remaining hand
Some Of the vessels the stocks being Joined to-
gether with all possible haste, and fast approaching
completion Many Of the yards closed and present
sad dull appearance while Of those yet remaining
open exhibit sign Of lfe and is understood TO
be the intention Of the prOpretor they
their neghborstha is to close up their yards and wait
for the times 10 brighten up little The ship building
business has before been dull in this city II is
at present
THE EFFECTS OF THE WAR.
When the first broke out many Of best and
soldiers recruited among the ship
pen,ers Of this city, and hundreds Of them at later day.
dazzled the large bounes that being paid threw
aside their s'adzen and Cline and following the drum,
marched down into 'Dxie" At that precise
time, when many Of best mechanics
were forsakng their legitimate calling and adopt
ing the profession of arms the services Of
men versed in that particular branch Of mechanical
eagerly sought after; and In fact both good and
inferior workmen in great demand Very many Of
ship builders had government contracts for con-
structing gunboats, while others Of them busly
engaged in building vessels with the speculative view Of
selling them to the Navy Department after they
launched The vessels under way had therefore to be
fnshed but ship carpenters scarce, and,
raj consequence, that particular kind Of labor at
premium The wages Of the ship carpenter suddenly
raised from two dollars and y cents per day to three
fty and In some instances 10 four dollars. At time
1t reached high four dollars and fy cents per
diem. Many men who had never before handled
broadaxe induced by the high Of wages paid the
tive employment and those among them who possessed
little knowledge Of the craft found but little d
element Of the busy season, ~ first class mechanics"
But the busy having passed away and the gov
eminent having vessels ut its command than II
has for very many Of these improvsed ship carpen
have had succumb to the exigences Of the times
and fall back into the regular channels Of their old pur
suits
THE sHIPYARDs.
To enable the readers of the HERALD the better to
derstand the actual condition Of affairs at the various
shipyards, place before them this morning plain,
succinct panoramic view, which will give them some
Wis 10 Drinc at0du th0
east side of the city, and extend from the foot Of Stanton
street the foot of East Eighteenth street. and
Webb, Esq Messrs. Roosevelt, Joyce Waterbury,
Mcssrs. J. A. Westervelt 4 Son; Messrs J. J d.
SON. Esq taking the yards in their regular order the
hrst Ia that Of
HoosEvELr, JOYCE AND WATERBURY,.
This shipyard situated the foot Of Stanton street.
and during tho continuance Of tho war kept con-
stantly engaged IN building steamers Among the largest
there sre mono tha. can excel in strength beauty and
cosness Of finish the four large steamships Morning STAR
Evening Star Rising Star and Guiding STAR all OF which
built 1t this yard At the present time there Is
work being done here, with the exception of that Of
few aborers, who are engaged In pling up the logs
chsnics may be seen seated under the sheds, or
hugo piece of timber, phosophically discussing
uposuecs Of re, vsi Of business Silence resns su
preme fer work s concerned and, save team Of
horses now and then drawing some logs from one part
70 the yard Of
j. A. wEsrEBvELr AND SON.
This yard situated the foot Of Houston street.
extends 70 Third street Il has been the Of great
activity since the commencement OF the war, and has
built for the government two splendid gunboas,
revenue cutter besides number Of other nne steamers
and nrst class gunboat for the japanese government
The magnificent ship Hudson OF two thousand two hun
dred and nfty tons burden built here, and 10 In
every respect . superb vessel Here one meets with
more mechanics who are working than in almost any
other yard Al yetAhe shack times have not been &C.
W.sssrvsiss Sssssmason % sssp hs men working =
and viii be ready 70 annch in about three wesks They
intended for the Richmond trade and arc TO replace
The steamships Yorktown and HossSIs the
building will be precisely alike In every particular They
70 be sdewheel vessels, one thousand and fifteen
deck, thrtytxo feet width OF beam and fifteen feet
depth Of hold The space between decks will be seven
oak live oak and hamatac leaving here We next wend
our wayW
THE YARD or WILLIAM n. wEBB.'
This ship yard located at the foot OF Fifth STREET.
and 10 one Of the largest ship building places In the
country Since tho nrst begun this yard has been
and s, Sc: .na Wa a., .ss ssS
frgates for the Italian government, all OF which have
been fully described in the HERALD As you enter the
yard the vast proportions Of the monster ram Dunder
Berg loom up before you all their stupsndous magni
tude Rugged and frowninr, II stands out In bold
ss'rH
1884, and 10 being built for the United States govern
mont This vessel RAM or whatever else one chooses
10 call H. win be the most powerful and formidable en-
| zine Of war In the world She 10 10 be iron-ciad,
l and has an actual displacement Of seven thousand
tons government register thousand and ninety tons
The iron plates have already been fastened upon that
part of the vessel which Is 70 be under the water and
now afsr delays there Is at last prospect
she will be launched in less than two months time
Al fair sample Of how the soppase OF war has affected
the ship building interests we might mention the fact
| that where Mt. Webb has now but one hundred men
employed he at time had four hundred on the
| seme Kind OF work The ram 10 the only thing upon
which there Ia any work being done Continuing tour
| Of inspection next proceed 10 the yard Of
JOHN ENaLIs AND SON.
This shipyard Ia situated 81 the foot Of East Tenth
street famous for the large number Of magnificent
steamboas that have from mo 10 time been bull, here
IL has turned out during the immense number Of
steamboats tugs and steamships among which was the
steamer Kang Loong which afterwards taken apart
and shipped China The principal vessels built at this
yard since commencement Of tho war are the suwo
NADIA Il 900 tons) the Kan Kiang 600 tonsl, and the
Fire Cracker all Of which were shipped 70 China Also
the Fire Queen, Dean Richmond, the City Of Norwich
and large number Of ferryboats and propellers Bust