Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-20
The Ship Yard.

LIN ShiP A"Aus
Pursuant to notice, the shareholders of the
new Marine Railway, to the number of about
fifty, assembled at Harmonic Hall, last night,
W. A. Smoot in the chair.
The meeting having been called to order,
Mr.. Smoot presented and read the following
report:
ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 10, 1874.
To the stockholders Of the alexandria Marine
Rnil,cay and Ship Building Company mt
those Interested IN the enterprise:
GENTLEMEN The Board OF Directors chosen
by yourself yes in 3 meeting held April tin, 1874,
at Sarepta Hall, beg leave to report the result Ut
their labors to this date.
At u meeting held April 9th, 1874. VIM. 4.
Smoot WAS elected President, aid j. IL. Reid
Treasurer.
1t WAS resolved that James 81. Reid be notified
Of his election to the office Of Treasurer, without
compensation, and that Re be required to give
bono III the sum Of 81, 600.
Also resolved that the President recommend
q suitable person for clerk.
Also resolv ID that the President be directed
to procure II charter for the company.
Also resolved that a com nittee of two be APP
pointed to draw up bye-laws for the guidance OF
the company.
All of these resolutions have been carried out.
We subsequently, found it necessary to give
Mr. j. u. Reid, Treasurer, u salary OF SoO per
annum in order to make his bond good. We
will say here that he and Mr.. VIM. IL. Bacon,
Clerk, are the only salaried officers in the COM
pany.
We thought it expedient to have s9mo one to
act in the pace of the President when he is un-
avo;dably absent. SO Mr.. jos. Broders WAS elect
ed Vice President; also that all meetings OF the
Board of Directors should be secret.
On motion it was resolved that the President
,lo-, ,bo ,,rnIu.a IF tho lpts IF M rs iIth X
G. Smith, G. L. Powell, James Green, Messrs.
Johnston & GooIhand, G.. l.. and }. Seaton, A.
Jameson and Mrs. Forrest, all of which has
been done or the deeds are ii course OF being
preuared.
we purchased the lower or "GoodhanI's'
ship ward of the 81 ossrs. Johnston il Goodhand
for SIS, 800, and took possession OF it Saturday,
April 18th, 1874. The machinery, ways, cradle,
wharf, buildings and yard we're in u very dilAI-
idated condition. After digging out the dock
and mud off the ways, repairs to the engine,
boiler, well and ways, and getting n little Inm-
Der and timber in the yard, we are in tolerabie
good working order; but there is Il great deal -
be done yet. We have ordered the timber and
lumber to repair the cradle, ways, houses and
wharf, all Of which we hope to have complet, in
a short time and paid for out of thenct earnings
Of his yard.
The working of these ways from the time we
took charge Of them, say from April 9th to lat
the l6.h, three weeks, amount
ed = !
Less hands, wages, material, &c......... 3oG 81
Sill OF
This amount does not show the real profits of
the ward, US MI labor. tixirg up, &c, is included
in the debts. We think u low estimate would
be Sl25 to Sl30. We must take into cDnsldera-
ton these disadvantages; that for the first two
weeks we could not get the cradle more than
half down on account of the mud, not Il stick OF
TIMBER or piece of plank in the yard, the engine
unable to pull up q vessel without waiting two
or three times for steam. Now we can get live
feet of water on head of cradle If necessary, and
have comparatively little trouble with the engine
as regards pulling up the cradle. We have
some timber and lumber in Tho yard and more
ordered on the way, aud we hope and believe
this small ways will do much bttter IN future.
We find there is n great deal of work Offering
on heavy vcss is and steamers, Wnlch we nave
not been able to do as yet because We have not
the ways large enough. We propose to COM
mence buildil 6 the large ways at once. Ths
cost will be, including engine, boiler, machine,
nv, Sc, complete, abuut.........".""....9l6,l 10 w
This, with amount to be paid on real es.
tate purchased and falling due this
year......... -. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." $3.50 w
Make O total .N0 w
With 4 cash subscription OF S2,OU or 5000
per month, we will have this year Slo,UO cash
paid IN, which will leave II deficit Of Sl,UW. The
directors Ll.lk VIZ SlDulu udSC Jul ~ VA
creased So, 900 to $1,000, so rs to place the com
pany on u firm footing and out OF debt. Ii we
have u surplus of capital to purchase material AS
offered for cash it would give us q great sdvan-
tage in laying in Il sto X of timber, Lumber, &c.
We have several Parties enqulilns about Dulid-
ing vessels, and Il firm in New ork say II we
build first class white oak vessels rs low rs else
where we viii hive all we can do.
On account OF delay in getting deeds, materials
and a proper person who thoroughly understands,
putting down the large ways, we have not
made rs much progress as we should Ike IN our
new work. We now expect to push IT a. rapidly
rs possible. Mr.. Davis, the party whom we eX-
pect to employ, has put down several sets Of
ways, and Is highly recommended.
We have at the yard at present Mr.. Thomas
Berry as foreman, assisted by Mr.. W.. Ii. Bacon
clerk, and things are working rs well rs can be
under the circumstances, and we have
every reason to be encouraged by the progress
OF affairs.
We have above S23, 900 in stock subscribed in
all; amount not mJre than our hrst estimate,
with the purchase of Goodhand's ship yard,
S., 800. Respectfully submitted,
w. A. SMooT, President.
On motion of ?. B. Hooc, the action of the
was endorsed.
B. II. Lambert spoke 10 the most tattcrlng
terms of the work done at the yard.
Joseph Broders hoped that the Citizens would
take hold OF this enterprise ana push IL ~ q
speedy completion. The lack OF a suitable yard
here was a desidcratum and he bad no doubt OF
rs being a paying Investment. lie desired that
the cash capital should be increased to So, 900.
w. A. Smoot gave some interesting date
the costs and profits OF ship build
ug, showing the advantages possessed by Alex
.nuria 10 the obtaining OF lumber, the price IT
abor, Sc. He said the company had been Of
cred the price paid for the property by a gen
lemau from the North, but the otlcr WAS not
entertained, because the Investment Was coz
ldered a most excellent one. If vessels could
,e built here az cheap as at the N'rth, he had
oeeu Informed that the company would nave
Is much work as it could do, for better lumber
a less cost could be mad here. lie SAID that
.lrcady more work had been offered than the
.:apacity of the present ways would admit, and
hat a number of vessels have had to be turoed
IF. For these reasons 1t was Important that