Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-26
s1Ipeull pINe IN INFLAMMATION.
How This City Compare With Others II
the Manufacture of vessrls.

How This City Compare with Others in
the Manufscfure OF yessrls,
Harper's Weekly of August 22d, con
tains a long article fully illustrated on
shipbnlding on the Delaware IL says
IN part:
Ia Wilmington the industry is as old
as her existence. The two principle ship
building concerns in the Peach Tree"
state are the Harlan Il Holllngsworth
Go. and the Jackson q Sharp Co both, by
G curious combination Of industries, car
builders as we'll as shipwrights. The
Swedes landed in the Delaware Ia 1898.
upon the site of part of tine plant Of the
Jackson & Sharp Co. The foun-
dations of their fort are plainly
visible. and Trinity Church, erected by
them in 1893. with its squat belfry tower
and rough stone walls. is only stones
throw from the jackson and Sharp Com
panys counting-house Wilmlngton's
ship Industries, strange TO relate, we're
founded and have remained upon the
banks of the narrow and tortuous 81 reams
the Christians aud the Brandywine, aud
not upon the deep waters Of the Della
ware, which flow along the eastern front
OF the city
As early as 1e42 they were building
| shallops and small trading vessels ia New
Sweden and one Of the laws Of the new
colony stipulated that ell the commerce
of their port should be carried on only In
vessels Of their own building, a restric
tion that might be more widely applied
to the prestn day. The first vessel for the
/ foreign trade launched at Wilmington was
the brig, The Wilmington, OF 100 tons,
built in i740 by w. Shipley, d Ferris.
and others, and intended for the West
Indian trade The brig made number
OF successful voyages, and was no doubt
/ the FIRST vessel of over 100 tons built
upon the river The war Of the Revo-
| luton. and later the re
| belilop, destroyed most Of her commerce
and most of her wooden shipyards but
| brought into prominence her facilities
| for iron ship building The Harlan &
| Hfllingsworth Co, the largest of all
Wi mingtons industries, was founded in
| 1886 as Belts g. Pussy as Belts, Pusey
& Harlan In 1897. and in 1S41, on Mr..
Pusey's retirement. Elijah Hollings worth
formerly a foreman At the Baldwin
Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. was
admitted as partner. aud the firm
became Belts, Harlan & Hollingsworth.
and incorporated In 1867 as the Harlan &
Hollingsworth Co
There are at present no members Of
either the Harlan & Holdings worth
families in the concern, Mr. John Taylor
Cause being president, having worked
himself up from meFssuger- boy to his
proud position Mr.. a. T. Cause is vice
president; both these gentlemen are near
relatives OF the poet Bayard Taylor The
hrst work of the concern was car build.
ing. the shipyard not being added until
4 LAT A.fr
area OF seventy.ive acres being the
largest shipyard in the world, with sew.
enty shops and buildings upon it. and a
dry dock $40 feet long, capable
of docking a vessel drawing fourteen
feet; 1000 men find employment
there, the payroll amounting TO
between $50. 600 ard sac, 900 per week
The Harlan and Rollingsworth concern
Is the Oldest iron steamboat and steam
ship building company in the United
States. They are well known as builders
OF hrst-class, relisble ships. honest in
construction and staneh to the last de
gree.
During the war Of the rebellion they
built and repsired many Monitors for the
United States government, among the
Napa.
Their neighbors, the jackson an,
Sharp Company Established In 1859. ar,
the other extreme in the ship BUILDING
line. constructing wooden vesselseonly
mostly fourmssted schooners Of larg,
tonnage, one on the stocks now register
ing l. 300 tons. The competition Of steam
has forced naval architects and those
interested in wooden sailing shi ps TO de
wise some means to meet this
business rivalry We therefore sci
the square-rigged vessels relega ted I,
obscurity, excepting, perhaps, for very
long voyages, aud the fore and-afi
schooner rugged craft. with four or iv,
around the ''capes," a schooner igeec
vessel because of her excellent pointine
qualities, can save. with favorabl,
winds, $40 or 800 mile
on the voyage. The averag,
time for completing 1500-to
four-masted schooner. all ready for SEES
Is about six months; formerly it took .
year TO build a 5O0ton brig. Theu
every thing was handwork, now they cut
out every plank in the craft by machin
cry then the adze and the broadaxe die
the work, now It is the cir ular saw anc
planning machines.
The Jackson & Sharp plant covers Il
acres, 200 mea fnd employment there,
and in the twenty three years Of ship
building they have launched 1863 ve7sels.
of which only one has been lost Pussy 4
Jones, also at Wilmington, have quite fine
marine railway, but the vessels they bnild
are mostly stern and side wheel craft
of very light draught, expressly designed
for the South American trade There
are alse some wooden yards at Milford
Milton, Odessa, and Lewes, where they
build small schooners, oyster boats, etc
which complete the ship building indus
try in Delaware.
pEAcAEs ~ o rhrv