The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-30
KNOWNTHE W0RLD0VER
TIE GREAT KENSING ron saIPfARD
or THE GRANTS
N.,l Architecture and Engineering Re.
volutioni,sd by the fntr"dneno~ ."
Their Tripie-sorew Cruisers.

So. Huld.ug Company rests on the
1.,,.t.fian of ship-bunding industry
nSt,rjishcd by William Cramp in the
- l\u when he was twcnty-thrce
of arc This pioneer enterprise
l..ttcd az the foot OF Otis street,
r.o. called Susuuehanna avenue. At
fh.4 point and subsequently, al the foot
81 Palmer street now occupied by the
,..au.uNS basin dry dock and marine
railway William Cramp built ships for
I.rft.tWo years. The Sntp-ydrd of thoSe
DAYS bore but faint resemblance To the
ship and cugiDc-Ouildlng establishment
q to-day. Then wood was the material
az StTnciton. Nd sails were the
iuut.rdl agency Of propulsion. True,
s'i-u.IliirG ant was as requisite then
- nov, bat the mechanical appoint
mtui> necessary 10 fashion and shape
wooden frames knees and planklng
were few and simple compared to the
.. .cJouS machines which prepare the
pants of iron and steel hulls and en-
f.nl> FOR their uses. Then the capital
required 60 inaUSuidte a Ship-y3Td was
Tie comparatively small sum needed TO
erect sheds. bulll ships and buy or rent
water frontage on The Delaware. Now
81 requires mIluOuS OF dollars 10 proper
j. oi-'"~e ana equip snip and engine
A..".iS cSti.'iSHneht OF the hrst-CiaSS.
However. the old yard. though small
'~ extent and limited IN equipment as
compared with its successor turned
oti many important ships both sail and
Steam i'i domestic ana foreign mer-
chant account. and war ships for the
I...I States and for Venezuela. 10
e.-.. GUIDING plant was attached so
a." .. YARD, hence its steamships were
powered 10y contract with independent
t.-.I. .iiQciS. The system worked well
IONS as steam machinery was
8. .IAIy importance. but the rapid
D.f'.. iWtht OF steam shipping immc-
e'.. after the CiNil War rendered com
i.0i'h OF the TWO Industries iudis-
sable To the best success
~ area Of the old yard being made
IN t.UH.g E...s
or new yard wx pGrchS G sea "a" In PI I5I5g
..5 INC W iliism Crsmp q sons ship
ana Lugine Building Company was in
t''f,i1ied ,D{ an act OF the Legislature
The 9d yard was then TUNED to- the
railway. FOR which it is WI adapted.
From that time 10 Che present the
grown OF plant and Organization has
been steady Notwithstanding periods
~ comparative depression. and the entire
absence Of anything that might be termed
boom IN commercial shipbuiiliug.
the Crdmp Company has been able 20
maintain almost uniform advance. has
kept fully abreast of current progress
and development abroad. and has steadily
LED IL AT home Ihe record OF twenty
years -lsI--,3 10 lN92-@-ShOWs an increase
g. capital from half a million % tyc mil
Hon dollars. with substantially correspond
ms growth of working force and OF OUT
The death ~ william Crainp occurred
81 l>2. and Charles FL. Cramp his oldest
ron. was chosen to succeed him Since
las been towards The reconstruction OF the
navy, ana embraces AT this writ
ing thirteen WaI-Ships. including
the completion Of the Terror.
d1uhle-tnrr,t,I monitor Most O,
This work has exceeded I'm importance
any ever attempted Up the country, and
has not been eNgeiied abroad
The total number ~ vessels OF an
descriptions built by William Cramp. by
tfe tym of William CTamp X Sons. ana
lF the tIiam 'raWl sons ship and
Engine Building Company tor bWldiup).
since 1880, Is two hundred ana eighty
TWO CNJ, and one hundred ami iorty-Oue
marine engines
OF the - vessels, twenty-one have been
United states steam meu-ot-W1r. four
steam cruisers Tor the Russian navy,
and one guu-hH8t FOR the navy OF Neue-
Zu'jd, ciLnt steam yachts, S"NrutF-three
ocean steamers Of from ion TO 1000 tons
register, twenty-five steamboats,. fifty
f.1r tugs. including th" sampson. which
was the iust steam tug built lu America,
tH'tiF...-ut sailing vessels. eleven yes
so.s rebuilt and lengthorel ana sixty
other craft, such MS rlool-. lighters, tend
ers. bargeS, floating docks, c1issous,
floating drriiUk~. et..
During th. s'Nty-f1lr years If us exi--
tercr the number o. m.u employed iu
Cramps ~r.lEIrI has Increased from less
than ono hundred wh. worked for VII
liam trmH when re began business on
his OVID u"rN.nt In lst' 81 the armE ot
5.t' Boo the -.rrI". Cd. the present come
pa1r am 'H' payroll has grown from
20 few hundred dollars ia the primitive
ola yard Z. tf." ID week NJ this writnE
besides tile enormous amount of labor
employed and wages paid by contrhI'HrF
Industries upon which the shtpyard relies
i'r material ia various stages OF manu-
Tr. -hlpyarl has reached "a stag. OF
Development at which ~ rs u't merely
mandatory u private hands bot
arsenal In fFa " O.
IrW.-p sphere. universally recognized hN
the government the press and the people
as "a public institution OF the first im
Iartauoe % the sea power OF the nation
TIE FOUNDER.
The founder of these works. William
CIamp. WAS OF the true American pi'-
ueer type. the type OF men who leave
behind them permanent monument, Of
creative genius. EeEinniug work ON his
own account at the early age OK twenty
three, and on a considerable scale for
those times. he steadily pushed his way
10 the front shrinking from no obstacle
and uudismayed by any misfortune. he
was essentially man Of steady habits;
free from vices scrupuously exact i'm
business engagements. mcthOdlcal In the
conduct OF his work. thorough aud
effective disciphnarian. In the manase-
mcut OF his working force, get mild OF
manner and genial of intercourse.
Ills pride in his work, which was extra
culinary. sprung more from ambition
a
than from a more sOrdid motive. He
liked a profitable contract, but he liked
better o. have his name borne over the
world as the builder OF famous ships
and more than once In Il long career his
ambition tor distinction got the better
Of his desire for proNt At the time Of
his death ne had completed more than
half century of constant professional
work on his own account. during which |
period he hai doubtless missed fewer |
DAVIS work than any man he ever en-
ployed His VigOr Of body was equal L. |
the energy Of his mind. and 10 Is liter |
ally true that his last illness was also !
Al an early period Of mis- career the
v4uc II the enterprise which he was |
steadily creating became apparent 90 his |
rei-hhors. and he soon established /
business stan ling and ropute universally |
conceded 10 be uuimpeachabe.
The existing establishment may fairly |
De- viewed a. a cas-" or survival OF me
rIcsi' When William CrdWp lad his
FIRST Keel in 1880. there were not less than |
twelve otner shipyards on the river
fronts ~ Philadelphia Delaware ami
the Schuylkill-and they were OF approx
Watciy equal capacity ana importance.
40 trace Of any Of them myers now.
TYe.pfiug the establishment OF Ncahe
a levy ana the Charles lilllmau Com /
IluN which are ON comparatively sinaII
scale though possessing enviabie fephj'
f.r high quality OF work, modern snip !
fu.IIinp i'm Philadelphia is concentrated |
ST. the yard and shops founded by VII
ilaw tTamp. .,.,,,
the-, oll-time shipyards disappeared on
tv one might form an Interesting studF. |
,gt Tor The present IL sutiices 10 say that
'fsup's alone survives 10 this day, grow
mr. apace with the city, the country, anu
Ic times in which W. live until 1t mas
lacoue a colossal monument TO the per
,cyerance. the industry and the problty
y the modest man whose name II bears.