The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-03-20
IT IS A BIG AFFAIR
The Missabe's Ne,c Ore DOck JViu Be az
Immense Structure.
THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

The construction of the new
ore dock which the Duluth. Mis-
sabe & Northern Railroad CON-
pany is building or st. Louis bay
on the opposite side of the slip
from it's present ore dock, says
the News Tribune, is fast ap-
preaching completion. The last
of the piling for the foundation
was driven yesterday, and the
work of raising the superstruot.
ure is progressing rapidly. This
latter work has followed closely
behind the driving of tha founda
ton. The dock is a magnificent
structure, we'll calculated to
please the eye of practical per
son. When it is fully completed
it will be the largest ore dock in
the world. At presents its compan-
ion is entitled to that distinction.
The Duluth, Missabe & Northern
there now owns the largest ore
dock in the world, and with the
completion of it's new one will
own both the largest and the
second largest docks of this
character. The full size of the
new dock will not be realized IN
til next year, but the extent of
the ore handling facilities which
the old and new dock together
will afford this season will enable
Is boats of 400 feet iu length to
load at the same time, This man
ner of describing the Missabe's
ore handling facilities will per-
haps illustrate their magnitude
better than any other way.
the approach to the new dock
is 1900 feet in length and the
present length Of the dock prop
er is 1852 feet. The approach
spans the st. Paul & Duluth and
Duluth Transfer tracks with iron
girder bridges sc and rs feet ir
length respectively. In the ap-
proach there are 642 piles and
100, 900 feet of timber. In the
dock proper there are $3.50 pilz
ing and 1900, 900 feet of timber.
There are also 100000 feet of
maple plank to be used in lining
the ore pockets. There will be
1872 pockets in the new dock,
with total capacity of about
38, 400 tons, or about 175 tons per
pocket. When the new dock is
extended to a length equal to the
companion dock it will have an
equal number of pockets, 384,
while the capacity per pocket is
about 25 tons greater. The height
of the new dock is So feet, which
is four feet more than the old
dock, and in this manner a great
er capacity per pocket is secured
without cutting down the number
of pockets. The new dock when
extended to a length equal to the
old one will have a greater capa
city by $1,000 tons. About g.
100000 feet of coast fir timber
is contained in the construction
of the new dock.
A steam hosting engine is
located on top Of the dock and
all of the timber and plank, every
piece fitted and ready for his
place, is holsted from the ice and
quickly placed in position
without any heavy lifting being
required. So we'll is all this
heavy work prearranged5that no
saw, adze or axe is required in
putting a piece of material in
place.
The work of construction on
the new ore dock was begun last
November and the structure will
be completed about May 1. An
average of $50 men have been
employed all winter and that
number is still employed. G.. J.
Anderson is superintendent of
construction.
The spouts for the ore dock
are being manufactured by the
American Steel Barge company.
The two Gre docks of the Mis-
sabe & Northern company will
represent $1.1OO,OO0 when the
new one is fully completed.
w. S. Brann is agent for the
company's docks; G. H. Hartz,
chief engineer, and H. L. Dres-
ser, assistant.
| TEMPERANCE Rain.