The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-09
BUILDING THE SHIPS.
Moran Brothers Busy with the
Government Contracts.
THE VESSELS ASSUMING SHAPE.
steel Hulls OF the Golden Gate and
Torpedo Boat Lying Side by Side
"A Sight for Visitors.

There IS no buster scene 20 be found IN
Seattle than a. Moran's ship yard. where
% men are employed. TIE greater portion
on torpedo boat No. arsi the revenue tug
Golden Gate. intended for San Francisco
harbor. and 10 the a1rnirer Of pondsrous
machinery there is no more attractive spot
On the Sound. In the past few weeks ma
tsriai progress has been made on the gov
eminent vessels. and now the two hulls
lie side by side on the ways. while A small
army OF workm@n. amid noise that al
most Rnywhers would be dlstraeting. r!ret
the steel plates into place. and pave the
way for the carpenters wsto will soon be
called on for the woodwu.
DO you see that plating asked Rob
ert Moran yesterday. after looking
adnnirinsly along the lines Of
the Golden Gate. 1T hts like
a weli-fitt.ng stocking and he csressng-
" patted the big iron shell thar soon S 20
do service for the government. As he
spoke. half dozen workmen swung an
other plate 70 It's position. and IL dropped
into the place marked out easily and cor
rectly. A glance along the side OF the
vessel revealed that the boat builder had
not been guilty OF exaggsra;son. The huh.
so far as completed, is a perfect beauty,
and calls for expressions or admiration
from all visitors. whether familiar with
the sea or not.
The Golden Gate may be trim and at
tractiye. but an object OF SIN greater in
terest 10 the average visitor Is the thin
shell of torpedo boat No. s lying along
side. II looks very much Ike a knife
blade. with its length of IT'S feet ana beam
of only ten feet. and its galvanized steel
plating fairly giistens. As with the rev.
enue tug. the lines of the craft are beaut-
full in their symmetry.
In the shops adjoining the ways are
many objects of interest. One Is hy-
draulc Hanging press. made by Moran
Bros. by which great steel plates may be
bent cold. The press is operated by press
ure from the city mains. and by using II
the necessity OF heating the plates and
the consequent risk OF warping. Is avoided.
In the boiler room IS a great stack or
tubes. bent In varying curves. and piled
in seeming confusion near one of the
walls. All the While a force OF men Is
bending more tubes. and adding to the
stack. An idea OF the number OF these
tubes may hs obtained when 1t is known
that $500 VIII be required for the torpedo
boat alone. In SIN another department
are 10 be found large brass ventilating
cowls and brass con3ensers seven feet
long and thirty-eight inches In diameter.
Each OF these condensers Will contain i.S5e
tubes.
As the visitor continues on his tour OF
inspection. the magnitude OF the ship
yard and foundry becomes more and more
apparent On every side is to be found
some thing OF special interest. and all the
workmen are buslly engaged hurrying
some part OF the vessels TO completion
Capt. Fred H. Munger and Chief En-
gineer A. L. Broadhent. in charge of the
hull and machinery. respectively. OF the
revenue tug. and Assistant Naval Con-
structor Lawrence Spear and Passed As
s.stant Engineer W. w Bush. who per-
form Ike service for the torpedo boat,
express themselves as highly pleased with
the progress OF the work The vessels
are being put together rapidly and cor
rectIy. and the contracts are being filled
satisfactorily.
Moran Bros shipyard is open TO visit
ors every day. and great many people
avail themselves of the opportunity To
view the vessels under construction. But
one request Is made of visitors. and that
Is that they do not converse with the
workmen. or In other ways interfere with
them