The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-11-09
FINE NEW srrAnra.


Contrect with the Merchants and Minors
Company.
On Saturday the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company of Baltimore
awarded to the Harlan and Hollingsworth
Company a contract for q new passenger
steamship which will cost $3.50, 000 This
Is the contract which the local company
was to receive IN the event Of the election
of William Mckinley. There was talk OF
the contract having beeu awarded pre-.
vious to Saturday but representatives OF
the building company say tho transaction
was not completed Until Saturday.
The new vessel is 10 DO an exact dupli-
cate of the steamship Howard, built last
year for the same company, and is to be
completed by October 1897 She will have
speed of 10 knots an hour. Hor name
has not yet been decided upon.
The increased volume Of both passenger
and freight traffic over the merchants and
miners lines convinced the officials Of
that line some months ago that another
steamship was required.
After tho steamship Howard had gone
into commission the board of directors Of
the Company began consideration of the
proposition to order the construction OF an
other steamship; while the question was
still under consideration the silver issue
was sprung upon the country and all f.
nancial conditions became unsettled Be-
cause OF the uncertainty of the final de-
termination Of the issue, the board dccid-
cd to postpone action on the question of
increasing the Company's fleet until after
the election. AS these terminated for
sound money, with indications Of re.
stored confidence and increased business
the board promptly met and on Saturday
rIngnH ln
which has built nearly all the vessels of
the Company's fleet.
The new boat will be built of steel
throughout She will DO 270 feet between
perpendiculars and 29j feet over all on
deck, Her moulded beam will be AZ feet
aud depth "a feet. She will have feet i
inches sheer forward The first and second
decks will be for freight exclusively.
There will also be space for freight on
the third deck, which will contain fore
castle fitted with rooms for the crew,
mates and cooks staterooms, Ice lhouse1
oil and lamp rooms and galley. Aft on
the same deck will DO the main saloon,
furD ished in mahogany.
Ten state rooms on each side will open
into the main saloon. Tho pantry and
toilet rooms will be on the forward and
after ends, respectively, of tho main
saloon.
A grand stairway Of mahogany will lead
from the saloon to the social hall above.
into which several state rooms open The
social hall will be in white and gold. For
ward of this will be the smoking and toilet
rooms, then the officers statcrooms, panty
and steering gear room. Above the for,
ward break of this house will begin the
pilot house. in the rear of which will be the
captains room.
The new steamer will 0 schooner rigg,
with two maSts. Her hui up to the TOP
of tho third deck will be divided by six
water tight compartments, thus assuring
the maximum Of safety.
The motive power will be vertical tr-
plo expansion engine, with cylinders 2S, 45
and " inches diameter, respectively, with
q common stroke of piston of As inches 8.
and will have pitch Of g3 feet.
Tho four steel boilers will be of the
Scotch type, Il foot long and 10 feet 6
inches in diameter. The latest improved
Williamson hand and steam gearing and
Hyde patent windlass will be among tho
vessels attachments
The vessel will be lighted throughout by
electricity and equipped throughout with
other improved electrical appliances.
The following are tho steamers of tho
Merchants and Miners Transportation
COMPANY, III htllNSiy vi UlC
Boston, Providence and Savannah lines
out OF Baltimore
The William Lawrence 1904 tons regis.
ter, built by the Atlantic Works, Boston
in 1869
William Crane, 1il7 tons built by Hur.
Ian 81 Hollingsworth Company in 1871.
Decatur H. Miller, 2!9S tons, built by
Harlan q Hollingsworth Company In
1879
Allighany and Berkshire, each cola
tons, built by William Cramp e. Sons, in
1881.
Dorchester, 2537 tons, built by the Harlan
& Hollingsworth Co. il 1889.
Chatham 2729 tons, built by the Amer
lean Shipbuilding Co. in 1884.
Essex, 253l tons, built by Vim. Cramp
& Sons In 1890
Fairfax, a5ol tons, built Ivy thu hurlan
& Hollingsworth Co. IN 1891.
Gloucester, 25l3 tons built by the Mary.
land Steel Co, Sparrow's Point, in 1893.
Howard, 2j5l tons, built by the Harlan
& Hollingsworth Co. in 1895.
PusEY 4 JONES CONTRACT.
1t was coniidentially given out this
morning that the Pussy a. Jones Company
was about to receive II contract for tho
building of n steamship. The contract
has not yet been signed but the company
has received the Information that they are
the lowest bidders.