San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-18
THIS WILL CALL FOR A HUSTLE
ON THE PLANT OF THE
UNION WORKS.
The New Works Will be Complete in
Every Partilular-VeSSelS Draw
ing Thirty Feet of Water
To Be Provided For
Other News.

New York, Dec. IS.-The Times this
morning says:
The William Cramp & Sons ship
and engine building company, of
Philadelphia, is going to construct d
ship building plant at Seattle, to
compete with the Union Iron works
at San Francisco. The establishment
of the State Steamship line by the
Cramps is but the prelim-
mary step in an enterprise
which contemplates an expenditure OF
more than ten million dollars. The
new plant will be as large, if not
larger than the one now being operat-
ed by the Cramps.
Among the persons who were ON
the dock to witness the departure
from this city of the steamship City
of Columbia for the Klondike region,
were George l.. Hammond, of this
city, and Frank Chadsey and Young,
from Seattle, with two representatives
Of the newly organized State Steam
ship company, which purchased sew
eral of the American line steamers
for the Yukon trade.
1.-The significance of this steamship
movement toward the Pacific coast,
of which the establishment of the
State steamship line is the initial step,
is but family appreciated in New
York, where it is regarded as simply
an adjunct to the present Klondike
rush." said Mr.. Chadsey, as the Co
lumbia receded from sight.
II have been east for some days
now and / am in active negotiations
with Mr. Joseph II. Hoadley, first
vice-president of the State Steamship
line, regarding the purchase of GER
tain valuable tide lands which our
firm holds, and which the State line
needs for the establishment of docks
for the company. These tide lands.
where thirteen and a half acres in
length, are probable all that can be
had in Seattle with absolute title,
all others being in reservation for the
state. Vessels drawing thirty feet of
water may dock at any tide and the
fact that we have had to make this
guarantee to the steamship officials
will indicate the size of the ships
which we expect to be running there
before long.
THE requirement of those tide lands
by the State Steamship company
while necessary, it is but prelimin.
airy step in this enterprise. The next
move is the purchase of the Cramp in
terest for the building plan of the
Moran brothers, at Seattle, which is
already very extensive. The enlarge
ment of this plant to permit'of the
building of the largest battle-shipa
will Immediately follow and the San
Francisco builders will be competi-
tor of the most formidable sort.
Il can state positively that turn
ing on this undertaking the Cramps
have not done so without thorough
Iy looking over the field and assur-
ing themselves of it's entire practibili-
ty. For instance, in the item of coal
alone. 1t can be laid down in the
bunkers at Seated cheaper than any
where else on the coast. The advant-
ages are universally acknowledged
good. The port is already Of great
Importance as headquarters of the
Boring sea patrol feet, and owing to
certain improvements in the way of a
ship canal and an inland harbor now
contemplated by the United States
it is likely to become
much greater.
SIN addition, the increasing lmpor-
lance of Japan as naval power,
coupled with the need of more ships |
which the almost certain annexation |
of Hawaii will entail, has not been
lost upon the Cramps.
''The undertaking is already far |
more advanced than is generally
known and is practically certain to be |
carried through"
Mr.. Chadsey is negotiating with