Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-29
A SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
Twelve Months of Prosperity for the
Harlan g. HolllngsWorth Co. a..

Harlan g. Holllngsworth Co.
The Year 1898, which is Drawing to a.
Close. Has Proved a Great Period for
shipbuiidine - Many Contracts for New |
Work and Repairs. 13 |
The year 1898, which is rapidly fading |
away, has been one of great prosperity |
to the Harlan & Hollingsworth CO., |
and the Indications point to q brighter
outlook for the coming year. The firm
has thus far closed IL contracts and it
is probable that at least three more
may be added to the number ere the
beginning of the year of 1859. Among
the contracts received we're Tho steam
ship Tennessee for the Old Bay Line
the steamship 8. 7. Morgan, for the
Carolina Virginia Chemical Coz; two
steamships for the New York g., Porto
Rico Co.; two torpedoboat destroyers
for the United States government the
tugs Gettysburg and Valley Forge, for
the Philadelphia & Reading Trans
portation Co..; two steamships for the I
Merchants e. Miners transportation
Go. of Baltimore, to be known rs the
Kershaw and Nantucket, and the tug
Gem, built for the Standard Oil Go.
The firm had under way at the. be-
ginning Of the year several important
contracts, including the torpedoboat
Stringham for the government, which
is nowIall plated and riyeted and the
machinery being prepared. This YES
spring as the ice will permit. s.tl
The handsome steel yacht Niagara,
built for Howard Gould of Now York,
which was also under way at the be-
ginning of 1898. This vessel was
| launched on February 10Th and chris
tened by Miss Katherine Clemmons,
now the wife of the owner OF the yacht.
| The vessel was delivered to her owner
| i'll New York june 18th.
OF the contracts received the three
tugs have been completed as have also
the steamships Tennessee and s. Z.
Morgan. The steamship Kershaw is
| plated and the carpenters and joiners
are pushing forward their work. The
Nantucket is in frame and much of the
shell plating is on. The Porto Rico
steamship Ponce, which is the largest
vessel ever built by the local firm, has
been started in the punch shops in the
laying off and punching Of the keel,
which will be ready to be placed on
| the blocks as soon as the latter are
| ready to receive it.
| In order to facilitate the work now
in progress and keep abreast of the
times number of improvements, have
been made throughout the entire plant
and additional working space provided
Much machinery has been secured for
the purpose of being able to prosecute
the work with dispatch. The old store
room has been demolished to allow of
room for the construction of the ways
for the steamship Ponce, and it is pro-
posed to move the boat yard Office,
which is two and one-half stories high,
to a point in the yard where it will not
interfere with the work. A new Gantry
crane is being placed in position at the
rear of the punch shop for the handling
of the she'll plating. The crane will be
run by electricity and lift the plates
out of the cars and place them in racks,
sufficiently near to the platers to facili-
tate handling. One of the greatest i'm
provements is the extension to the i'm
mense electric overhead crane, q lib 40
feet in length being added, which,
when completed win place material or
two vessels, one on each side of the
crane. e
In addition to the new work many
large repair jobs have been received
during the year, among which may bt
mentioned the repairs to the British
| steamship GlenOcull, WnlcH was III
such shape that she had to be towed
from the Breakwater to this city by
,, three tugs, two of which insisted ii
keeping her ahoat. The George w
.. Ghilds Drexel yacht Alcedo was placed
in drydock, cut in two, and y feet o
, keel and plates added, making he
a handsome vessel. The steamship
Maverick had new boilers put in, TIL
water tanks and coal bunkers over
, hauled and extensive repairs made t,
!, the machinery. The dredges Pacifi
and International were rebuilt. Th
, p. A. B. Widener yacht Josephine ais
I received an extensive overhauling an,
, was nearly completed when sold to tn
United States government and becam
, the auxiliary cruiser Vixen. Tn
, Dutch bark Admiral Tromp and tn
American bark Walter Fl. Wilson, th
,, tugs Laura b. Amanda Powell, Jansen
|, Emily and other boats were also over
hauled. The steamer Deaboard re
ceived new boilers and was given
thorough overhauling. Extensive re
> pairs were made to the, sloops zach
Nanon, the bark Cambustloon, the bar
Gael, the ferryboats Fearless, Pennsyl
vania, the steamers City of Chester an
Brandywine and numerous Others
besides number of car floats an
other craft.