Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-12
LAY THE FIRST KEEL.
TRIGG SHIP-BUILDING co. BEGIN
WORK on THE sHUBRICK.
AN ERA In RICHMOND'S HISTORY.
From Now On the ship-Yards VIII
BE Busily Engaged, and the Other
Bonts Will he Commenced in the
Very Near Future.

The William r. Trigg Ship Building
earnest to fulfil the contract they have
for the erection or torpedo boats for the
United States Government, and at II
o'clock yesterday morning the keel was
laid for the Shubrick, which is destined TO
be one Of the fastest torpedo-boats in
Uncle Sans service.
While much work has necessarily been
done on the boats contracted for. this
is the first practical evidence which MAJ
be seen from the outside OF the works,
and ii means a great deal TO Richmond,
for from now on the ship-building plant
will be a busy place, indeed and hun
dreds Of workmen will be employed where
only a few have been previously en-
gagged President Trigg was present when
the work of laying the keel was com
menced, and with him were a number Of
specially invited gentlemen. They were
Congressman John Lamb, General-Man-
ager Stevens, Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Mr., c. T.. Boiling. superintendent
OF the City Water Works; Mr.. Thomas
Atkinson, Captain John A. Curtis. Mr.. 4.
Fl. Bosher Mr.. J. Tyler Jobson Mr..
William Hanewinckel. Past-Assistant-
Engineer W. Strother Smith, and Naval
Constructor J. +. Mcdonald. Of the navy.
Other officers Of the company present
were Messrs. l.. b. Myers yice-president;
". c. Preston, secretary and treasufcr,
j. \. Nelson. general superintendent, arc
Alexander Cruikshanks. master mechanic.
THE WORK BEGINS.
Precisely at IL o'clock the keel-blocks
which had been IN place for some time,
were uncovered, :ne Initial stguctural
steel pieces were I'm place, and then the
work was begun.
Keel-plates Of galvanized nickel steel
one fourth Of an inch thick, weighing ID
pounds TO the square foot, were laid along
the keel-blocks. and nicely adjusted b.
W. III. Woody, Jr., master ship-htter, and
4. l.. Forbes. foreman. The metal-plates
were already accurately shaped and bored
with rivet holes. Butt-plates were put
on AT the joints and bolted with tcn.p0-
rary bolts. and In a few minutes the
Shubrick had assumed a definite shape.
As the work proceeded the laborers in
creased in number. The keel angles were
laid and between them erected the verii-
cal keel-plates. In a half hour the first
part OF the work was accomplished and
the upbuiding of the vessel was started
There are now about l3O workmen en-
gagged at the ship-yards but this number
will be increased from day 10 day as the
ships increase in size. and soon the new
plant will be one OF the busiest spots
around Richmond.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BOAT.
The Shubrick is one Of three torpedo
boats that the Trigg Company IL build
ing. They are duplicate ships and VIII
have to be delivered 10 the government
In twelve months from the beginning 0i
contract They are 10 be lG5 feet long on
the water-llne. II feet in breadth, l65 tons
and 1900 indicated horse
power The required speed is twenty
six knots. and az knot Is one and one
sixth miles. it will be seen that they Will
be- fast boats. The contract price Is
slZ9. 100.
The other two boats-the Stockton and
be commenced al once. III
keels having already been built for them |
and the work will be prosecuted on all
three at the same tine.
The two destrOyers-;he Dale and De
catur-must be concluded In eighteen |
months. and the work will commence or |
them I'm a short time. so that by summer
time the company hopes TO have five ships |
in course OF constructions The destrOyers |
are OF 400 tons each. and will have en-
gines more powerful than the battleship !