Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-15
NOTES OF SHIPPING.
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO MARINERS
GATHERED FROM ALL SOURCES.
Covered Berths in the Sh'pyard Discussed.
The American Shipbuilding Com
pany. Light Losses.

berths recently instituted at Wallscnu-
on-Tyne. England. A dcmonstra ton of
the practical utility of the structures
is afforded by communication just re
ceived by the state Department from
Consul Metcalf at Newcastle on-Tync
The consul says:
The heavy rainfall during the paSr
week, which led to a practical stoppasc
of work in the outside department in
all the shipyards on the northeast coast
conduces to afford an indisputablc illus
tratiDn of the advantages of covered
ship berthS. Strange as it may appear
the firm of Messrs. c. S. Swan ~
Hunter. Limited. Wallsend. is the only
shipbulding firm in this country Inc
representatives OF which have gone 10
the extraordinary outlay cntailod in the
erection of st,lpendous structures to
lncloSe the vessels on the hclths. The
idea OF carrying such Il project into cf-
feet originated in the mind Of Counciln,
q. Il. Hunter, the managing director of
the company. conceived. 1t is UNDER
stood. during Il business tour i'm Amer.
lea. the huge structures inclosnS the
exhibits at the famous Chicago exl,osi-
ton suggesting to his mind the pr.lC-
ticability Of the development Of tho
principle on q more enlarged scale in
the covering of vessels in cours,. of CON
Struction on the bcrths The firm
named has no fewer than three ship
yar,s-their east. west and pontoon
session OF the east yard in the year
1883 on n lease, and a few years later
they purchased the ground in p-rptcui-
ty. and hence it is in this department
of their works in which two huge steel
sheds have been erected their pr,.scn;
dimensions being 500 feet in length 81
feet in width ana 100 feet in height
Having abundance of land at their dis
posal on the same level the structures
can be heightened TO 1000 feet Or moro.
as the eVer-lnclcaSing demand for YES
sells OF large dimensions may lead the
company to lengthnn the Sheds to meet
The requirements Of The hour. In fact
the company has a the moment Il mag
nificent steamer upwards Of COO in
length on one of their bcrths. which is
the largest vessel at present in the
hands Of any shipbuldcr in thr British
Isles. 1T should be stated that apart
from the advantages accruinE from the
Workmen in all departments Of the ship
building trade being able to follow their
employment from Monday mornin. q
Saturday at noon under tbs. protection
Of the sheds. the facilities in point Of
labor are such that steady men nf the
best class arc securing engagements
with the firm, Mr.. G. Stephenson. the
Yards manager. being gratifcd by the
knowledge that he is altering around
him 4 class Of men upon whom The ut
most reliance can be placed in an cmcr-
Sency. Under such n condition or
things. it will be understood that tho
1lrm gain IN turn for tho enterprise ana
outlay, naSmuch as hoy are in a posi-
ton TO undertake to build and equip tho
vessels in less than half the prescribed
period essential for the execution Of the
work in the establishments i'm which
climatic considerations naturally form
an important factor The workrncn in
al the outside departments speak IN
terms of highest commcntlation of tho
advantages which the inclosch bcrths
afford, not the least of which is tho
greater safety to life and limb 1t is
known that many lives have been LOST
through the oscillation Of the ,,priyhts.
the ends of the staging becoming dc
tached. ana the men falling to the
ground below; but as uprights are dis
Tenscd with in the case Of vessels built
1lnd"r he sheds at Wallscnd n Spirit
OF confidence is cngcndcred among the
TiVetrrs and other sections of the mon.
Inc stagings being attached to the mas
SlEe still trelliS work Of which the silas
or the shed are composed. IN point Of
expedition and the finish of work the
men participate largely in tn. facilities
which the sheds afford a plant IN
which all the latest improvements have
befn introduced. ana driven by electric
energy. is ut the disposal of the men,
by which the plates ana bars are raised
from the ground with the utmost
promptitude by electric cranes Ana
placed in position one huge crane work
ing on the roof with Il sixty-fnot lib.
while several cranes OF lesser power.
travel immediately under The rnnS.
winch IS OF strong plate glass as we'll
as part or the sides which have been
lnclosed, with the result that IN, work,
men are exempt from the disconforts
not only Of a stormy day but Of :: pass
ing shower. Marine Review.
a dividend Of ~ per cent. on th. nro-
rE4f ia. .lf
building Company consolidated shin
YARDS OF the great lakcs) payable July
10Th, is announced. This is he FIRST ~
staliment Of the regular dividend of 7
per cent. per annlIm guaranteed on the
per1errcd stock The arrangement Of
cleveland IS now about completed ami
changes are being made every few d;Iy.
dionR me line Of SyStcmat izilg the
management 1t IS understood that AR
"A. 4. DiericX. who has been with th,.
= lieflchn Steel Barge Company for scv-
tral Years. is TO have charge of lnachin-
cry designs. With some eighteen or
twenty Very large ships under con |
Strhctlon for delivery during tho baI !
Ihce OF the present season or On tn, |
olehlllE OF navigation next year. the
consolidated companies have ;,ho,It ~ |
1ney can DO for nearly Il year to come. |
ana there is not much going on in nc
EQUATIONS for new contracts Hinder
.ne present very prosperous condition /
~ 'ial. on INC great lakes. ship build
~ orHers would probably he doubled |
~ 1t were not for tn. prices tI,,t ~ |
asked by the steel nani1rarurar. ~
lRurcS quoted on new ships art. 50 ynr,y !
nish mat both owners ana builders AZ
forced to await a more settled conditions |
OF the market "
WIN WIN reorganization Of affairs in The !
Detroit works on July lst. due TO ~,
conSolidati ton. the fOlloWjne, lief ~ ~; |