Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-15
A GREATSHlP BUILDING PLANT.

y
engaged upon the construction of YES
sells for delivery during the present
year than the marine department OF
the Maryland Steel Co., at Sparrow's
Point, near this city. After several
years of inactivity, the marine depart
ment of this steel eompany's works re-
sumed operations only few months
ago. when it became apparent that |
conditions arising from the Spanish |
American war were likely to exert q |
considerable influence in the rapid de- !
yelopment of tho American merchant
marine, and yet the yard already has
under construction seven steel vessels
for the United States government and
for private corporations, as we'll as the
largest floating dry dock in the world.
All of this work, with the single ex-
ception Of the dry dock, has been con-
tracted for delivery before the close of
| 1899, and General Manager, Col.
Andrew G.. Wilson, of the marine de-
partment, we'll and favorably known
| through his long connection with tho
Harlan & Hollingsworth Co., is getting
out OF his force of 100 men as much
| work as was ever before accomplished
| by an equal number OF employees in
any line of mechanical work. The
| efforts of Mr.. Wilson in this respect
have been materially facilitated by the
arrangement of the Sparrow's Point
| yard So advantageous is the arrange
| ment that the grouping of the machine,
boiler, Joiner and other shops on the
one hand, and tho bending and ship
fitting sheds and other similar depart
ments on the other, all but rivals that
at the Newport News plant in point OF
conductiVeness to economy OF time,
material and labor.
The Maryland Steel Co. IS yard when
reopened last year was found to be SO
well equipped in the matter of tools
and machinery as to require but
small additional expenditures in that
direction. Among the improvements
made within the past few weeks, how
ever, is the installation of complete
outfit of pneumatic tools of the Chicago
Pneumatic Tool Co. s manufacture.
Manager Wilson is likely to attract
the attention of all progressive ship
builders by system for the trans
portation of material, the practi-
cability Of which has been proven by
experiments just concluded. The
essential feature of this new plan is
the employment of what is known as
, the locomotive DERRICK the first of
: which has been designed and built at
the Maryland company's works. The
plan, to put the idea in nut she'll, is
! to raise the ship plates from the
/ ground to the exact position desired
| on the side OF a vessel instead Of lower
ing them from above as is done al
D Newport News and other yards where
travelling cantileyers propelled by
8 electricity or steam are employed. In
0 the principle of operation on standard
+ gauge track the derrick corresponds tt
the regulation type OF locomotive
D crane, utilized in all ship yards fol
the handling Of material, but instead
It Of being mounted on the ordinary typt
of fat car, the apparatus in this cast
I is operated from tho top of stee
derrick which permits of ten tons o.
:; even more being raised TO height o
!. GO to rs feet. The first of these new
!. derricks has so thoroughly justified thu
!. claims made for it that four or fiv'
!; more will be constructed as rapidly a
possible, tho plan being to install on
IS between each pair OF ways in the yar'
|. there are now seven-.just as is don
j, with tho cantievers. The hoistini
j. apparatus is being constructed by tn
j. Lidgerwood Manufacturing Co. of Nel
York City. a.
a. In the construction Of the torpedo
ID boat destroyers Truxtun, Whipple an
Worden the Maryland company wi
o. depart from government specifications
4. both as regards hull and machiner
V. plans. The navy department plans ca
4 for vessels of GAS feet length and
j. feet beam, while the plans accepte
f. from the Maryland company rroyio
d. for boats of length of 24515 feet an
IT. % feet inches beam. In the form
| 4 1E TO-
J. was contemplated, but indications al
}. that the destroyers building at Spa
rows Point will show displacemei
j. of at least 1873 tons on trial. Althoug
a. these vessels are of somewhat great
dimensions and displacement thi
Dr. those contemplated by the offici
tie plans, they are on considerably fin
/, lines and will have at least 800 hor
ar. power in excess of 5000 specific
X. Boilers will be, in effect, identical
es, size and working pressure, but T.
triple expansion engines to be built
ct the Maryland people will have cylinde
of 90, "a. 81 and 81 inches diameter
% inches stroke, instead Of 20l5, 80,
and IS inches diameter by % inch
:. stroke suggested by the navy bureau
" engineering. The keels for the torreo
~ boat destroyers have not yet been lai
: but material is on hand and all pl
80 paratory work is getting along so W
I've 70 that Sparrow's Point yard will probat
To-. not be behind its contemporaries
isas the fulfilment of the contract. !
y, three destroyers will be fitted wi
~ complete equipments of Dayids
Az vertical pumps
w The twin.screw passenger steam
+ha building for the New Haven Stea
III; boat Co., and which is designed
!, ~ service between New York City a
~ New Haven, Conn, is in franc n
will DO launched within the next
weeks She is handsome vessel q
III will present even more attractive lii
~ than the steamer Richard Peck, of
L Ky which she has been modelled by
Is designers, Gary, Smith & Barb
up naval architects of New York Ci
IVY This steamer is 1924 feet on deck,
tied aees Maiel iil9, 40 iuos do w ~ ~
+ost az inches depth. She is calcula
,wo. to maintain o speed OF GIG stat
tha miles per hour. She will be 10
w =, longer than the Peck and will havo
!, IA cabins on the galley deck continued
,tr;c as they are forward on the Peck.
~ is in accordance with rules of
W. e United States Standard Register
~ Shipping. The lower deck will h
~, ~ ten staterooms with accommodate
40, %as for 20 officers; also some passer
80 accommodations and quarters in #
On castle for q large part Of the crew.
The main deck contains the lad
cabin and in this portion of the We
and marked improvement over the Z