Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-15
DID AS EXPECTED
Builders Trial of the Morgan
Liner Ell Rio.
THE DREDGE CHARLESTON
After Being Rebuilt Has Successful Trial
What the Little Vessel Has Done.
Work on the Great Dry Dock.
Enjoyed Themselves.

Enjoyed Themselves.
FL Rio. third of the new Morgan lin
crs built at this yard, had her builders
trial yesterday.
The gallant ship die! az expected
proved herself 4 perfect vessel. The
trip was satisfactory in every detail.
FL Rio left the yard ut . o'clock and
returned about 5 O'Clock in the after
noon. spending most Of the day outside
of the Capes. where her compasses were
adjusted and the vessel put through
the various manoeuvreS necessary to
test her capabilities.
General Superintendent W. ~. Post
was aboard. representing the shipbuild-
ing company. Captain Quick. of the
Morgan Line, navigated the vessel.
Ono pf the most pleasing events re-
Gently in shipyard circles was the trial
trip yesterday of the little government
suction dredge boat Charleston, which
has just been rebuilt at this yard at &,
cost OF about $4,000.
Captain IL. O. Patterson designed the
Charleston in 1890 for the work partic-
ulary Of dredging Charleston harbor.
When the Charleston went into COM
mission. the mean depth of that harbor
at low water was SO feet. The mean low
water depth at this time is 81 feet. the
little dredge, since she has been in
service. having sucked up the enormous
total of 100000 tons of mud.
Captain Patterson and Mrs Patter-
son were aboard Of the boat yesterday,
Capt j. r.. Hubbard, however, navigat-
ing the vessel. He was assisted by pi-
lot Gerry Boyle. Chief Officer O. C.
Rhodes and Chief Engineer Z. I. And
erson
Aboard as Captain Patterson's guests
were Mrs. w. M. Taylor, Jr., Miss
| Fanny Parker, Rev. J. F. Ribble,
Messrs. TT. ]. Holt. II. z. Brooks. H l..
Smith. III. B. Burbage. j. F.. Albert, J.
, Z. Hunter and wv. G. Burgess
An elegant lunch was served early in
the afternoon. If all on board did not
enjoy this lunch it was not the fault
of the menu, but Of nature. AS a mat
ter of fact. the water was a little
rough and the majority of the pleasure
party We're not accustomed to going to
sea in craft of such dimensions and the
rolling affected them unpleasantly. In
| deed it is said that there was a period
aboard when at least half the party
earnestly prayed for death.
! But after awhile, the NAL de mere
was at least partly banished and the
| spirits of all revived.
| The trial. be it said was a remarka-
ply successful one, the little vessel
making the forty miles of her trip in
three hours, including a stop at Old
Point. On the way out, the Charleston
met El Rio coming in from her sue
cessful trial. When the party on the
Charleston sighted the bigger ship, they
hung overheard a large sign bearing
the remarka BILE legend .'1S.3 knots and.
one of the crew swung aloft and tied
broom to the masthead. Those on the
deck Of IIl Rio cheered the little boat
; and the big steamer saluted with a
blast from her whistle
| That hole that the shipyard peo-
pie are digging in the ground up
! there at the shipyard is the most ana1-
ing thing in an enclosure filled with
| amazing things.
The huge dry dock. to be. wher. fin
ished, the largest in America, and
probably the largest in the world. is be-
ginning to assume shape and the ap-
pearance of a dry dock.
| The work of eXcavatinE and piing is
gong along simultaneously ans! ran
idly. Large gangs are at work scoo,,inS
the dirt into gigantic trays These are
lifted bodily from the depths Of tie
! mole, swung into the air or a trolley
arrangement and transported to tn.
T, bank where they are dumped into GU
rlous little cars, which stand on a Curl
! Gus little narrow guage railroad built
| especially for the dry dock construc-
ton This little railroad goes trailing
perlously around the edges of the cav
ernous excavation, circles across tha
, sea end and strikes out for the dump
ing ground.
10 the superficial investigation OF
lhe inexpert observer, the work OF ev-
cavation and piling appears to b. pro-
crossing with great rapidity. The dock
may be said to be one-thrd completed.
Inc further end of the great dock is
! ready for it's tinEbers