The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-12
SHIP BUILDING
IS UNDER WAY.
The Keel of the First Torpedo-BO
Laid Yerterday.
A BUSY SCENE AT THE YARD,
Hundreds are at Work Putting To-
gethcr the Steel Frames OF the En-
gincs of Wharf.-The Trcdcgar
Works Once Made Vessels.
A BUSY SCENE At THE YARD.

The keel OF the FIRST Of the three torpedo
] boats under construction by the vs.. h.
/ 1rgg sipDuioug Company, was lad
] at Al O.c4ock yesterday morning, and ih'
| real wOrk OF construction j. now We4i
! uHuer way.
| heci-p4ales Of galvanized nickel Steel
Onc-iOurtn of an ich tnIck Weighing ten
| pounds TO the square foot. were lad along
/ the kee.-olocNs and nicely adjusted by
/ ". IA. Woody, Jr, master shIp-nttef,
and A. J.. Forbes, foreman.
GIVEN A BACKBONE
The mccall plates we've allcauy accu-
/ rately shaped and bored with uYet holes.
| Butt plates were put on az the joints aud
1 bolted with temporary bolts, and boz "a few
minutes the Shubrck destined 10 De one
! OF the best and swiftest torpedo boats In
the United States Navy had back
bone.
As the work proceeded the laborers i'm
creased in number. The keel angles We're
laid and between them erected tho verti-
cal keel plates In half hour the first
part of the work was accomplished and
the era OF ship building in Richmond
had giaddoned the eyes of all assem-.
bled.
Among the specially invited gentlemen
present were Congressman John Lamb.
General Manager stevens of the Ches-
apeakc and Ohio railroad. o. j. Boiling,
superintendent Of the city Water Works,
Thomas Atkinson. Captain John a. Gun
It's r. II. Bosher j. Tyler J0bs1n. and
VIM. Hancwink'e.
OFFICERS PRESENT.
The officers Of the company were pres
ent and. Of course took a lively interest
IN the FIRST construction OF the work for
which this great enterprise was estab-
Nshcd. They were: W. r.. Trigg pres
ident. L. y. Myers, vice-pre w. g..
Preston. secretary and treasurer. u. A.
Nelson general superintendent; Master
Mechanic Alexander Cruikshanks, and
other employees.
Past Assistant Engineer w. Stfother
Smith and Assistant Naval Constructor
!. =. Mcdonald, and their assistants.
who represent the government were also
present.
The shubrick IS one ~ three torpedo
boats that the Treg Company IS build
ing. They are duplicate ships and viii
have 10 be delivered 20 the government
in twelve months from the beginning of
contract.
They are 10 be 1G5 feet long on the
water line. Il feet in breadth I6j tons
displacement. and 300 indicated horse
power The required speed is twenty
six knots and as a knot So one and One
sixth miles. IL will Doe seen that they
will be fast boats.
The contract price IS 1920 80.
The other two boats-the stockton and
Thornton-win Doe commenced at once
and the work Will bo prosecuted on all
three 40 the same time.
FULL or DEBRIS.
The recent food LETT three inches Of
.sf sa De-
lowed uD the falling OF the water with
energetic work and now gravel and cine
de~s are rapidly taking The place of tine
sediment Jeff boy the freshet.
The structural steel for the other boats
IS now ready and 10 q few days the new
ship-yard viii present stirring scene.
Much Of the work win Doe done by CONE
pressed air power. The riyetIns drilling
and other operations TO be accomplished
By machinery run by This power cone
Quoted through pipes from the main
building which are already in place on
the scanold frames with proper fittings
The torpedo-boat destroy TIDE Dale
and Decatur-are an important part OF
this company's contract and must Pc hn-
ishad in eighteen months from date Of
signing contract Work Will also come
rnonce on these two boats in very short
have engines more powerful than the
battlesbip Texas though weighing only
one-fourth as much and they are exc
nocted 10 drive them through the water
at speed OF twenty-eight knots, OF
about thirtv-three miles. an hour.
The Trige ShiDbuilding Company are IN
fine shane 10 AN their contracts On time.
and the Government inspectors speak 900
the highest terms OF the spirit and energy
being shown and the high character OF
tho contractors and the work they are
turning out.
DESCRIPTION or THE WORK.
Mr. W. Birmingham. Of the engineering
departmcnt OF the United States navy
and one of the officers OF the government
superiutcnding the construction OF tor.
nedo boats and destroyers no the w. r.
Trigg Shipbuilding Company, IN this city
has contributed a comprehensive account
of the work for Marine Engineering
which appeared I'm the current number Of
that paper
Treating this new enterprise as AN
Inland shipyard." he says:
Nearly three hundred years ago Cap
tain Christopher Newport under orders
from the London Company, sailed up the
James river as far as Richmond, ana
there located, as the old chronicle has o.,
safe from the Spaniards. \ few months
ago. az the outbreak OF the war. the gov
eminent had under consideration the
building Of ten gunboats. at tho same
place. no bee safe from the same Span
iards Thus the verdict of the centuries
points 20 Richmond as a place inaccessi-
bic 20 a hostile sea force. and. as for "a
land force. the difficulties Of investing the
city are well known
WELL SITUATED.
The place is we'll situated for a snip
yard. the James river has a depth SUI
fcient. at present. for boats drawing
eighteen feet OF water. and the govern
ment has commenced deepening a. event
uallv there will be % feet az low ana
% - feet al high water-enough 20 hoat
ANYTHING but the largest ships.
The torpedo boats now under consuuc.
tlon are not the first efforts OF Richmond
In the direction OF shipbuildinB Inc
Tredegar Iron Works, famous ior us
cannon. built vessels Tor the Dhltei
States navy before the war ana during
the war several gunboats were buht AZ
the time Of the evacuation OF tne CITY the
last eunboat fell into the hands OF the
Federal forces: it had been named the
Ladies' Gunboat, and was Dnit wholly
from contributions of plate and jewelry
siyen nv the Southern women After the
var the old Dominion Steamship Com
many built one ship there.
BUILDING THE TEXAS.
Modern marine work in Richmond dates
from the construction of the engines OF
the United States batteshp Texas by the
Richmond Locomotive Works unds the
,,,.r,,fsfor of William r. Tricg vrho urss