The San Francisco call., 1901-12-15

N HE main shops and the ship
building plant of the Risdon Iron
Works are located on the water
front Of the Potrero, between
Il Nineteenth and Twenty second
streets.
The property consists Of thirty-two
acres, lying between Georgia street and
the shore line, which is here nominally
Massachusetts street, and includes the
former site Of the Pacific Rolling Mills.
The main entrance is at Twentieth and
Louisiana streets, four blocks east of
Kentucky street, on which is the near
est electrician line. The main line of
The Southern Pacific Railways bay shore
extension is three blocks from the en-
trance on Illinois street. From this
SOUR runs down Twentieth street through
The main gateway, which is forty feet
wide. and there spreads out fan shaped
into four branches. All these tracks are
interconnected by curves Of 15O feet
radius. allowing a choice of two or three
routes from almost any point to any
other. thus preventing the annoyance and
delay of blocking traffic. For instance
there are four possible routes from the
machine shop to the shear legs-the u!u-
Work The total length of trackage
about the works is four miles.
The general arrangement OF the
fieth street is located the shipbuildlng
department proper. It consists OF the
mold loft and ship tool building plate
racks and the shipbuilding ways. South
of Twentieth street the first tier Of build
ings is as follows, going toward the pay
New Office, blacksmith shop, angle-oar
shed, warehouse, joiner ana snip NJ ip-pSns7 pa,
tern shop and hreproonng ana rlgseIs
shops The next tier south consists OF
machine shop, stoFeroom, poWer-nouse'
conner shop and boiler-house. The fol-
II inc hi
extension to the machine shop, pattern
shop boiler shop, foundry flask shop
and flask yard. There is complete line
of wharVes on the bay frontage, lnciud-
ing a ftting-out slip, surrounded on
three sides with wharfage and railroad
tracks It viii be noticed that the grounds
are amply provided with railway way, faclnz GdI5
wherever il could be Of, use. AS all the
curves are 80 feet radius, the usual
datcars and railway yard locomotives
The complete track system also makes
il possible to utilize all the space not
occupied by buildings for storage. Ma
ferisl and all heavy articles are carried
about the works by three yard or locomo-
tive cranes. having a capacity of ten tons.
These are also used for switching cars.
The buildings are constructed Of struc-
tural Steel covered with galvanized cor
rugated iron, thus being hreproof
throughout The foundations are con-
crete piers. Under the machine shop,
piers are laid upon bedrock, as the site
Of these buildings has been eXcavated
from the surrounding hills. The ship
tool building columns and each separate
machine rest upon concrete piers nine
fee deep, which, in turn, are built upon
piles from seventy TO ninety feet long,
driven TO bedrock. The joiner shop is
similarly supported though the distance
TO bedrock is not so great.
The lighting facilities are ample indeed.
Each shop is completely equipped with
arc and incandescent lamps, so that work
can be carried on continuously night and
day when necessary.
Power.
Four kinds Of power are distributed
completely throughout the Works-cOm-
pressed air. hydraulic, steam and electric
COMPRESSED air is used for hoists drills
riveters. calkers and other pneumatic
tools. the provision for the ship building
and repairing plant. wharves and fitting
cut slip being especially complete.
Hydraulic power is used for large riv-
eters. punches, jacks, drop forging