New-York tribune., 1902-01-19
LEWIS NIXON'S ~IIIPYARD.
York WHICH NEW TAMMANY LEADER
IS DOING FOR VARIOUS GOVERN
MENTS AND INDIVIDUALS.

Eight hundred shipbuilders in EliZabethport.
n. j.. joined in a cheer the other day when they
teard that Lewis Nixon the man for whom they
tIork had been chosen as leader OF Tammany
Hall This was more than the rank and file OF
Tammany Hall was able to do. for the braves
are not at all sure that they will relish working
under a man who has made his way by push
Ind not by pull" They understand the meth
DDS of pull" and graft" but they are ignorant
bf the methods which have brought wealth and
commercial success to the new leader
From the very first Mr.. Nixon has been
man who did things. He was sent to the Naval
Academy at Annapolis from Virginia, and was
graduated at the head of his class. He had
shown such ability and purpose that the United
States Government arranged with the BRUSH
authorities that he take course in naval archi-
lecture and engineering at the Royal Naval Col
lege, Greenwich, England. He visited and
studied the ship. gun and armor works of Eng
land and France, and returned to this country
in time to take part in the construction Of the
first vessels of the navy
1t was in 1890 that General Tracy. Secretary
Of the Navy. sent for the young naval architect
and told hin. 20 design a battleship that would
surpass the most effective creations OF the Brit
ish yards. It involved the construction of
larger vessei tIan had ever been built In the
United Ga e. and many man would have
hesitateG ovC: the responsibilities. Mr Nixon
had time TO hesitate; he went to work. In a
few months the plans Of the hattlcship oregon
were completed and met with the approval Of
the department. Her construction was ordered
well that of two sister ships. the Indiana
and the Massachusetts.
In the fall of the same year Mr Nixon re-
signed from the navy and became superintend-
ing constructor at the works of Cramp Il Sons
at Philadelphia. For four years he retained
this position and superintended the construction
OF six of the largest vessels in the navy. In
1895 he purchased the Crescent Shipyards, at
ElZabethpOrt, n. j.. which ne has since
given most of his time and attention. More
than a hundred steel vessels OF various sorts
have been built there since he took the yards
including the fourteen vessels of different kinds
which are yet in the yards in different stages
of construction. Everything. from armored
cruisers to submarine torpedo boats from oil
tank steamers to steel yachts for men of wealth
are included in the Nixon list. The pioneer OF
successful submarine boats, the Holland came
from this yard, did the Anna polls the Vixen
and the Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer
Pathfinder
The Nixon yard has never been buster than
1t is to-day. Almost all the available dockage
along its 400 feet Of waterfront is taken up
with vessels of various sorts, some almost COM
pleted others only begun. In the stream are
two speedy torpedo boats, which are about to
make their official trial trips in effort to do
at least twenty-six knots, almost thirty miles
hour, and three submarine boats were
launched recently.
The fine cruisers and gunboats which the
Crescent yards turned out for several South and
Central American republics have led to further
orders from the South. TWO twinscrew gunboat