Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-06-30
MARINE RAILWAY
ABERDEEN WILL HAVE THIS Me-
CESSITY VERY SOON
The Lindstrom Ship Building Company is Now
Engaged in Constructing a Complete and
Commodious Plant, Of Sufficient Size to
Accommodate Largest Vessels.

One industry brings another, has been
surely verified in the growth of Aberdeen
First the sawmill then the blacksmith
shop, then the machine shop and foun.
dry and so on al infinitine.
The latest industrirl addition TO our
quote is the Linds'rom Shipbuilding
Company's marine railway, an enter
prise found necessary for the repairing
and cleaning of the many ships that sail
from this port.
The company is not only ready to
build wooden vessels OF any dimensions
but also to repair or clean them. This
| last being done by means OF the marine
| railway now in course of construction.
The present length Of the track is $50
feet extending into the water far enough
to accommodate vessel having a draft Of
IL feet and having keel 200 feet long,
which means larger vessel than has
ever come into the harbor.
There being no torredo worm in this
harbor to eat timbers under the water,
the company feels justified in laying a
foundation for all time to come. This is
done by driving pile far enough to reach
hard pan and then saving them off under
the water, the requi' ed height from the
river bed, the saving being done by a
horizontal circular saw set to the level
required for the track, on a vertical shaft
run by steam, thus doing away with the
old and imperfect method of having the
work done by divers. They are capped
and on top of the piling is bolted a
heavy track, and on this the cradle in
which the vessel will rest runs. This
cradle is 81 feet wide and is shod with
four sets OF steel plates, the two center
ones being ten inches wide and the two
outer ones five inches, each resting on
corresponding steel shoes on the station
arv track or ground ways. Instead OF
using grease on the ways steel rollers are
ingeniously fitted into the track and
cradle, making minimum friction when
the vessel is being hauled out of the
water.
On the upper or shore end OF the rail-
way is set four heavy gear wheels one
behind the other, so arranged that each
will MAINTAIN an equal strain OF the
heavy steel chain used in hauling the
vessel out of the water. These receive
their power from stationary engine
built especially for that purpose. with a
cylinder capacity Of l4x28 inches.
! The solidity OF the whole can be better
testimated than described, when it is un-
derstood that the timbers on which rest
the travellers Of the cradle, are series Of
six inch planks bolted together until they
attain a thickness of IS inches and on
top of this is an inch and one.half steel
plate. The stoop of the outer end that is
in the water, and which is heavily
weighted with ballast, is not spiked but
rest between two heavy timbers bolted
and screwed together with heavy bolts
and nuts. In this way there is no cor
roding or loosening OF the floor planks,
but they are there to stay.
The importance OF the new enterprise
to Aberdeen cannot be over estimated.
The knowledge abroad. that there is at
least one place north OF San Francisco.
outside OF the naval station. where heavy
draft vessels can be taken care OF in mat.
tiers of repairs, will 60 far towards estab-
fishing the marine importance Of this
port, and to this the other necessary at
tachments such as sail and rigging lofts,
storehouses, etc.
To further perfect the plans of repair
ing vessels wharf has been erected on
the west side of the railway, so that yes
sells coming fo. repairs will not be warp
ed against the tide, but will drop with
the flood tide into the cradle on the
ways. Shear booms for hosting spars
are placed on the south end of the dock
and in fact it would seem that nothing
has been neglected to make everything
as complete as possible.
Mesers. Linstrom and Green are to be
complimented and Aberdeen is to be
congratulated.