The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-05-16
TUESDAY. MAY lG, 1908.
vIRGINIA'S GREAT SHPYARD


phere. if not in the world. either pri-
vate or governmental.
1t receives but little notice in the
papers, although it is we'll known
over all the commercial world; yet AT
Newport News. on Hampton Roads,
such a yard is located.
Years ago the late e. r. Hunting
ton. the great railroad magnate. and
who first connected the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans by railroads across
the entire continent. remarked:
1T was my original intention to
start a Shipyard plant in the best lo-
cation in the world and | succeeded
in my purpose.
This he accomplished at an outlay
of over $l5.OOO,0OO
All the plans were most carefully
considered; the yard covers | 20acreS.
with water frontage OF half mile.
All the work on a ship from its in
ceptiOn to its completion iSabsolute-
" progressive. the material entering
at one place moves steadily forward
TO it's final destination without ever
retracing its route.
The great brick buildings alone
cover about l. acres. all are lighted
by electricity and work can be done
as well by night as by day. with over
head travelling cranes to carry all
material from point 10 point therein.
All the buildings are connected 10y
railway tracks. and ears are handled
by the yard locomotive and spur
track connects with the G.. Il o. main
line.
There are six ShipwayS upon which
the ships are built. and between each
pair OF ways on tramways 100 feet
high are the travelling cantilever
cranes carrying in midair the ma
terial to the ways and placing it on
each side Just where required for the
ships, also great derrick cranes OF
10 and $50 tons lifting capacity
This company was the first that ever
utilized cantilevercranesi in shipbulld-
ing. The machinery departments are
probably the largest and most costly
in America. All the work required
for the largest steamships done here
and any ship can be built complete
and fitted out for sea with all itscoal
and stores on board.
Iron and steel work. copper. brass,
blacksmithing. carpentering and JOIN
ers' work. electrical and even uphols-
tering of all kinds are done. Steam.
electricity and compressed air are
the power generating forces employ
ed. 1t owns and operates two large
foundries, one making steel, and a
saw mill
There are two great dry docks, one
over 600 feet long and one over 500
feet; this is the largest in America.
and is capable of taking in two war
or commercial ships at the same time.
They are pumped out by two pumps
operated by electricity and which
will empty the largest dock with D.
900. 900 gallons OF water in two
hours and fifteen minutes. or TO-
900. 900 gallons an hour
Eighteen hundred tons OF coal
month are required by the yard. 1t
has built and is building l6 |. 5.
warships, one of which is the power
full battleship "Virginia;' also the
huge Pacific mail and other steam
ers. The German government has
all the repair work on all its war
ships stationed in the West India
and the North and South Atlantic
ocean done here.
The yard employs over 200 men,
with a pay roll of over $4,000 a
day, which shows what this yard is
doing for Virginia workmen.
A few days since L. :. battleship
squadron coming up the coast from
the West India was ordered by the
admiral in command Ca Virginian)
to make trial speed run for six
hours, and at the close they stood as
follows: First the Missouri. then the
Maine, Kearsage, Kentucky, Iowa.
Massachusetts and Alabama. The
Missouri, Kearsage and Kentucky
were all built at the Newport News
shipyard and they lead the column.
All the battleships and cruisers built
at this yard are favorites in thenavy.
The yard is owned entirely by the
Huntington estate. The president
is c. B. Orcott, Esq, of New York,
and W. A. Post, OF Newport News, is
the generalmanager, who hasproved
himself most successful and efficient.
fredericksburg is the only place in
the United States that has any real
claims to the remains of John Paul
Jones, and they should be brought
and inferred in this place. If any
other spot is selected for his final
resting place it will not be because of
any claim, but because those having
the remains in charge so will it. Let
the appeal OF Virginia's sons and