The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-27
Plant at Newport News
Largest of Its Kind on
Western Hemisphere
--
81 VESSELS ARE
NOW UNDER WAY
Work on Hand Representing Six
teen Million Dollars-New Dry
Dock Being Constructed
and Other Extensive
improvements Be-
ing Made.
Especial to Tho Times Dispatch. )

Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch.)
NEWPORT NEWS. VA. October 2s.
One OF the greatest industries in the
South. aud tho largest OF its kind on
the entire Western Hemisphere, is the
plant of the Newport News S%hipbuild-
ing and Drydock Company In this
city. This plant covers about $50
acres of land. employs 5000 nien-more
than half OF tho nu1nper being skilled
nIechanics-and has a payroll Of
about $4,000 900 a year.
Twenty-one vessels, representing an
aggregate cost or $16,00O.0e0. are now
under construction at the yard.
Among them are the giant 10000 ton
battleship Delaware the arinored
cruisers North Carolina and Montana.
the Mallory Line freight and passenger
steamer Brazos. the Mattson Line
freight and passenger steamer L.ur-
line, the Texas s%company's oil tank
oklahoma, two big lumber steam
ers, two avenue cutters. three
dredges, two %tugboats n six steel
Largcs. There is also a large amount
of repair work on hand.
S3,OOO,OOO In improvements.
Nearly 100000 is being expended
at this time in new improvements at
the yard, chief among which are a new
6oO-foot stone %dry-dock, n largo steel
ship ~trestls, a two-story brick fire.
proof carpenter shop and sail loft COM
blned. and a threc-story, brick fireproof
angle iron and timers shop.
The new d%ry-docls Is rapidly nearing
completion, and when 1T is openeq the
yard will ayesthree large docks, capa-
hle OF handling nine largo vessels az
ono time. The largestOf theGbas1ns
can accommodate the liant, Cunard
liner Lusitania, while the other two
can handle the largest steamers cm-
ployed in the coastwise service. AN
average of about ~200Svesscls are docked
in tho two basins IL The plant each
year.
Tho new ship trestle is about com-
pleted, and will be opened up on No
ye,nber LIST. This ~trestle ts 75O fee,
long, and two immense vessels, 7 6four
smaller ones, may be built under II AZ
ono time. There are two other ship
trestless OF the same size in the plant.
The two new shops increase the to,
tai number OF buildings in the plant
TO Twenty-Five. The floor space OF the
buildings aggregate aboutsfortY acres
Tho largest Of the shops are the ma
chine slop. boiler shop. ship sleh
blasksmith shop. lumber shed, angle
iron shop and joiner shop.
Eighty VESSELS Built.
Since tho COMPANY received its tlrsl
contract, in 1891. it has completed gand
turned out eighty vessels the tota
cost Of which was about s!5,oOo,Ooo
Among tile Walships bull ners
arc tho United States battleships
Virginia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Illinois
Ilearsarge. Kentucky, the .arinorel
cruisers Maryland and West Virginia
tho protected cruiser Charleston,I TIL
monitor Arkansas and tile gnnboat
Helena, Wilmington and NASHVILLE,
T~Wenty-twoH merchant steamship
have been hunt NJ the yard, tAmonl
these arc the giant Pacific, liners Korei
nnl Siberia, TIC Plant liner Ia Gran,
Duchess, now the City OF Savannah
twelve steamers of lll Cid type 70
tho Morgan line, 'andBa number of foi,
lumber and other freighters.
During tile 5I}usstan-Japunese Wa
the yord constructed slX submarine
for the Lake Submarine Torpedo Boa
Company. and MI of the vessels, on
cept one, We're sent PRUSSIA, Anon
the other. vessels We're eight steam
bolts. sin tugs, Sin barges, one dredgt
five car floats and two fcrryboat ten
deIs. nc y4ss
Cured nj sthesyard in the .pastsslAtee
years, and every one OF them 8ha
been entirely successful. This ls,i IN