The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-13
PURCHASER Of
THE PENSACOLA
DOCK IS DEAD
MAN WHO GOT OLD SPANISH WAR
PRIZE AND TOWED 1T FROM
PENSACOLA TO NEW YORK EX-
PRES AT AGE OF IS YEARS.

The New York Herald of May 8
contains an account of the death OF
James Shewan, veteran shipbuilder
and dry dock man, that is of interest
| to PensacOlians from the fact that the
deceased was the man who purchased
the Pensacola floating dock When the
latter was condemned and sold by the
navy department. Concerning him, the
/ Herald says:
Died at Age of Go.
Mr. James Shewan, known to ship
| ping men all over the world as the
| head Of the dry dock firm Of James
| Shewan & Sons died yesterday morn
! ing at his home. No 43 Fifth avenue,
/ of a complication OF diseases. Mr..
| Shewan had been in failing health
| for three years. He was siXty-six years
| old.
| Mr.. Shewan was born in Aberdeen
! shier, Scotland. AS a boy he was ap-
| prenticed to ship carpenter, and
while still in his teens made a voyage
J to Greenland, during which his vessel
was caught in the ice and nearly lost.
Later he became associated with his
uncle, a sea captain, and took several
voyages in vessels in the tea trade.
In 1869 Mr.. Shewan came to New
/ York and after working at his trade for
| several months opened a ShipWright
! business under the name of Shewan &
Palmer. Later the firm became She
wan d Jenkins, and in 1877 Mr.. She
wan bought out his partners.
| The firm now has one of the largest
shipyards in the United States. at
| Twenty fifth street, South Brooklyn.
| comprising seven docks, the largest of
which will accommodate a 12,000-ton
vessel.
one of Mr. Shewan's last acts as
an active business man was purchasing
! from the governments the big Spanish
! dry dock captured in Cuba, and which
was lying at the Pensacola Navy
! Yard. This dock was towed to South
! Brooklyn.
| Ellen Curley, of Cardiff, South Wales,
who survives him, with five children.
He was a Mason and a member of the
St. Andrews Society Besides his
home in Manhattan Mr. Shewan also
had country place, lnyeruSle, on the
| Hudson. opposite West Point.
Purchased Two Years Ago.
| The New York Herald of March 25,
1912 contained the following regard
ing the purchase Of the docki.
| To m Ike preparations for the tow
| ing from Pensacola. Fla, to this port
of one of the largest floating dry docks
in this country, James Shewan, of
| James Shewan & Sons. who are To-
Gated at the foot of East Houston
! street and are the proprietors of seven
or eight huge floating dry docks, will
leave this city today. Built in 1897,
at a cost OF $500, 900, the dry dock was
one of the prizes captured by the
American forces at Havana during the
Spanish war.
The dry dock is $50 feet long and has
a width of los feet. with a depth of
Al feet. 1t is capable of accommodate
ing vessels having a displacement up
to u 900 tons. Mr.. Shewah purchased
it several days ago at an auction sale
in Washington. ID. "a the seller being
| William NJ. Evans. Tof Mobile, Ala,
who bought it from the government,
following a decision by the naval au-
thorities that the dry dock was not
exactly what was wanted for the &C
commodation of war vessels. though
useful for the handling of merchant
vessels. Prior to reaching this de-
cision and soon after the close of the
war the government refitted and re-
paired the dry dock at considerable eX-
pense. 1t is now in excellent condi-
! ton.
| Mr.. Shewan last evening refused to
state what was the purchase price
paid by him. In speaking of his ar
Engagements for towing the dry dock
| up the coast he said that he will prob
| ably employ three large ocean going
| tugs. Just when the trip up the coast
will be started he could not say, though
he expects it will be within a short
| time.