The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-09-26
'BIGDRYDOCK FOR NJ
SOUTHERN PORT
San Diego To Be site For
MILLION Dollar Plant; Con-
.s'. tracts let

SAN DIEGO, September 11--An.
houncsment Of the projected establish.
hpent at this port Of $i,00o,0 900 ship.
building and drydock plant by syndi.
cate Of eastern capitalists headed by
the nine vilsack brothers Of Pitts.
burg, Pa, was made yesterday by
Thomas G. Bond, an eastern promoter.
Work on the drydock and shipbuiid.
ing plant will start October 18th and
will be completed within Eve months,
Bond declares. ..-#gT W.
! Bond said that the drydock win be
Of the famous Dewey type, that il will
cost $3.50, 900 TO construct and upon
completion will be able 10 handle any
merchant or naval craft now ahoat or
under construction. a f4 49,
2 The shipbuilding plant, which will be
operated In conjunction with the float
tsg dIydock, wIll be used in building
the bulls Of vessels ranging from 200
70 200 tons gross. Bond said that
the company. OF which he is the head
alrendy has been awarded q contract
for bdilding the bulls Of six 20OO.ton
largo carriers by George Culver Of Los
Angeles. These vessels, Bond asserted,
will be- built Of Port Oxford white
cedar, furnished by the Culver Lumber
Company Of Port Oxford, Wash.
The firm of Gray q Davis, of Ban.
gor, Me-, will furnish the machinery
and other equipment for the shipbuild-
ing plant, Bond said. -. ;
For the last Ave months Bonds, sc.
companied by Assistant Wharfnger
William Mugler, has been taking
soundings Of the harbpr with view
Of selecting q suitable site for grav.
ing dock. Investigation showed, how.
ever, that n suitable foundation for
snstaiting the weight Of sneh dock
was not available on the site finally
'seleeted for the shipbuilding plant,
and upon the recommendation Of
Major Pillsbury, Army engineer for
the Southern California district, plans
for floating drydock were substi-
tutedn for a craving dock. The ship.
building plant will cover six acres.
The new plant will construct wood
en- thulls only for the time being,''
said Bond. "No steel is available
now, nor will there be any for about
two more years. There 10 tremendous
field now for such an establishment as
we.eontemplate building at San Diego
because of the ENORMOUS amount Of
new tonnage demanded by American
and foreign ship operators. We have
no fear but that the new plant will be
kept operating to capacity, for several
years to come. s. = = &. T. I. $40.
"The new yard and drydock viii en-
Ploy upwards of 300 highly paid work
men. The shipyard win be q four
berth plant capable Of turning out an.
nually eight wooden ships Of not less
than 5000 tons gross register. The in
stallhtion Of this plant win, no doubt,
greatly ehhanee the cityss chances Of
obtaining the proposed 81 Government
naval base at this port.'' % - ~ ?
Bond declared that much Of the cap.
ital Fer the new project is being fur.
nished by the nine Vilsack brothers Of
Pittsburg, whom, upon the death of
their father, Carl g. vilsack, each in.
herited $l,OOO,0O0. All of the brothers,
according to Bond, are prominent In
eastern manufacturing circles. Bond
said that the company, Of which he is
the head, Is Incorporated under the
laws of the State Of New Jersey.