The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-13

With a water boundary on three
sides and with facilities, when the |
job is finished, to care for forty YES
sells in the building at the same time, |
the Bruce Drydock Company, lncor- !
pOrated, is nok giving promise of be- |
ing one of the greatest assets of this |
port.
Shipbuilding at Pensacola! A call |
which had its echo when the lamented !
Sewall c. Cobb was here in his prime |
That was many years ago, but the
older residents remember how ardous-
ly he pushed the project. Capt. Cobb,
as his name indicates, was a personal
friend and great admirer of SewaIl.
the great shipbuilder of Maine, and
the Pensacola man always thought
that Pensacola offered a site incom-
parable as a shipbuilding center. He
wrote columns about it, showing the
advantages of the port for such an
industry. But one thing after an
other blocked all efforts in that di-
TeCtion. Now, with the activity to
Resent from a visit near the foot
of Coyle street, the dream of Cobb
seems to be nearing reality. A large
number of men have been kept busy
there fore the past several weeks,
making preparations for the things
which are now going on there-actual
dredging for a shipbuilding plant.
This is what the Bruce Drydock Com
pany, incorporated, is doing for Pen
sacola-and Pensacola appears at last
to be coming into her very own.
The dredge BlacBwater is building
acres and acres of new land down
there. In short, it is expected that
p at least 10000 square yards of 'bot
tom" will be transferred from its
longtime bed to the fifteen or more
acres of land which the company pro
poses to utilize in constructing one
of the most modern of shipbuilding
plants to be found at any port in the
south.
The magnitude of the local ship
building effort is hardly cOmprehensj-
Bile. In fact the average citizen is
unaware that actual work is in pro-
gress, preparing the site for improve
ment.
The site of the Bruce DrydOck Com
pany is what is known as the old
Brent mill site, just outside the city
limits, and, as stated, with a water
boundary on three sides, within easy
4
are the G., T. & A, the P, NJ. & n.
o. and the Pensacola Electric line,
over the rails of which materials from
- L. & N. supply points may and will be
handled.
Fifteen acres are within the area to
be occupied by the company named.
This site has enlargement POSSIBLE
ties to twice the territory now en-
braced in the present grant, or a total
of thirty acres. Being peninsular in
shape, it means more advantageous
handling of the industry, as we'll as
the Arrangement of the materials and
shops to make up a great industrial
hive to shortly be located thereon.
The site, as at present planned. will
accommodate no less than forty 1890
ton vessels on the stocks. That num-
Der of vessels, in other words, once
the present plans of the company are
carried out in the minuteneSs which
are projected, there may be built at
one time a total Of forty vessels of
1900 tons each. 1t means a total
of 10000 tons Of new shipping may
be built at the same time. so far as
space and availability of building
room is concerned
Under the present rate Of construc-
ton, it is possible that not more than
eight months will be required to place
the plant at the service of ship
builders.
Depth of water at present alongside
the site proper is ten feet, which will
be materially increased once the
dredging contract is carried through
to a successful conclusion.
AS stated, a great number Ct men
have been employed there for some
time. and a great many more will
shortly be able to find remunerative
employment there. At present the
work is being done under the expert
supervision of an engineer.