The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-06-16
new DRY DOCK
ISNOW WORKING
Completion of Late Type Dry
Dock Notably Improves
Local Shipyard


Improvement of Elizabeth City's
Shipyard facilities Tuesday of
this week when the new railway
dry dock of the Elizabeth City
Iron Works and Supply Com
pany made its trial trip from the.
bottom of Pasquotank River
bearing on its deck two craft at
once, and they of as extremely
opposite types, as marine archi-
lecture can construct. The one
was the lumber barge "Ports
mouth" owned by Seligman,
Williams & Ball of South Mills,
md the other a yacht originally
designed for pleasure and own
ed by Capt. Dick Smith of this
city.
This late type of railway dry dock
erected by the Crandall Engineering
| Company of Boston, Mass. for an Eliz-
beth City firm is the outgrowth of
machine shop and foundry business be-
sun 10 years ago by the late ]. S San
lerS of this city. This business is be-
;ug continued by Brad. Andrew and II.
y. Sanders in a large shop on Water
Street and has recently expanded in
o a larger and more improved plant
On Riverside Avenue where the ship
rard is also located.
Sevcnty-five thousand feet of lumber
was utilized in the construction of this
new railway, which is 1S6 feet long, 10
feet wide. and of IL feet draft. It's cap
Qcity is GOO tons. which will take care
of any craft now navigating these wa
for about three and half months. and
force of about 80 men were employed
in the work. The cost of this railway
and its accessories when completed will
be between 40 and 80 thousand dollars
This railway differs from the usual
type of railway in that it haulS craft
on almost q level keel, or rather in the
natural position of a vessel afloat. The
vessel is placed on blocks several feet
above the railway proper which, unlike
the ordinary railway, is decked over so
: that mechanics work on n level surface.
and not in between the logs aS is usu-
ally done. \ distinct advantage is that
every section of a vessels bottom is
more readily accessible than in many
other types of drydocking equipment.
Three hundred piles were used in
making the foundation OF the railway
! and the cross logs are 16 by 10 inches
in size. The whole thing is hauled
from the water by an immense chain
the links Of which weigh over 30 lbs.
apieae. the whole shot being 204 feet
in length and constructed of steel two
and q quarter inches in diameter The
mower required to pull the immense
weight of the railway and its load is
developed by a 80 horsepower electric
motor.
As further equipment to this dry
dock. a shunt track will be built to one
side on which vessels requiring exten-
sive repairs may be placed, in order to
relieve the dock for regular service.
Besides the Shunt track to be used IN
connection with the railway, the COM
many has a 50-ton shear-leg derrick
which forms a valuable adjunct in con-
nection with the hoisting often neces-
sary in the repairing of vessels.
The company is making extensive ad-
ditions to the equipment of its new
sbop on Riverside Avenue. This shop
is 100 by 100 feet and among its new
additional machines is 80 horsepower
air compressor. 36-inch band-sawing
machine with degree device permit
ting the saving of. lumber at any angle,
metal shear and punch that will han
die iron sheets up to three fourth in
ches in diameter, besides numerous
dressers, lathes and other metal work
ing machines. The new machine shop
represents an additional investment OF
several thousand dollars.
The erection of the dry dock has
been under the supervision of w. f.
Butterfield of the Crandall Engineering
Company. A force of 80 men was en-
ployed in handling the first job hauled
this week The company ordinarily
works a force of 80 mechanics and
helpers most of the time. 1t is possi-
Hle that the business this industry can
now bring to the city, will result in the
employment of a great force of me-
chanics and laborers, and thus be of
considerable benefit to the industrial
life of the city.
| Wi