In 1867 the firm transferred their establishment to the present site on the east bank of the river Leven near its confluence with the Clyde, and under the shadow of the Castle-rock, which figures largely, alike in the scenic renown and the historic annals of Scotland. Through a most elaborate series of extensions and improvements carried out within the past two-and-a-half years, the works have been enlarged to more than double their previous dimensions, and correspondingly increased in working capability. They occupy a total area of forty-three acres, over five acres of which are taken up with wet dock accommodation, and as much as seven-and-a-half acres with workshops, sheds, and roofed spaces of various kinds. The yard has a most advantageous and extensive frontage to the Leven, which, under the provisions of a recently obtained Harbour Act, is being greatly improved as regards width and deepening. The principal launching berths, eight in number, are ranged about the centre portion of the yard’s length, and their projections into the river Leven, favoured by a bend at this part, are almost in the direct line of its course. Through the recent improvements, these berths are capable of receiving vessels of dimensions and tonnage such as the present race for big ships has not even approached. The arrangement permits of eight vessels being built of lengths ranging gradually from a maximum of 750 feet downwards. Besides these principal berths, there are spaces near the south end of the yard, where light-draught paddle-steamers and the smaller class of screw vessels are constructed and launched, or taken to pieces and shipped abroad. All the work of construction, fitting out, and putting machinery on board ship, is accomplished within the yard gates. Contributing to this result are two tidal docks, one newly formed, of over four acres in extent, and another of over an acre. The bottom of the new dock is 26 feet below the level of the yard and wharfage, affording at high tide 20 feet of water. In connection with the dock, powerful sheer-legs are being erected by Messrs Day & Summers, of Southampton, capable of lifting the enormous weight of one hundred tons. Alongside of the smaller dock are a pair of sheer-legs, capable of lifting 50 tons, with two subsidiary cranes of 10 tons each. For all purposes, either of construction or outfit of the largest vessel, these and the other enlarged resources place the firm in a position of entire independence with regard to extraneous accommodation or appliances. The engines and boilers for Messrs Denny Brothers’ vessels are invariably supplied by Messrs Denny & Company, whose large works, greatly extended within recent years, are situated further up the Leven. Along the eastern boundary of the Leven Shipyard, for over 1000 feet of its length, the joiners’ shops, blacksmiths’ shops, machine sheds, outfit stores, &c., are ranged. The joiners’ shops are most admirable for the completeness of their appointment. They occupy the ground floor and first flat of a three-storey building, 250 feet by 65 feet, forming part of the range spoken of. The machines contained in these apartments are of the newest and most approved description of both British and American make, and embrace moulding, planing, mortising, tenoning, dove-tailing, nibbling, scraping, and sand-papering machines; circular, band, and cross-cut saws; also machines for decorative carving and incising, &c., the whole being driven by a special engine of considerable power, located near the building. A large sawmill and shed, containing various wood-working machines, are situate close to the Leven, near the south end of the yard, and all the wood employed in the yard is here cut from the rough. The blacksmiths’ and angle smiths’ shops and the machine sheds are correspondingly well furnished with the most modern appliances. The former of these contain over fifty fires, and ten steam hammers, as well as verticals, lathes, &c., conveniently situated. The latter are splendidly equipped, containing several large plate rolls, planing machines, beam-bending machines, and an assortment of multiple drills and counter-sinking machines of the most modern type; also a large number of punching and shearing machines, including two man-hole punches capable of piercing 30 by 20-in. holes in plates ¾-inch thick. The plate and frame furnace, bending block, and scrive board accommodation throughout the yard, is of extent commensurate with the other features above described, all of which being of recent formation, are of the most approved and modern description.

The system of railways throughout the shipyard is of an unusually complete description. Connection is made with the main line of the North British Railway, and enters the yard on its north side, where a store-yard of about two acres affords ample storage accommodation for material in steel and iron. Leaving this and traversing the building yard throughout, the lines of railway are designed to permit of material being conveyed without retrocession to the vessel of which they are to form part, but with the stoppages necessary for their being put through the various courses of manipulation. In addition, the yard is traversed in directions and to situations inaccessible to the main lines of rails, by the narrow gauge portable system, patented by M. Decauville, which is of great service.

A special department in the establishment of Messrs Denny, and an entirely novel feature in a private shipyard, is the experimental tank, already referred to in the Chapter on scientific progress. This notable section of Messrs Denny’s works may be described as consisting of a basin 300 feet long, 22 feet wide, and containing 9 feet of water over the principal portion of its length. Around this basin are the shops and appliances for the work which has to be done—constructive, experimental, and analytical. This work on the constructive side consists of making paraffine models, which represent on an appropriate scale the ships to which the experiments have reference; the paraffine is melted, cast in a rough mould to the approximate shape, and afterwards faired off by a specially-constructed and very ingenious cutting machine. When finished the model is passed on to the second stage—the experimental. A stationary engine draws a carriage along a railway suspended above the water space, the carriage is accompanied by the model, with an attachment which allows the model to move freely, and at the same time to depend entirely for its propelling force upon a spring carried by the carriage. The extensions of this spring are measured and recorded automatically, so too are the speeds, the record being made by electric pens in the form of diagrams, on a revolving cylinder which is part of the apparatus of the carriage. The analytical work consists of obtaining from the diagrams the items of speed and propelling force, the relation between which, at all speeds for which the experiments have been made, is thus obtained. The facilities which are offered by the tank for investigating to the utmost the laws of hydrodynamics in so far as they affect, practically, the resistance of ships, is thus obvious. On the facade of the tank, fronting the public street, Messrs Denny have placed an admirably-sculptured medallion portrait of the late Mr William Froude, of Torquay, the noted experimentalist. Underneath is the following inscription:—“This facade of the Leven Shipyard Experimental Tank is erected in memory of the late William Froude, F.R.S., L.L.D., the greatest of experimenters and investigators of hydrodynamics. Born 29th November, 1811. Died 14th May, 1879.”

Telephonic communication having previously been established with advantage between Leven Shipyard and the Engine Works of Messrs Denny & Co., towards the close of 1883 a telephone exchange system was established in the shipyard, by which means twenty-six separate places are in communication with one another. These are the residences of the principal members of the firm, the manager’s house, the Levenbank Foundry, the Dennystown Forge, four stations at the Engine Works, and seventeen stations within the shipyard, representing in all from six to seven miles of line wire. The electric light has already been partially introduced into the shipyard, but steps have been taken by the firm for further extending it to the various offices, the experimental tank, the joiners’ shop, and the upholstery and decorators’ rooms, as well as providing arc lamps of great power to light up the area of the yard itself.

Besides the introduction of the electric light into their yard, Messrs Denny have formed an electrical department in connection with their works, which will not only be employed in arranging and maintaining the yard installation, but will also undertake the fitting of the electric light installations on board vessels built in the yard. To supervise and manage this important department—which, it may be remarked, is entirely novel as a branch of shipyard work—the firm have engaged the services of a skilled electrician, under whom a staff of operative electricians are employed.

On account of the increased employment it brings to their townspeople, and also doubtless on grounds of increased economy and efficiency, Messrs Denny seek to overtake, as much as possible, the entire work connected with a ship’s construction and outfit in their own establishment. Towards the close of 1881 they began the introduction of a department for the designing, decoration, and furnishing of the saloons of their vessels. This department is now of established importance in the yard, and embraces four more or less distinct branches. Firstly, the architectural and decorative designs of the various saloons are determined upon by what may be called the architectural branch, under the immediate supervision of a professionally-trained architect. The work of practically carrying out these designs is at present entrusted to three sections of workers. (1) The decorative department, proper, which overtakes the painting of the various ornamental panels, dados, friezes, &c., of the saloons, and the staining of the coloured glass used in saloon windows, skylights, doors, &c. (2) The carving department, in which the carved work fitted on the bow and stern of vessels, also the numerous small pieces of carved work introduced into the architectural arrangement of the saloons, are overtaken. (3) The upholstery department, in which all the work connected with upholstering the saloons and state-rooms—usually, in other yards, made the subject of sub-contract—is overtaken from first to last. In this branch female labour is employed to a considerable extent, while much of the decorative painting referred to above is also done by females. Under the guidance of a lady artist, the employés in this branch have evinced much aptitude and taste for the work.

Successive enlargements and increased appliances have now rendered the Leven Shipyard capable of turning out from 40,000 to 60,000 tons of shipping per annum. The work hitherto achieved has been almost exclusively that of steamship building, but inside of that general limitation it has been of a varied and comprehensive description. Steamships for many of the largest ocean and coast-trading companies, gun-boats and transport ships for foreign Governments, and light-draught paddle-steamers for the rivers Volga, Danube, Ganges, and Irrawaddy, have all been furnished from the stocks of Leven Shipyard. The accompanying list, which is of work done during the period of the firm’s existence, viz., since 1844, affords at once an adequate conception of the large amount of important work done for the better-known shipping companies:—

No. of Vessels.Tonnage.
British India Steam Navigation Co.,50107,060
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.,1539,171
Austrian Lloyd’s Steam Navigation Co.,1627,191
J. & A. Allan, Glasgow, Allan Line,1124,530
J. & G. Burns, Glasgow,2021,101
Union Steamship Co., New Zealand,1919,700
A. Lopez & Co., Cadiz,719,178
British and Burmese Steam Navigation Co.,1218,837
River’s Steam Navigation Co.,1810,678
Union Steamship Co., Southampton,26,227
Irrawaddy Flotilla Co.,146,006

Adding to this record the work finished since the close of 1883 and presently on hand, the total for the British India Company is increased to 115,960 tons; that for the Union Company of New Zealand to 21,260, and en addition is made to the list in the two large steamers Arawa and Tainui, for the Shaw, Savill, & Albion Company, which together make about 10,000 tons. The following exhibits in tabular form the number and tonnage of vessels built by the firm from their beginning the business of iron shipbuilding in 1845 up to and including 1883:—