The yard is divided in two by a building 250 feet long by 50 feet wide, placed at right angles to the river, and which contains plate furnaces, bolt-maker’s shop, plumber’s shop, rivet store, tool stores, large bending rolls, straightening machine, and man-hole punch, on the ground floor; and on the upper storey rigging loft, sail loft, pattern stores, &c. Along the head of the building berths in one half of the yard there is a line of machine shops 400 feet long by 70 feet wide, in one end of which are installed frame furnaces, bending blocks, &c., as also a number of powerful punching machines, planing machines, special machines for angle cutting, and there has recently been added a powerful radial drill, having four moveable arms arranged to drill holes in any part of plate 16 feet by 4 feet without moving it. At the back of this machine shop, and parallel with it, is a smith’s shop 180 feet long by 50 feet wide, fitted up complete with steam hammers, &c. For the other half of the yard there is a large building 200 feet long, and of an average width of about 150 feet, which contains furnace, with bending blocks, &c., several heavy punching machines, planing machines, drilling and other machines; one portion about 80 feet by 60 feet being used as a fitting shop, containing powerful lathes, radial, and other drilling machines on the ground floor, and on the upper floor a lighter class of shaping, drilling, and other machines. In this building are also constructed two drying stoves, wherein the exhaust steam from the engine is used for drying timber. At the upper end of this machine shop is another blacksmiths’ shop 130 feet long by 50 feet wide, containing steam hammer and drilling machines for special work. A separate building, 80 feet long by 50 feet, is used for the bending and welding of beams, and is so placed that the beams can be lifted direct from barges alongside quay, and laid in position, ready for use.
The smiths’, fitters’, and other similar shops are all conveniently situated; and as the vessels lie alongside the quay to be finished off after launching, the minimum of expense in this respect is incurred. There are numerous steam cranes of 10 tons and under on the quays for landing such portion of the material as comes by water, and also to lift articles on board the vessels fitting out.
The sawmills, joiners’ shops, mould loft, &c., are situated at the lower end of the yard, and the appliances for handling and converting timber are most complete. The wood-cutting machinery is very extensive, and embraces most of the newest labour-saving machines. The establishment in full work employs 2,500 men, and has turned out as much as 30,000 tons gross register of shipping in a year, including almost every type of vessel for mercantile and war purposes, which latter branch of work will now have a further development since the amalgamation with the eminent gun-making firm of Sir W. G. Armstrong & Co. For this purpose a new yard has been laid out at Elswick, adjoining the Ordnance Works, which will be of the most complete character.
The site of this new yard comprises about 20 acres, and at first only half-a-dozen building berths will be laid out, but as the frontage is about 2,000 feet, the number of these can be augmented as required. The buildings already erected or in progress embrace a brick built shop, 265 feet long by 60 feet wide, standing at the western portion of the ground, and at right angles to the river. This building is in three storeys, the lower portion being intended for general stores, tool and rivet stores, fitting shop, &c.; the second floor will be entirely used as a joiners’ shop, and fitted up in the most complete manner with wood-working machinery of every description. The upper floor will be used as a draughting loft and model-room. Parallel to this building, and a little distance from it, will be a blacksmith’s shop, 150 feet by 50 feet. Adjoining the larger building above described, and at right angles to it, is the office block, 120 feet by 45 feet. Along the head of the launching berths stands a tool shed 420 feet long by 40 feet wide, containing the ordinary punching, planing, drilling, and other shipbuilding machines, all of the newest and most powerful type. Near the centre of the site is a large shed 220 feet long, consisting of four bays, each 50 feet wide, the whole carried on cast-iron columns, which will comprise the plate and angle furnaces, bending blocks, beam shop, angle smiths’ shop, plate rolls, large and small, also keel plate bending machine, &c. The yard is served by a complete system of railways, having a siding from the North Eastern Railway Company’s system. Material can therefore be brought from all parts of the kingdom and deposited in any part of the premises.
It is almost unnecessary further to give the particulars of this establishment, suffice it to say that it is being laid out on the experience gained up to date in existing shipyards, and will therefore embrace the newest and most important tools in all branches of work. The intention is that it shall be capable of turning out every description of vessel up to the largest iron-clad, and the construction of war vessels of all kinds will be made a speciality, seeing that the Company can send them to sea completely armed and equipped ready for service. Looking to the magnitude of the establishment, it can be regarded as nothing less than an arsenal, which in time of war would be invaluable to the country. The present and prospective importance of this development of the combined firms’ business may be inferred simply from the fact of the services of so high an authority as Mr W. H. White, late Chief Constructor of the Navy, having been secured as naval adviser and manager.
DEPTFORD SHIPBUILDING YARD AND REPAIRING DOCKS,
SUNDERLAND.
These works, established so far back as 1793, but greatly transformed and extended to suit modern requirements, are owned and presided over by Mr James Laing, son of Mr Philip Laing, their founder. The yard consists of two general sections, situated one on each side of the main road leading to the river Wear. One of these, commonly termed the “Woodyard,” is where wood shipbuilding was conducted in the early days, but which now of course, in common with the other section, is used exclusively for iron shipbuilding. The entire works, including offices, docks, brass foundry, and other premises, cover an area of about thirty acres.
The yard embraces the various shops and sheds usually pertaining to building operations in iron, such as iron-working sheds, smiths’ shop, joiners’ shop, upholsterers’ shop, bookmakers’ shop, &c., all well equipped with machine-tools and appliances, needful in producing vessels for the most important shipping companies. The two general sections of the yard are each worked by one compound surface condensing engine, all machines being driven by belting from main lines of shafting, no independent engines being fitted. Scrive-boards, frame furnace, bending blocks, garboard bender, and other machinery are fitted in each section. Gorman’s gas furnaces are used for heating the material, and these, though rather troublesome when first fitted, about twelve years ago, after some alterations in the details, now give complete satisfaction, and surpass in efficiency ordinary coal furnaces. The joiners’ shop is situated in the wood-yard, and the smith’s shop in the other section. In the smith’s shop a separate engine is provided to drive the blast, so that if it is desired the wood-yard can be kept completely going without having the main engine in the other section at work.
The berths of Deptford yard, have been occupied since the commencement of iron shipbuilding there, over thirty years ago, with vessels for home and foreign shipowners, amongst others for such well known companies as the Peninsular and Oriental Company, the Union Company, the Royal Mail Company, the West India and Pacific Company, the Royal Netherlands Company, and the Hamburg and South American Company. In 1882 the Mexican, of 4670 tons gross measurement, the largest passenger vessel ever built on the North-East Coast, and one of the finest of the Union Company’s fleet of South African mail steamers, was launched from the stocks of Deptford yard. Including the Mexican, the following is the list of vessels launched by Mr Laing in the year named:—