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1899] MARINE REVIEW. 15 FAILURE O}f THE COLUMBIAN IRON WORKS. An unpleasant announcement of the past week in ship building circles was the failure of the Coiumbian Iron Wks. & Dry Dock Co. of Bal.iimore. The petition for the appointment of a receiver was filed by Henry A. Parr, who is one of the company's largest creditors and who is said to be inter- ested to the extent of $300,000. It is not unlikely that the action was in some degree influenced by the failure, a few days previously, of Christian Devries, who was largely interested in the Columbian company and who was an endorser of the company's paper. The reason given lor asking for a receiver was to prevent a scramble on the part of the creditors when payment of maturing obligations is denied and to secure them from loss. 'The petition states that there is due the company from the government jarge sums for work now under way and that when these become available they will serve to pay in large part all claims. Consent is given to the appointment of a receiver im the hope that the company will get time to complete its contracts and also that means may be devised by which the necessary capital can be procured for closing up the work. Mr. Parr was appointed receiver and only a nominal bond of $100,000 was filed, the sum by no means representing the assets. The obligations of the company amount, so far as can be learned, to about $400,000, most of which is due Baltimore banks in promissory notes. The paper is endorsed by Henry A. Parr, William T. Malster, mayor of Baltimore and president of the Columbian company, and 'Christian Dev- ries. There is also $75,000 owing to Philadelphia banks. Other obliga- tiens amount to $3,300. The Columbian company has only recently com- pleted the revenue cutter Seminole. The submarine torpedo boat Plunger is almost completed and one of the new torpedo boats is well in hand. Since the above was placed in type, Mr. Henry A. Parr, receiver oi the Columbian Iron Works & Dry Dock Co., has been authorized by the court to, continue for sixty days such work at the yard of the company as may in his judgment 'be advisable for the purpose of completing contracts already partly performed. For this purpose Mr. Parr is authorized to borrow $30,000 from time to time on his obligations as receiver. These obligations are to be a first lien on all the property and assets of the com- pany. As explained, there is a large amount of work nearing completion in the yard, including the revenue cutter Seminole and the tug' Savage, the Jaiter building for the Consolidation Coal Co, Both these vessels are $o near completion that they can be turned out in a week or ten days, and the hull of the torpedo boat Tingey is also well along toward completion. By finishing up the work in hand it is claimed the company will earn about $100,000, which would be entirely lost shculd the work be discontinued and the contracts abandoned. Mr. Parr is instructed to notify all credi- tors of the company to file their claims within ninety days. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THis PACIFIC FAVOR aan SHIPPING BItl. ~ In answer to an inquiry as to what in his opinion congress would do with regard to the shipping bill, which Senator Frye has introduced in the senate and Mr. Payne in the house, Senator MacBride of Oregon said: | "T have no idea what the final result will be, but it seems to me that the needs of our merchant marine are very pressing, and the interests of the country demand that something should be done. There is in my section of the country a universal demand that congress legislate so as to encourage and stimulate our American shipping, but there is con- siderable variance of opinion as to the best methods of accomplishing the result. In the last congress I voted to bring the shipping bill out - of the committee on commerce, although all its provisions did not meet with my approval. Speaking for myself, I would say that if a bill could be framed under whose provisions an export bounty could be paid on American products shipped abroad in American bottoms, I believe our merchant marine would be vastly benefited. The whole question is, how- ever, a problem for congress to work out and I have no doubt that the senate and house will arrive at a just conclusion. As a general proposi- tion the encouragement of our merchant marine is popular and just." Representative W. L. Jones of Washington state, a member of the committee on merchant marine, speaking on the subject said: "In my state we are decidedly interested in the shipping question. There is a _ 'great dearth of ships on the Pacific coast, and the time is come when 'there should be better service to the Asiatic coast. The vessels that ply "now in the Pacific are not at all sufficient to accommodate the traffic Hundreds of tons of merchandise are constantly wailing transportation across the ocean: It is surprising to me that any one should oppose legislation on this subject so important to every national interest." ~ At noon Saturday there will be launched at the Wyandotte ship yard of the Detroit Ship Building Co. a river steamer, the Tashmoo, which 4s intended for excursion service between Detroit and Port Huron, and which is patterned somewhat after the best type of Hudson river boat. It is the intention of the Review to shortly illustrate and describe in full both hull and engines of this steamer. The triple expansion engines, which will be the largest in use on the great lakes, will receive steam from: seven: Scotch boilers, at a working pressure of 170 pounds. The "boilers have 11-foot shells and are of a new design: Engines, which will 'be of the inclined typé; connécted direct to the paddle shaft, will have cylinders of 33, 51 and 82 inches diameter and 6 feet stroke. The mon- "ster paddles of the' Tashmoo will have nine buckets to-each wheel, 48 oinchés "wide by 12°feet'6 inches long. The wheels are of a new design "to insute strength and perfect auitomatic motion. The wheel frames are "24 feet from center line to the pinion holes of the paddles, and the new construction is said to practically make an accident to the paddle buckets from contact with the river banks an impossibilty. ences ------ ae "A New York wrecking company will in all probability attempt to float the steamer City of Jacksonville, which has been ashore near Ports- -mouth, N. C., for several months. The vessel, despite her long sojourn "fully 2,500 feet from deep water, has not sustained any damage worth | mentioning. e ak DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIFF DRY DOCKS. yo Mire Daniel aie Phillips, United States consul at Cardiff, Wales, has just forwarded to this country a report upon the new dry dock at that port, which is in substance as follows: Cardiff has long been known as the first port in the world for out- ward-bound tonnage. It is also one of the foremost ports for ship re- pairing. In no other do we find so many up-to-date dry docks; in no other do we find greater volume and value of business. The development in the dry docks at Cardiff is now watched with profound interest by share- holders, ship owners and merchants generally. The management of the Bute Dry Dock, Ship Building & Engineering Co. has introduced an entirely new principle in connection with their enterprise. Owing to the increasing length of steamers, the company, large as its dock is, has often found it impossible to deal with two large ships at the same time. It has frequently happened that a ship requiring extensive repairs to her bottom has monopolized the whole of the dock, though actualiy only about hali its length. This statement may seem contradictory, but the explanation makes it simple enough. The ship may run past the caisson by a few feet, and thus the lower portion of the dock is rendered useless, because another vessel could not be let in without flooding the one which is being re- paired. Thus, the dock may be robbed of nearly half its capacity. When such conditions prevail, work has to be handed over to a rival dock. It is obvious that the remedy for this trouble is to provide two docks. "Here two serious considerations arise--the expenditure involved and the space required. The directors of the Bute dry docks have found it impossible to eke out sufficient land on their estate to make a new dock. This difficulty has perplexed the company more than the question of cost. Mr. Good has mitigated the difficulty by planning something like a halt dock, leading off the dock they now have. Stripped of all technical verb- age, the plan is this: Excavations are being made on the office side of the present dock to half its depth, and the bottom and sides concreted and stoned. The distance between the'blocks on the bottom of the present dock and the bottom of the half dock will be about 16 feet. The entrance to the present dock is from the Roath basin, consequently the level of water is always about the same. A ship requiring extensive repairs to her bottom 'will be brought into the present dock in the customary way; water will then be pumped in to a height sufficient to haul her broadside 6n to the blocks placed in the half dock. At such time there would be 13 feet 6 inches of water over the blocks in the half dock, and as the mean draught of an ordinary cargo boat on an even keel is about 11 feet, it will be clearly seen that there will be 2 feet and over to spare. The water can be reduced by the opening of sluices. A ship thus piaced on the blocks of the half dock would remain dry while vessels passed in and out of the present dock for painting or other work. The new wing, of course, can be used for any purpose the present dock is put to, and will undoubtedly prevent it from being obstructed in any way. The success ul completion of this important undertaking will mark a new era in the history of dry- dock extension under straightened circumstances. This new dock will be 400 feet long by 75 feet wide. The company anticipates that the new addition will increase its accommodation and earning power by 50 per cent. The estimated cost is $121,600. The contractor has agreed to com- plete the work in six months." -- A BUFFALO SHIP BUILDING CONTRACT. A very handsome contract has just been awarded to Hingston & Son, ship builders of Buffalo, N. Y., by Hughes Brothers & Bangs of the same city, well known as contractors for government work. The contract, which foots up to $500,000, is for ten scows and two dredges. The former are to cost $25,000 each and the latter $125,000 each. The vessels are to be used in the dredging work at Gowanus bay, New York harbor, for which Hughes Bros. & Bangs some time ago secured the contract. All the work of construction on the vessels will be done at Jacksonville, Fla., and to that place Hingston & Son will next week send a large number of men. Each of the two dredges will be 135 feet in length, 50 feet beam and 15 feet deep, and each of the ten scows will be 200 feet in length, 40 feet beam and 15 feet deep. Each scow will have twelve pockets and will be capable of holding 1,600 yards of gravel. It is claimed that the dredges will be the largest ever constructed in America, each being considerably larger than the large dredge Pan-American which was described and illustrated in the Review some weeks ago. The machinery will be built by the Osgood Dredge Co. of Albany, N. Y., and will be ready to be placed on board as soon as the craft are completed. | NEW RAILROAD IN 1899. According to'preliminary figures prepared by the Railroad Gazette, which it says will probably be increased somewhat by the complete re- turns, the record for 1899 will be 4,557 miles of new railroad, built by 257 companies. For a year's total exceeding 4,000 miles we must go back to 1892 and 1891. In the four years following 1893 the average was only 2.000 miles. Last year the total ran up to 3,265 miles. It is to be said concerning the new trackage of this year that it represents almost en- tirely the response of the railroads of the country to the presstire of ex- panding business, and is in no respect like the unhealthy railroad build- -ing- movements Of the seventies,'many of which had no' larger necessity >for their being than that promoters'dreams should be realized. Another 'fact about:the year's track laying, as it affects the'iron trade, is the great increase it signifies in tonnage for the rail mills, over the requirements of a similar mileage in what were corisidered the real railroad building days of the country. An addition of 4,500 miles of railroad in a year means now 650,000 to 700,000 tons of rails, as against 450,000 to 500,000 tons 15 years ago. The American Steel Barge Co. has sold the whaleback steamer City of Everett, which was built at Everett, Wash., in 1895, to the Loebig Manufacturing Co. of Cateret, N. J., the consideration being, it is said, $200,000. The vessel will be used in the transportation of phosphate - from Port Tampa, Florida,