IRON SHIPBUILDING ON THE THAMES.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 57, 26 May 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

IRON SHIPBUILDING ON THE THAMES.

(From Mitchell's Steam Register.) During the last two years immense progress has been made in the iron I shipbuilding firms on the Thames. { This has been occasioned by the sensation created by the Merrimac, by the demand for iron ships of war for the British and foreign navies, and by the favour shown to ironbuilt sailing vessels. There is one other circumstance which has some influence in iron construction, and it is to be found in the enhanced price of timber, and the large amount of capital demanded to keep up a storage of seasoned material. In the build of wooden ships there is a great Waste from cuttiugs and shipwrights' perquisites, whereas in an iron building yard every scrap is swept up and run down again for use ; therefore, there is no waste in iron shipbuilding, and the supply is comparatively illimitable. It has, consequently, become the fashion to convert wooden building yards into iron ones. Barnard's yard, at Deptford, which in the palmy days of the East India Company was a first-class establishment, is now an iron shipbuilding place under the management of its enterprising proprietor, Mr. Luugley. We recently gave a description of two steamers launched from the slips of this yard, and the sound of the hammer never ceases there. This yard has a fine dry clock, and every appliance for cavryiug on an extensive business. No yard on the Thames h.13 had a greater reputation than Pitcher's, of North Fleet, and no other has the same advantages of site and soil. In this yard Mr. Pitcher built ships of war for every Government in the world, and the vessels he turned off were unsurpassed for model and workmanship. The building yard, of itself, exclusive of cottages on the estate for workmen covers forty acres. No pile driving is required, for the chalk and flintstotie secures a firm foundation. It possesses the longest and finest dry dock on the river, and its frontage ,is 1000 feet. With all these superiorities it is doomed as an exclusively wooden chipbuilding yard, though it is possible wooden vessels may still be built or repaired there, For some months back the yard has been let to strengthen the Grahvay steamers, one of which, we believe, is now in the dry dock undergoing double plating. It is proposed to make this yard a rival to the others in the building of iron ships, and before long timber will give place to iron there as in otb c r yards. Wigram's yard, at Blnckwall, wherein so many fine wooden ships were cradled, is gradually being converted into an iron shipbuilding establishment, and if this process goes on there will not be a wooden building yard left on the river. The Thames Shipbuilding Company, at Orchard yard, formerly Mare's, where the Warrior was built, has abundance of work on hand. The ironplated frigate Valiant, 6021 tons, is building there, besides other ships for foreign Governments and steam companies, and all the slips are occupied. S':ott Russell's premises, where the Great Eastern was built, and the yard adjoining, some time in the occupation of Mr. Marc, is now one concern, and called the Mill wall Shipbuilding Company. It is a joint-stock enterprise, embracing the four partners 5u the house of Overend, Gurncy and Co., and the four partners in the firm of Brassey, Pete, and Co. Mr. Harrison, of the latter house, is the manager. This company is extending the premises, and erecting monster steam hammers and rolling plant. The rolling mills are to manufacture the largest-size plates for the new frigates. A vessel in this yard may be said to grow, for all the processes of manufacture are done in the yard. The Northumberland, armourclad frigate of 51 guns^ is progressing here, besides which the company are commencing a first-class steamer for the Peninsular and Oriental Company; a cupola frigate for Italy ; and, a sign of the times, no less than six iron sailing vessels are to be taken in hand, besides other smaller screw steamers. This yard is assuming gigantic proportions, and demonstrating what can be done where capital is forthcoming. North - fleet is decidedly a better site, but wants to be supported, we are told, by an outlay in machinery. Samuda Brothers, of the Isle of Dogs, Black Wall, are building the Prince Albert, iron cased cupola frigate, for Government ; a light draught, gun-boat for the Egyptians ; some small river boats for the Peruvian Government, for survey of the Amazon River; a yacht for the Pacha of Kgypt, two vessels for the Peninsula and Oriental Company, and a steam transport for the Russian Emperor. Altogether there • are about eightyseven thousand tons of iron shipping building on the banks of the Thames, giviug employment to near upon ten thousand hands, besides Mr Reed's semi-iron ship of war, the Enterprise, under construction in the Government yard at Deptford, and a few minor affairs. If to the work in execution at the yards mentioned, we add the labor engaged in engines for driving those ships, and also the boiler-makers, we may calculate that there are twentythousand men employed in building iron ships, and on the machinery to propel them. Miller and Ravenhill, of Lambeth ; Kennie, of Hlackfriars ; Miller and Riverhill, of Rotherhithe.-, Perm, of Greenwich ; Stewart, of Blackwall ; and Dudgeon, employ between them a small army of mechanics in making marine engines. We might add to the list, but from this short resume it is evident that if the requirements of the Admiralty should at any time call for the building of an iron fleet ; expeiUtiously, there are abundance of yardtfon.

the Thames for improvising squadrons, if a price is paid sufficiently high to tempt firms to neglect foreign demands, and to apply their energies and resources on behalf of the Royal Navy. With all this increase in iron shipping, there is no sensible enhancement in the price of metal* which proves that the supply of the ores, and the smelting establishments, are fully equal to any demands that may be made upon them. Our ironmasters seem prepared to keep up an exhaustloss store, though the rolling of four and a half, five, or five and a half inch armour plates, which is altogether a new feature in the trade, may not keep pace with the anxieties of the Lords of the Admiralty. To erect mills to roll such plates as those for the new frigates is a costly affair, and the ironmasters are nat certain but that our Government may dispense with their services. If it were authoritatively known that the manufacture of these plates would be left to private firms, any quantity might be obtained; but there is talk of expending some millions sterling in erecting mills in Her Majesty's dockyards, and this places the whole question in a state of uncertainty. So long as this unsettled state lasts, it will be the worse for the public service, for no encouragement is given for the extension of rolling-mills. The Admiralty contend that work performed in the Royal yards is more satisfactorily executed than iv private establishments; but if this be so, it is the fault of those who make the contracts, and do not see to tlu;ir faithful fulfilment. The wooden gunbo.-its built in haste, of unseasoned timber, during the Russian war, is used as an argument, against entrusting tho building of ships away from the Government yards ; but there is no " sap' ; to rise from metal, and if the plates are tested by tho hydraulic machine, and tho system of inspection is perfect, there should be no difference between a vessel built in a Royal yard and one in a private yard.