The Shipbuilding Yard.
Covering an area of 40 acres, the Works have ten berths for the construction of ships of all sizes, with departments for producing all the accessories and machinery—engine and boiler works, steam-turbine factory, foundries, brass, copper, and sheet-iron shops, saw-mill and extensive wood-working department—and these give employment to four thousand workmen. The equipment has been greatly extended and modernised during the past few years. The building of the China Steam Navigation Company's steamerFengtienin nineteen weeks, from the laying of the keel to the trials, is one of several instances of rapid construction which might be enumerated.
The plans of ships prepared in the designing department and drawing offices, to which reference has been made in the previous Chapter, are passed to the moulding loft, where the work of construction is commenced. This loft is situated in a substantial four-storey building, accommodating practically all the wood-finishing departments. Each floor has an area of 12,500 square feet; the ground and first floors are given up to the joiners and cabinet-makers, with their numerous machine tools, while the top floor is at present utilised for storing completed joiner work, etc. The moulding loftmonopolises the third floor, and as the length is 240 ft. and the width 52 ft., there is ample space, as is shown on the engraving in Plate XL., facing page 94, for laying down full size deck-plating, stringers, margin plates, deck girders, etc., so that moulds or templates may be prepared for the iron workers. Armour-plates for warship belts, barbettes, and casemates are similarly prepared in template, to assist the makers to form them to the required curvature and size.