The Marine Railway and Ship Yard

Having but few opportunities to stroll about town ourselves, and supposing a large majority of our citizens are similarly situated, it is not improbable that much is going on in many localities in our immediate vicinity, unknown to the great body of mechanics, who delve from forming till night, day after day and week ager week. So we thought we, returning from a leisure stroll to the Marine Railway and Shipyard last week; for there, upon the ways, high and dry, was the magnificent steamer Europa, undergoing some slight modifications and repairs, all squinting towards greater speed and was in displacing the element upon which she is to ride.

Being a new boat, brought out the last season, and having several little dashes of mastery in speed with the other noble craft of our river and lake belonging to the Ontario Steamboat Company, in which she struggled against a combination of drawbacks incident to every new craft, we may look for a complete equipment, with her lines well laid, when Spring returns and she again push her bows “to the battle and the breeze.”

Close by the side of the Europa, also upon the ways, was lying the Schooner Rio Grande, commanded the past season by Capt. Bassett, ready for the ship carpenters to cut her down and remodel and re-equip her throughout, a work which is to be done this Winter. Hard by, laid up for Winter, were the Steamers British Empire and Cataract, while upon the stocks was a new Schooner of very large size and mast beautiful model, and under a good state of forwardness, belonging to the Railway Company, which is to be launched in about ten days.

The whole spectacle imparts a very animated appearance to this part of the town, where only a few years since all was still, bleak, and forbidding in the winter solstice.

The Marine Railway and Ship-yard are now of vast benefit to our village, and in the future the facilities which are destined to afford, will be of incalculable advantage to the growth and business prosperity of the place; for here we can make, haul out and repair vessels of the largest class which float upon or river an lakes, with as great facilities as are afforded any where upon our waters.

Much credit is justly due to the projectors of our Marine Railway and Ship-yard, and everyone will cordially unite in the desire to see them flourish and repay the perseverance and enterprise which brought them into being. The Railway is one of the things which is contributing towards making Ogdensburgh “a fixed fact.”