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MARINE REVIEW December, 1925 LEFT—VIEW APPROACHING THE SIMPSON PLANT OF THE BETHLEHEM SHIPBUILDING CORP., BOSTON.—THE EDGAR F. LUCK- ENBACH IN DRY DOCK AND THE J. L. LUCKENBACH AT BERTHING SPACE. RIGHT—A VIEW FROM THE WATER FRONT SHOWING A the docks, was discarded and replaced by an electric motor and chain drive. The main pump was re-designed and new electric drainage pumps were in- stalled, with the result that the docks can now be pumped out in about half of the time previously required. The plant has been completely equipped with air, water, steam and electric power and lighting lines, conveniently located in trenches, so that this serv- ice is available at all points through- out the yard. A new 15-ton traveling Terry crane has been installed so as to serve two dry docks and two wet basins, with a total travel of about 1000 feet. A new combination building has been erected, which not only provides com- fortable accommodations for the of- fice force, but also includes a iocker room, shower baths and office for the use of the various inspectors and marine superintendents who have busi- ness at the plant. In this building, perhaps in keeping with the old traditions of the yard, there has been installed a commodious captains’ room richly panelled in natural teak, with an open fireplace and furnished with a large table and comfortable chairs. This room might well serve as an UNITED FRUIT CO. VESSEL IN appropriate setting for the return of those Yankee skippers who carried the flag to every part of the world. New shops have been built and new equipment bought and installed, so To the Port of Boston The editor of Marine Review visited the Simpson plant at Bos- ton during the past summer and was impressed with the excellent ship repair facilities provided and no less so with the very evident, unstinted expenditures authorized by the Bethlehem management to make these facilities possible. The accession of so modern and so complete a plant is an im- portant asset and its influence will be felt by attracting more ship- ping to the port of Boston. Such enterprise should be encouraged and fostered in every way. that the plant can handle any kind of ship repair work. For any unusual work, such as a large crank-shaft, the Simpson plant is backed up by the resources of the Fore River plant, only ten miles away and within easy truck- ing and lightering distance. The latest development has been the DRY DOCK AND THE TRAVELLING CRANE IN USE installation of an 11,000-ton floating dry dock, which was formerly located at the Fore River plant at Quincy. This dock is 480 feet long, with ten wooden pontoons and continuous steel wing walls. It is operated by twenty 50 horsepower motors and is capable of lifting a ship in about one-half an hour. This dock is so installed that there is 19 feet over the keel blocks at mean low water and its operation is not hampered by tides. The floating dock is moored to a new concrete pier 550 feet long, which not only supports the traveling crane, but also gives the plant a berthing space of approximately 550 feet by 120 feet, dredged to a depth of 24 feet mean low water. Down the center of the new concrete pier is a trench which contains water, steam, air lines, elec- tric power and lighting lines, of sufficient size to supply any vessels in the dry dock and adjacent pier. A 1000 gallons per minute centrifugal pump supplies a 7 inch line with salt water for fire protection and tank testing. Since the boom of the travel- ing crane is 87 feet long, the floating dock and adjacent berthing space are well provided with crane service. This gives a lay-out which can hardly be LEFT—WEST POOL WITH CARGO OF GRAIN ON BOARD UNDERGO ING SERIOUS BOTTOM REPAIRS IN DRY DOCK AT THE SIMPSON PLANT—RIGHT—HULL DAMAGE TO S&S. S. LILLIAN LUCKENBACH REPAIRED IN TEN CONTINUOUS DAYS