Published Resources Details Journal Article
- Title
- Engineering works on the Thames No III - Messrs Yarrow and Co
- In
- The Engineer
- Imprint
- vol. 77, 22 June 1894, pp. 535-539
- Description
Accession No.308
- Abstract
A detailed description of the Thames shipbuilding yard of Messrs. Yarrow and Company, of Poplar. Messrs. Yarrow and Hedley of Poplar built their first torpedo boat (length 55 feet, beam 7 feet) in 1874 for the Argentine Republic. The partnership of Yarrow and Hedley was dissolved in 1875 when Hedley went into business on his own account. At about this time Alfred Yarrow extended his field of operations, and turned his attention to the construction of light draught steamers, the move was so successful that these vessels became a prominent part of Messrs. Yarrow and Company's business. In 1878 Alfred Yarrow broke all previous speed records with two first-class torpedo boats (length 85 feet, beam 11 feet; trial speed 21.9 knots) built for Russia, the British Government by virtue of an Order in Council appropriated these because of Russia's hostile attitude towards England at the time. In 1885 Alfred Yarrow acquired part of the adjoining yard of Samuda Brothers. By 1887 the number of employees had increased to 1,600, and by 1894 the yard occupied some three and a half acres, and employed 1,000 workmen. Details of the layout of the yard as it was in 1894 are given, together with details of Alfred Yarrow's methods of balancing triple and quadruple expansion engines.