Title

Schichau, Ferdinand (1814-1896)

In

Deutche Biographie

Imprint

Leipzig, 1899, pp. 6-7

Description

Accession No.1584

Abstract

Ferdinand Schichau, engineer and founder of the engineering works and shipyard at Elbing, was born on the 30th of January 1814 at Elbing, studied at he trade school in Berlin and founded the Schichau Factory in 1837, which today (1899) employs over 7,000 workers and covers a surface area of (altogether) 62 hectares, of which 70,000 square metres are developed. The factory contains the following establishments: 1. The engineering works, iron-steel and bronze foundry and shipyard in Elbing. 2. The locomotive factory and boiler workshops in Elbing. 3. The shipyard for ships of all sizes in Danzig, 4. The floating dock and workshop in Pillau. In 1840 Schichau built the first modern high pressure machine (? Engine) in Germany, and in 1841 the first steam dredger/excavator managed in Germany (at almost exactly the same time Spath built a dry-steam excavator), in 1855 the first iron propeller-driven (sea) steamer built in Prussia Borussia in 1877 the first deep seas torpedo-boat for the Imperial Russian Navy, in 1878 the first compound ship's machine (? Engine) for the Imperial German Navy, in 1880 the first compound locomotive made in Germany, in 1882 the first triple expansion machine (?engine) made on the European continent, in 1883 the first triple expansion machines (?engines) for torpedo boats and electrical (centres?) generators. The fastest ship in the world (at that time) the Russian deep-sea torpedo boat Adler (28.4 nautical mile speed) was built in the Schichau yards in 1888. In 1897 four of the torpedo hunters built by the Schichau yards for China reached a maximum speed of 36.7 knots (these were the fastest boats in the world at the time).

Almost all sea-going nations of the world; Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, Turkey, Japan, China, Brazil, Norway Sweden and so forth have received torpedo boats and cruisers built by Schichau.

The number of torpedo boats built in his yard today (1899) exceeds 340. Over 2,000 steam driven engines have left his mechanical engineering works with a total combined horsepower of 1,300,000. At the second large shipyard at Danzig founded by Schichau in 1891 numerous and colossal war and trade ships have been produced above all armoured ships and speed steamers of the greatest dimensions. Altogether so far the Schichau shipyards have produced 800 ocean and river steamers with speeds of 20-36 knots, plus 50 steam excavators of varying systems have been built. The locomotive factory supplied 1,300 locos, including 390 compound locomotives.

The newly built Schichau steel foundry (in 1897) supplies steel castings of up to 50 tonnes.

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• Schichau, Ferdinand (1814 - 1896)