The next department, occupying the east end of the Company’s works, is that of shipbuilding. The shops of this department are fitted up with all the newest machines for quick and efficient production of work. It contains the largest graving dock on the coast, also a very fine patent slip, fitted with hydraulic hauling gear. The building slips are suitable for every kind of vessel up to 500 feet in length, and are capable, with those in the Howdon branch of the works on the opposite side of the river, of launching 70,000 tons of shipping annually. There are nine building slips at Jarrow, and six at Howdon. In the year 1882-83, June to June, 35 vessels of the aggregate tonnage of 68,000 tons were built and delivered to their owners. For transporting material throughout the works, three steam travelling cranes and eleven locomotive engines are employed. For discharging ore, two fixed and two travelling steam cranes, also two hydraulic cranes, are in use. At the engine works are sheer-legs 100 feet high, capable of lifting 100 tons—used for lifting engines and boilers, and for masting the vessels. The output of tonnage by Palmers’ Company for 1882 and that for 1883 were severally about double the amount turned out by any other one firm in existence for these years. The following statement of the yearly amount of tonnage turned out by the firm since the commencement of iron shipbuilding on the Tyne in 1852, will be interesting, as showing the gradual strides by which the firm have risen from 920 tons thirty years ago to the wonderful return of 61,113 tons in 1883:— +--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+ | Year. Ton.| Year. Ton.| Year. Ton.| Year. Ton.| +--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+ | 1852, 920 | 1860, 4,653 | 1868, 15,842 | 1876, 8,635 | | 1853, 3,539 | 1861, 4,751 | 1869, 11,900 | 1877, 16,235 | | 1854, 7,469 | 1862, 21,493 | 1870, 26,129 | 1878, 23,470 | | 1855, 5,169 | 1863, 17,096 | 1871, 19,267 | 1879, 36,080 | | 1856, 7,531 | 1864, 22,896 | 1872, 12,810 | 1880, 38,117 | | 1857, 6,816 | 1865, 31,111 | 1873, 21,017 | 1881, 50,192 | | 1858, 7,625 | 1866, 18,973 | 1874, 25,057 | 1882, 60,379 | | 1859, 11,804 | 1867, 16,555 | 1875, 15,819 | 1883, 61,113 | +--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+ The first screw-steamer built by the firm, namely, the “John Bowes,” well known as the pioneer of water ballast steam colliers, is still in existence, has recently had her engines renewed for the third time, and is now busily employed in her customary service, carrying coals from Newcastle to London.