Craigston

LAUNCH AT WEST HARTLEPOOL.

Daily Mail Nov 3/5/11

Messrs. William Gray and Co., Limited , Yesterday launched the steel screw steamer Craigston, which they have built for Messrs. John Cory and Sons, Limited, Cardiff.

She will take the highest class in Lloyd’s Register, and is of the following dimensions, viz.: Length over all, 311ft.; breadth, 46ft., and depth, 21ft. 7 ½ in.

She is a handsomely modelled vessel of the one deck type, with poop, bridge, and top-gallant forecastle. Tasteful cabin accommodation will be fitted up in the poop for captain and officers, the engineers being berthed in the bridge and the crew in the forecastle.

The hull is built with deep bulb-angle frames, clear holds, cellular double bottom, and large after peak ballast tanks. There are four powerful steam winches placed on raised platforms with double derricks to each for rapidly discharging coal, and a powerful warping winch on top, horizontal multitubular donkey boiler, steam steering gear amidships, hand screw gear aft, patent direct steam windlass, stockless anchors, telescopic masts with fore and aft rig, and a first class outfit for the vessel’s special trade.

The machinery is made by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders being of the triple-expansion type, with cylinders 22in., 36in., and 60in. diameter, with a piston stroke of 39in., and is fitted with two large steel multitubular boilers to work at a pressure of 180lbs. per square inch.

The vessel and machinery have been constructed under the superintendence of Captain Hodge and Mr. P. Bahnsen on behalf of the owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Craigston was gracefully performed by Mrs. Wm. Cresswell Gray wife of the Chairman of William Gray and Company, Limited.

TRIAL TRIP OF THE s. s. CRAIGSTON.

Daily Mail June 12/11

This handsome steel screw steamer built by Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd., West Hartlepool, for Messrs. John Cory and Sons, Limited, of Cardiff had her trial trip in Hartlepool bay on Saturday.

The vessel has been built to Lloyd’s highest class, and her principle dimensions are: Length over all, 311ft.; breadth, 46ft., and depth, 21ft. 7 ½ in.

The machinery has been made at the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders being of the triple-expansion type, with cylinders 22in., 36in., and 60in. diameter, with a piston stroke of 39in., and is fitted with two large steel multitubular boilers to work at a pressure of 180lbs. per square inch.

The owners were represented by Mr. John Cory, his two sons and nephew, Captain Hodge, and Mr. P. Bahnsen, the two gentlemen having superintended the construction of the vessel and her machinery. Mr ward was present on behalf of Lloyd’s Registry, and Mr A. McGlashan, junr., and Mr. Maurice S. Gibb represented the builders of ship and machinery respectively.

After adjustment of compasses a highly satisfactory run along the coast was made, after which the vessel proceeded on her voyage to Barrow-in-Furness.

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.