Case Study from Ellicott's Archives - July 1965
Ellicott equipment set for overseas projects
Dredges Leave for South Vietnam and Zambia
Equipment for use in port deepening projects in South Vietnam and a flood control project in the new African nation of Zambia was shipped through the port during the past month by a Baltimore dredge manufacturing firm.
Ellicott Machine Corporation received a contract from the United States Government to supply five portable hydraulic pipeline dredges for the port deepening projects in war-torn Vietnam.
The $1.6 million contract calls for delivery of two 16-inch and three 12-inch portable dredges of the firm's standard "Dragon" model line. The portable dredges are assembled at Ellicott's plant, tested, and then disassembled for shipment. The marking of individual pieces facilitates reassembly after the equipment has been delivered.
Ellicott is said to be the only United States dredge manufacturing firm which was able to meet both the Government's need for the type of dredging equipment and a very delivery schedule.
Originally slated as a long-range project, the port improvement program has been placed on a crash basis because of the course of the war in Vietnam, according to Ellicott.
A number of ports along the 800 mile Vietnamese coastline are slated for deepening to handle ocean-going ships, coasters and lighters. the Two ports which now can accommodate the deep draft vessels - Saigon and Da Nang - also are slated for dredging work.
The contract included, in addition to the five dredges, delivery of five dredge tenders or work boats, floating and shore discharge pipeline for the dredges, two large skid mounted booster pumps for the 16-inch dredges, and spare parts for the dredges and tenders.
Part of portable dredge bound for Zambia
is loaded aboard the Moore-McCormack Lines'
S.S. ROBIN LOCKSLEY in Baltimore
The dredge bound for Zambia was loaded aboard Moore-McCormack Line's S.S. ROBIN LOCKSLEY on June 7 at Pier 1, Pennsylvania Railroad. His Excellency H.J. Soko, Ambassador of Zambia, took delivery of the 8-inch portable hydraulic dredge from Allan W. Mund, Ellicott Chairman, in a shipboard ceremony.
Because Zambia is a land-locked nation, the dredge was slated for discharge at the port of Beira, Mozambique. From there it was to be moved overland to the Zambian city of Mongu.
The $70,000 unit was purchased by the Mechanical Services Department, Ministry of Transport and Works of Zambia. It will be used initially in flood water control in the Zambezi River Valley in the province of Barotseland. An existing network of canals will be cleared and deepened, and a new series of canals will be dredged.
The work is based on a master plan for controlling the flood waters which annually inundate thousands of square miles of he Barotse plain flanking the Zambezi. Thousands of residents of the area must annually move to higher ground during the flood season.
The ambassador, representatives of the Zambian Embassy, the Department of Commerce, and the Agency for International Development toured the Baltimore harbor on a Maryland Port Authority launch following the loading operation.
Source: Port of Baltimore Bulletin - July 1965
