London Times, 30 December 1862, p. 7: THE RUSSIAN NAVY.
The Russian Government has resolved to follow the example of the other great maritime Powers, and, like them, has commenced the development of an iron navy. In addition to ordering the construction of several armour-plated vessels in this country, it has determined to build such steamers in the naval dockyards of Russia. Messrs. C. Mitchell and Co., the extensive shipbuilders of Newcastle-on-Tyne, have been intrusted with all the arrangements necessary to convert the Government dockyard at St. Petersburg into an iron shipbuilding yard. Steam engines, punching, shearing and other machines of the most modern construction have been sent out from Manchester and London. A railway will traverse the dockyard and communicate with the workshops and building slips. Steam travelling cranes will be erected over the vessels while in course of construction, thus performing the greatest amount of work by means of mechanical appliances. Messrs. C. Mitchell and Co.'s engineers are superintending the erections of the various constructions, which will very soon be in full operation. Messrs. Mitchell have also undertaken to build on the establishment some of the armour-plated war steamers required for the Russian navy, and have already sent to St. Petersburg many hundreds of tons of iron for this purpose. The workmen employed will be chiefly Russians.
Provided by Stephen McLaughlin