A REMARKABLE SHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 June 1930, Page 5

A REMARKABLE SHIP

FIRST RIVETLESS TANKER.

What next will Science do for Humanity? On top of the wonderful strides made in every direction during recent years comes the all-welded, rivetless ship—a ship without a single bolt or rivet in its make-up. For long a drcam of many engineers the creation of such a ship has been transformed into very fact. This new process of shipbuilding is the invention of Mr Richard E. Smith who was reared in tlie environment of the Shipyards at Newport News, Va. Smith has long been interested in the construction of such a ship. He first experimented with a combination of electric welding and riveting. Later he built an all-welded barge and eventually worked out the details of what is now known as the lock-notch process. Charles V. Boykin. Vice-President and General Manager of the Charleston Dry Doer, and Machine Company, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A., agreed to assist Smith and construction work was begun at once. In due course the ship was completed and left the slip as the first all-welded, self-propelled steamship ever constructed. The event was one of unusual interest especially to officials ’of the American Navy and several large ship-building corporations. ■ . . On her trials, held on March 8, it is stated that the ship, while unloaded, made 11.5 knots and steamed well out to sea. Members of the.crew.said th. nt no leaks developed and that no vibration was experienced. It ; s claimed that, by the new process, a saving of 20 per cent in weight and 2a per cent, in construction costs would Be effected as compared with the cost of a riveted ship. The estimates proved correct and it was further discovered that the welded ship had a greater cargo capacity than an ordinary tanker of the same dimensions. Tn addition, the lines of the ship provide less resistance to the water, making it possible to attain greater speed with the same amount of power. From the time the keel was laid until the launching of the ship, no more than nine workmen were used at one time. The equipment comprised an acetylene cutting-torch and one electric arc-welding machine. Eight thousand pounds of electric welding wire were required as compared with 28,000 pounds of rivets which would be necessary to build an ordinary ship of the same size.

The new boat christened the “Carolinian” has been purchased by M. L. Clark, Texaco Distributor and Representative, and will be used for the exclusive transportation of Texaco products from the Texas Company s Norfolk, Virginia, Terminal to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Next, probably, will come the news that ocean greyhounds are being built by this new process and that' new speed lecords are being created. Truly, we live in a wonderful age—but what of the morrow!