A REMARKABLE SHIP

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 161, 27 June 1930, Page 7

A REMARKABLE SHIP

FIRST RIVETLESS TANKER. SUCCESSFUL TRIAL TRIP. What next will science do for humanity? On top of the wonderful strides mad® 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 dream 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 the environment of the shipyards at Newport News, Va. Smith had 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 locknotch process. Charles V. Boykin, vice-president and general manager of the Charleston Dry Dock 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 shipbuilding coroporations. On her trials, held on March Sth, it was stated that the ship, while unloaded, made 11.5 knots and steamed well out to sea. Members of the crew said that no leaks developed and that no vibration was experienced. It is claimed that bj’ the new process a saving of 20 per cent, in weight and 25 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. In 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 Carolino. Next, probably, will come the nows that ocean greyhounds are being built by this new process, and that new speed records are being created. Truly, we live in a wonderful age—but what of the morrow?