CONCRETE SHIPS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14610, 21 May 1918, Page 3

CONCRETE SHIPS.

v AMERI(?Ar ESTABLISHES 'II VE ■.t,T.. 't •-.'.■:r:i YARDS! -■•' j•■ \ WAS^IN'GTON, April 8. Fifty million dollars J/will be asked pf Congress to-morrow .by /OHairrnaii Hurley" - of the JShjp.ping Board for .develflpment of concrete ' s sliipbuuding. ; The; pUjpjL is to establish 1 at •'■6nce n^'iGoverninentl, yards — two on this. Pacific ;' Coafe't Kii'd' ' .three m the South., . .. ,*, j. ',] ■ Sites for 'the plants already are under consideration and .will jbe announced shortly.; The ( , three' ''in the South .prjob&My' will 'include one already , plg,nned ; for Wilmington, N.C. ■Transportation facilities, and easy .'access to cement ; q,nd sandcwili govem^the selections. ' .'.'J'jf"- --' Tlie r first y'esseV 'turned ..'but by \s}fe, Government yards willVbe" 7^Jg-ton*tanjc-< ers, 4 both because of. the shortage of pit carriers and because m -'the" present 'stage-' of concrete ship developn^enV -^lie Board! is 'more confident 'of suJecess'AyitH' ! tho tankers than .with 1 general cargo craft. '■"• As yet concrete. slu'ps . are. admitted" frankly fey experts tb\be "a gamble)'' because the beliavioiu* . of /such ' a ' vessel, under load m, a heavy^ sea, is unknown. Success m 'the, ex|jjerimejit is" ijpt. guar-. ante'ed, bub Hurley ( an^ • Geiieral .jilaii,-:. ager ' Piez of the E^hergency Meet Cblfa poratibn holdthatnn the! present emei? gency eVery possible Ariea'n§ oi adding (juiokly to the \var'OTu&gp. should ba Utilised. ? ''"■■ '../"' '" ' ' ' '"""■ 1 Greater chuu6e of success is expected from the opevatipn of " concrete, tankers because, the, liquid load will constantly seek a" level and not ei>tail , the strain 1 on the- ship, that, a solid )6a"4 .wpul'dTin a' heavy sea. ' ' . . . '"■'" -

CALIFORNIA CHOSEN FOR LOCA-I ■ TION OF; TWO YARDS. I The. 56,000»000dpl. requfisfed will be' spent alrfiost -eiitirely' fpr ships,, as each yard can' be btiilb for- perhaps' 2&ooQdol. The yards, will, liave frjjfn four to.fieveii ways each. Locations ""in the "West and South,, will be: apugl]t "to ' avoid" arioi^furd a iid, cojd . ' which retprtl' cqnqrcte' pourihg. It. was said that the l*acific. Coast loqattons ' \Vill ' bp iq Southern California.' ' ' T v. .-.,,,. . Plans for th&tfew vessels' will b© ready m six weeks. They will be equipped with oil-burning, reciprocating engines, capable of driving the ship seven or eight knots an hour, which is regarded as fast enough for coast-wise and ' non-hazardous service.