THE COLONIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1918. SHIPBUILDING IN AMERICA.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14625, 1 February 1918, Page 4

THE COLONIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1918. SHIPBUILDING IN AMERICA.

Reports from America indicate that the great programme of shipbuilding prepared by the reorganised Federal Shipping Board was' beginning to take shape in December. There have been many delays and disappointments over American construction of merchant vessels, but evidently the initial troubles have been overcome, for it is stated that no fewer tfcan 1039 cargo carriers had been laid down in December, with more to come. An American newspaper, in detailing the activities of the Board, described shipbuilding as the most important kdustry in tho world to-day, surpassing every other, at least for the time being, in its vital relation to the continuance of commerce and of civilisation throughout tie world. In September the world's available tonnage amounted to 25,077,000 in the Atlantic, and 4,500,----000 ir. the Pacific. The United Kingdom came first with 13,400,000 in the Atlantic and 1,100,000 in the Pacific. The United States came next with 2,000,000 in the Atlantic and 400,000 in the Pacific. According to the latest estimates prepared in December, after a thorough survey of all American shipping, both coastwise and inland, 1 America then had 458 ships over 1500 tots deadweight capacity, suitable for foreign service. The average tonnage of these vessels totalled 2,871,359 deadweight tons. There were, in addition, 117 German and Austrian merchant srips which Lad been taken over by the Government, and these meant an added 700,285 tons. Combining these figures with the tonnage of vessels under construction for the Shipping Board, it gave a total of 1614 ships of 9,496,344 deadweight tons that should be available in America for international commerce at the close of tl'o present year, less su,ch losses as might occur during the intervening [ months. Ore of the most interesting i portions of the existing tonnage which had been requisitioned by the Shipping Board for foreign service was the fleet |of cargo-carriers On tie Great Lakes. Many of these inland vessels were too long to go through the Welland Canal, ard were being consequently dry-dock-ed and cut in two. Some of the halved vessels had already made the trip in safety, had been put together again on the St. Lawrence, and were on duty in the Atlantic. Mr. Edison las propounded an interesting scheme for converting sailiig ships into ocean carriers, which, if found practicable, will add very appreciably to the United States' resources. He proposes to install twin-screws on such vessels, which, he believes, will compare very favourably with the slower steamships in the transoceanic service. According to figures supplied by the Bureau of Navigation, there are 5382 larger sailing vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 1,310,000 under United States registry. These do not include the smaller fishing smacks, private sailboats, and yachts or lighters. To them must be added 400,000 tons of French sailing vessels which are to bo handed over to the Shipping Board in return for tho ocean bottoms recently given to France for the transport of war supplies. "While the greater part of the sailing tonnage is wooder, a considerable part of it is steel, according to officials of the Slipping Board. The greater percentage of the vessels are to be handed over to the Shipping Board. The greater percentage of the vessels are large enough for ocean transport if the Edison plan to •' convert them into power vessels proves a success, it is stated. The question of convertitg sailing vessels into power carriers is Hkeily to regenerate i-lve old question of wooden versus steel slips. A number of engineers associated with Government ship construction have claimed that no wooden ship covld stand the strain imposed by engines powerful enough to drive them through the submarire zone at a rate that would be measurably safe. The i twin-screw equipment, however, ac-1 cording to Mr Edißon, distributes this j strain in a way that makes it adapt-, able to wooden vessels. The plan was before the Federal Shipping Board in December, and the chairman of that body, Mr Hurley, had announced his intention of corvening a conference of tto leading authorities on maritime construction to pronounce judgment j upon its practicability. j