Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-07-08
BUILD SHIPS IN A HURRY.
Incredible Speed In Construction Due to
Klondike Boom.

Klondike Boom.
From the San Francisco Call: "A
steamship, finished complete, from keel
to smoke7tack, in six weeks. Surely
that is erowding things a little, but
the Alaska boom has made such work
necessary. That is the reason 1t Is be-
ing done these days. Never In the
history Of shipbuiiding in California
has there been such activity In the
business. Every shipyard about the
bay is working overtime, and In some
instances day and night, SO great is the
demand for vessels 20 send to the arc
tic. OF course, there is a great deal OF
repairing and overhauling being done.
but new vessels are being completed
every few days. Over at Oakland ship
yard one day last week there were nve
new ships ON the ways at the same
time. 1t is safe to say that this has
never happened before in this part Of
the world. At the big foundries, where
iron ships are built, work Is pushed
as fast as possible, but iron ships dc
not get together as rapidly as wooden
ones, so that it is tedious work watch
ing their growth. Wooden vessels come
into existence almost as II by magic
and are nearly ready for sea as soon al
they are launched. 1t is to this class
that the greater number of klondike
vessels belong. One steamer, the
Virago, that sailed for Alaska a few
days ago, was not in existence at al
on the first of last February. In fact
her keel was not laid and 1t is barely
possible the plans for her were moi
drawn. But things went along smooth
ly from the start. When she got into
the water she didn't leak drop mol
vibrate with the motions Of the engine
Before this vessel had her trial triI
she was booking passengers and load
ing freight. Scores of men were al
work on her rushing things along. Thi'
steamer had her trial trip on Monday
the 18th ult., and two days later she
sailed for the north loaded down witt
freight and gold-seekers. But she act
ed like a charmed being and sailed
through the Golden Gate as dignifiedl5
as a man-of-war that had been fvt
years in course of construction instead
of five weeks. Old salts said she wal
as good vessel Of her class as was evel
built, notwithstanding the short tint
spent in putting her together. To SCI
one Of these Alaska vessels come int
being is like watching the work OF
magician. The person who orders thu
vessel or what her name Is to be Is O.
no Importance to the shipbuilder. III
simply gets word to build vessel nc
cording to certain drawings and speci
'fications and puts 1t down in his bool
as a certain number If the vessel II
ordered to be pushed through In
hurry he starts work Immediately, ant
within few hours men are building
the ways on which the vessel is to b
constructed. Inside of twenty-fou
hours the keel will be laid and thu
stern post ready to be placed in po
sition. At this time there Is not mucl
to be seen, only three lines OF timber
lying on the ground. But this Is thu
start. A week later this same spot will
have a good part Of ship on It. Scores
Of men will be at work, and the sount
of saw and hammer can be heard for
mile. Nearly all the ribs Of the vesse
will be in position, and she will b.
ready for the planking. A week late
a goodly portion of this will be done
The entire lower portion will be Gov
cred and only the tips Of the ribs will
show over the side Of the hull. A
this time the machinery is being pu
in and more and more men are finding
work on her every day. At the end O
the third week the hull Is PRACTICAL!
finished, and in another week the decl
will be on and she will be ready FOL
launching. Now men fairly swarm
over her. At the end of the fifth weel
masts are in, rigging set and sails bent
and the greater portion of her painted
It only remains to put on the finishing
touches in the cabins, see that the en-
gines are o. X. and have trial trip.