Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-16

pansion, surface condensing engines,
IS, 80 and so inches in diameter by a
36-inch stroke, developing $500 indicated
horse power. The vessel will have a
speed of 1215 knots, or $40 land miles a
day 1t will be equipped with steam
steering device, steam hoist and steam
windlass, an electric light plant and
searchlight, and possibly wireless. 1t
will comply with all the regulations of
the United States inspectors and the
American Bureau of Shipping.
More than half of the keel has been
laid, in steel plates five-eighths Of an
inch thick, which have been cut,
punched and shaped in the heavy
machines at the plant. The plates are
bolted together temporarily, and after
all are set will be riveted together.
Compressed air is used
Two giant travelling cranes carry the
steel plates from the railway spur
tracks to the machines, and from the
machines to the ways, where they are
put in place. The plates are handled
at the machines by skilled workmen
of long experience.
Just east of where the keel is being
laid for this ship blocks have been set
in place for the Hammond company's s
vessel 1t is to be 266 feet long, with
the same beam and nodded depth as
the other. The cost of this ship will
be 1925, 900. 1t will not be equipped for
carrying passengers. 1t will have
triple expansion engines.
The ship ways are on platforms built
on piling. A hung floating drydock is
being completed at the ship plant. 1t
is being built in sections which re-
semble gigantic boxes of extremely
strong construction. Two of these Sec
tions have been launched, and there
will be at least seven more. Each
section measures about 100x40 feet.
One of the invaluable men about the
plant is A E. Hudson, who for years
has been the designer and draughts-
man of the company. 1t is no small
thing to prepare the specifications for
a great vessel. Mr.. Hudson numbers
every section that will be needed in
the craft. Each section then is stamped
with the number and the row In
which it is to go. Some interesting
models may be seen in the designing
room. One of them is a model for a
yacht which was built by the company
at Toledo for Judge LongWorth, rather
of Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati.
The Craig company manufactures az
the engines used in the vessels II
builds. The foundry is very complete
Channel to Be Deepened
The fact that while the ships now
under way are being built the harbor
channel must be deepened to permit OF
their passage out to sea is interesting.
The Dock and Terminal company re-
Gently sold to the city $2OO,OOO worth or
water frontage and in the contract 1t
was provided that the channel was to
be deepened to a certain extent within
a set time. There is no occasion to
doubt that the contract will be full
filled and the ocean entrance be of suf-
ficient depth to allow the passage OF
big ships before those now building are
completed. The Hammond ship now
building is to be completed in eight
months. and the other vessel probably
will be finished at about the same time.
President Craig is man of less than
middle age, extremely active, ac-
auainted with every detail Of the work
that goes on inside his big plant, but
modest and retiring. He and his fam
lily have received a warm welcome into
Long Beach society. Mr.. Craig at
tributes what skill and knowledge he
may have of the art of building ships