Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-21
CORRESPONDENT VISITS WATER
FRONT WHERE SHIPS ARE
BEING CONSTRUCTED.
HUGE VESSELS ALMOST
READY FOR SERVICE
Latest Thing in War Craft, From
Shallow Monitors to Finest Battle.
! ships Ever FIoated-One American
Feature Adopted-Miles Of Craft
Big and Little Being Constructed.

London. Aug. 1o.-There is certain
small section of British water front
where more ships are under construc-
ton today than the entire shipbuild-
could undertake at one time. They
include every type OF craft from sub
marines to battleships and from
steam trawlers to Atlantic liners. Most
| governments lay down their battle
ships and cruisers singly, and the les
ser craft perhaps in pairs, but mere
| battleships loom up as twins nsht
cruisers by the half dozen, destroyers
in rows of ten, with many braces OF
long submarines and an occasional
monitor.
The war fleet under the hammer ana
| the paint brush here would rank IN
the naval list above the establishments
of several modest maritime powers. II
could demolish the two squadrons
which fought the battle of Manila
bay with one volley, and then steam
against the combined American and
| Spanish fleets of Santiago with con-
| nOpnCc. Ana luS lhSASiIahN 'hAfS
the stocks are as many as the United
States merchant marine has aoded 10
| it's register in several years.
I'VE have trained crews ready 10
step on board all these ships as soon
as they are fitted a naval officer re-
marked.
Under tutelage Of Hugh Law
| nationalist member of parliament lor
West Donegal, a party Of correspond
| ents spent a crowded day on land'
on water and on ships in dock at this
base. They saw some things when
| they are not permitted to describe IN
detail and many things which they
| cannot describe for lack OF technicai
| knowledge; for the ordinary man the
visit furnished mostly illumination up
on the vast scale on which sea power
is arranged, and upon the kind Of men
who manage it, and their hard but
cheerful lives.
ADOPT American Feature.
The general stage setting for TINS
swift review of the fighting ana trao-
ing vessels under construction con-
sisted of several miles OF water front
lines as thickly as could be crowded
with skeletons and hulls. The stocks
carried everything Of the final type
until next year, or next week. iot
! every naval campaign means ne"
ideas. new devices. new lines OF con-
strIction. Two years of active service
under war conditions have brought a
great advance to the British navy
already acknowledged to be leader IN
most naval matters. Every ship ana
| every detail Of a ship, is the last woro
in its class, according to the war
bought judgment of engineers ana
fighting officers In one noticeable
detail at least British naval archl-
tects appear 10 have been converted
70 rhe principle Of one feature OF
American warships.
| The monitors make an appeal 10 an
American because there is a suspl-
cion that other navies were disposed 10
scoff a, them for years. Yet here
they are, with all their supernciai
changes and embellishments tribute
to what the brain of John Ericsson
conceived in the sixties. The monitors
have been very useful to the BRUSH
navy in this war. They nave Deen
employed in the shallow waters OH the
lcoast Of Belgium and even more ell
fectively at Gallipoli. The correspon-
dents there described them fuiiy'
/ Two or three strata Of the outlying
hull may be penetrated by torpedoes
and the monitor can still keep at WORK
with her guns.
i Two Huge Battleshipss
Two battleships, almost prepared
for the water according to informa-
ton rendered are expected to demon
strate themselves the most efficient
machines of their family ever commits
stoned. and they look it. The battle
ship standing in the timbers on lano
with all its lines revealed. showing
its adaptability for speed. presents q
1 different picture from the lighting
4 shin seen above water and has sug-
geston of the racing yacht Ihese
had been constructed In something
like half the time consumed In max
j ing big warship in pre-war days.
There were several so-called de-
stroyers certainly as long as many
light cruisers Of earlier times, ten OF
them extended side by side IN one
row. and others elsewhere.
/ Just where the super destroyer
, leaves off and the light cruiser begins
Is not a matter of length today.
Beyond the destroyers was line OF
long, thin skeletons Of submarines
whose size could not be judged at all
accurately in passing view. even /,
j; 1T could be reported. Compared with
the now old fashioned submarine they
are as the Aqnitania to the Phila-
delphia.
Look Out for XII.
L z a.
brand new submarine, painted ane
polished like a touring car fresh from
the shop. Her young commander
stood alongside and proudly pointed
, out some Of her attractions. From
his transparent enthusiasm she might
! have been a pleasure yacht instead
, OF the vehicle for the most dangerous
/ form Of adventure that fighting mer
. undertake. "Of course we are not II
the same class with Horton and Hol'
brook" he explained, "but I hope 20,
. will hear something from XIII point
/ ing to the number painted on the tur'
I ret. He observed also that this thint
! could submerge in twenty seconds.
E From this largest shipbuilding sta
!. ton in the world, with miles OF smok
: ling factories, and with it's reverberat
= ing clamor Of thousands OF hammers
Iringing upon steel, the party Travelled
Lover night to the most extensive naya
Ibase in the world. This was plac
n where ships run in for repairs, for oil
: (which is almost the only fuel thes
|, days, for ammunition and stores. Her
t.ltfley are replenished. refitted. repair
]. ed frequently, and then disappear int
!she nnists of the North sea. of which