The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-29
NEW ACTIVITY
IN SHIPBUILDING
Industry on the Great Lakes Enjoying a
Period of Prosperity After Lying
Dormant for Many
Years.

| NN@Ns " ASNfNNANy $@ANNa "6
! Dormant for Many
Years.
Chicago, Feb. 29.-The shipbuilding in
dustry on the Great Lakes, after lying
dormant more or less for half a decade
is enjoying a revival Of prosperity, &C
cording to reports from shipyards at and
near Cleveland, O., Detroit, Mich, Toledo
O., Duluth, Mich, Buffalo, n. ", Chicago
and smaller Great Lake ports.
The opening of the Panama canal, the
activities Of submarines and the healthy
increase in exports are considered the
immediate causes of the shipbuilding
boom The claim is made, without de-
NAL from the builders, that old ships and
vessels now under construction are bring
ing better prices than in many years.
This boom win bring millions of dol
lars of business to the dozen or so of
shipbuilding companies, has created new
work for hundreds of men and already
has caused the rebuilding OF old yards
and the planning Of several new ones.
The demand is strong for both lake
and ocean vessels and only the inability
of the builders 20 give assurance of de-
livery Of the ships by 1917 stands in the
way of even heavier orders. Foreign in
| terests are prominent among the buyers.
With the first clash of arms in Europe,
shippers saw the necessity for obtaining
boats quickly to carry merchandise to for
eign and domestic ports. One New York
capitalist obtained at least four huge
Great Lake package freighteTs At the
Welland canal these ships had to be cut
into sections before they could continue
the trip to the coast
The tremendous amount of shipping
that has gone to the bottom in the war
zone together with the fact that many
of the shipyards in England have been
turned over almost exclusively to ships
of war, has forced foreign buyers to look
to American shipbuilders for new yes
sells and some foreign buyers are ready
to pick up any ship for sale on the sea
board.
Cleveland alone reports the closing of
contracts for as vessels at an aggregate J
cost of more than ss,000,000 and that ne /
gotiations are in progress for 80 more
ships. These orders are being filed at !
Cleveland, Toledo, Lorain and Ashtabula, /
o., Ecorose and Manitowoc, Mich, and |
Buffalo, n Y. The yards at these cities |
are said to have all the business now |
that they can handle during the year !
The Toledo Shipbuilding company is
kgnrL infr ~ gar G,ra
sehooners with auxiliary power plants to
be used in coastwise trade. A lake
freighter 900 feet long also is being set
up at Toledo The total tonnage Of the
Toledo contracts is said to be 10000.
Detroit reports the receipt of orders
for score of ships by Michigan com
panes and Ohio firms not mentioned in
the Cleveland reports. The tonnage of
the vessels that will be under construc-
ton in Michigan harbors during 1915 is
at 100000.
Duluth says the first ship to be built
at the Superior, Mich, yards since 1910
will be constructed this year provided
The steel can be secured" The scarcity
Of steel also is mentioned from Detroit
The inability to purchase greater guam
titles of building material, Detroit says,
has prevented several companies from
their plants.
AT Chicago, the Calumet docks which
nave been occupied only with repair work
Turing the last eight years, have Just re-
'eived an order for the construction of
'reight steamer 260 feet long and 1875
DOT beam. This boat, which is to be
aunched the latter part of April, was
ordered through New York agents for a
oncen in Norway. the name of which
: not known at the Calumet docks.
Detroit firms have received orders from
astern shippers which under normal con-
Iitions would have been built on or near
alt water. Eastern coast shippers. il is
yident, are buying freighters wherever
hey can be obtained
OF the ships ordered at Cleveland.
core will be built at Lake Erie yards.
whence they viii be sent to the Atlantic
cast and dozen OF more will be
aunched for use on the Great Lakes dur
ng the current year. Four more are to
n delivered to the coast in 1917.
The American Shipbuilding company
{ Cleveland has an order for six steam
reighters from Norwegian interests and
he Toledo Shipbuilding company tor
our boats from the same source. The
alter company also is building six aux
larry schooners for New York interests.
The Manitowoc Shipbuilding company
as orders for three steam trawlers from
Boston concern and for a government
lrvey boat to be used in Alaskan wa
srs. Five huge bulk freighters are TO be
uilt by the American Shipbuilding com
any at is Lorrain yards in 1916 and 10
! 1917. Orders for seven other such
pats for 1916 delivery have been Dis.
1buted among smaller shipyards on the
reat Lakes.
At Cleveland IL Is understood that Itai
N interests are negotiating for 2S
,ean- going trading vessels Of 5000 tons
leh. In addition to all this building ac-
witty "a freighters with total capacity
1890 tons have changed hauds on
" Great Lakes in the vicinity 81 Cicvc-
nd since the first Of the year. Since
- October. when the present boom
- began e. D. felt 81 vessels with an
H5a~sarsrH.s H.a-....-s- -..HN Fsfaa 49,