Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-22

A new shipbullding plant designed to
meet the rapidly growing demand for new
ships will soon be begun along the Della.
ware River just north OF Chester. The
company which wiz undertake the erec.
ton of the plant is to be capitalized at
81, 900, 900. and wilI'be under the direction
of State Senator William C. Sproul and
Howard Pew. president of the Sun Com.
pany, Independent producers of oil. Pub.
lie announcement of the plans is expected
early next week.
The company. which is to construct the
new plant, will not he as large as some
other shipbuildlng concerns. but 1t will be
a dot on the Industrial map OF the Phila-
delphia district. 1t typlhes another step
in the Industrial awaking of Philadelphia
which is making the city worthy OF its
title as THE Worlds Greatest Workshop
The demand for ships built on the Del
aware has swamped shlpbuilding firms
here. To keep pace, capacities were en-
larged. and one new concern was put in
operation last month. The demand con-
tinued; the output predicted would still fall
short of the requirements.
1t was with a view Of helping Philadel-
phia grasp opportunities that the new ship
yard is being planned for Chester, an
other link in the chain that binds together
the metropolitan district of Philadelphia.
1t was learned today that negotiations
for the erection of the plant have been
virtually completed. The number OF slips
on which the ships will be built; the mum.
ber OF men the plant will add 10 the
enormous army that has grown along the
banks OF the Delaware, will be determined
in the near future.
Instead OF a shore. barren from business
activities, from Philadelphia 10 Whining.
ton, with the exception OF Chester. manu-
featuring plants are springing up one
after the other.
The General Chemical Company plans
a Sl,OOO,000 plant on the Jersey shore
across from Marcus Hook; the Vacuum Oil
Company is preparing for a large build
ing on the Jersey side opposite the upper
part OF Chester. Actual work on both
these plants will be started In the near
future, according TO authentic Information.
The Pennsylvania Shipbuilding Company,
SS,0OO,0O0 corporation, has already let
contracts for its new plant At Gloucester.
Cramps are shooting new buildings sky
ward as fast as efficient workmen can
rush the job; Harlan and Hoiiingsworth
has taken on a new lease on life since
its acquisition by the Bethlehem Steel
Company; the New York Shipbuilding
Company is rushed with orders All are
busy. All are on new business drive.
Further evidence Of the increasing
amount OF tonnage launched along the
Delaware was given only this week when
the tank steamer George r. Paddleford
was launched at the works OF the Harlan
& HollingsWorth Corporation az Whining
ton. The vessel, which Is the first Ameri-
can tanker built for the Petroleum Trans
portation Company. subsidiary Of the
Mexican Petroleum Company, Is 1900 tons
The launching party consisted OF J. s.
Wood, vice president and general manager
OF the Petroleum Transportation Com
Dany his wife. who was sponsor Mr.. and
Mrs. Fades Johnson. H. b. Mcclellan and
Dr. George Z. Paddlsford
The Chester shipbuildinE Company has
contracts aggregatinE S10.o00.000. work
being dene by the others runs up To- the
hundred -nlillion mark Orders turned
down beeauseof lack q eapacllg eannot
= aztlnastad. but sre probably II - tens
= millieaz