Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-28
sH|PBU|LD|NG
ON GREAT LAKES
BEING REVIVED
Reports From Various Indus
trial Centers Indicate That
Healthy Condition Is Being
Restored,

ing dormant more or less for half a de.
cade, IS enjoying a revival of prosper
ity, according to reports from ship
yards at and near Cleveland, O., De-
troit Mich, Toledo O., Duluth. Mich.
Buffalo, n. Y, Chicago and smaller
great lake ports
The opening of the Panama canal,
the activities of submarines and the
healthy increases in exports are con-
sidered the immediate causes of the
shipbuilding boom. The claim Is made
without denial from builders that old
ships and vessels now under construc-
ton are bringing better prices than
in many years.
This boom will bring millions Of
dollars of business to the dozen or SO
of shipbuilding companies. has Great
ed new work for hundreds of men
and already has caused the rebuilding
of old yards and the planning of sew
eral new ones.
The demand Is strong for both lake
and ocean vessels and only the inabil-
ity of the builders to give assurance
of delivery of the ships by 1917 stands
in the way of even heavier orders
Foreign interests are prominent among
the buyers.
War Creates Demand.
With the first clash Of arms in Eu-
rope, shippers saw the necessity for
obtaining boats quickly to carry mer-
chandise to foreign and domestic
ports. one New York capitalist OBJ
tanned at least four huge great lake
package freighters. 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 thatt
many of the shipyards in England
have been turned over almost exclus-
lively to ships of war, has forced for
eign buyers to look to American ship
builders for new vessels and some for
eiGn buyers to look to American ship
builders for new vessels and some for
eign buyers are ready to pick up any
ship for sale on the seaboard.
Cleveland alone reports the closing
of contracts for forty-six vessels at an
aggregate cost of more than $4,000 !
600 and that negotiations are in prog
ress for thirty more ships. These or
ders are being filled at Cleveland To-
1edo, Lorain and Ashtabula, o.,
Ecoirse and Manitowoc. Mich, and
Buffalo. n. Y. The yards at these cit
les are said to have all the business
now that they can handle during the
year.
All Plants Busy.
The Toledo Shipbuilding company is |
working on an eastern order for five
schooners with auxiliary power plants
to be used in coastwise trade. A lake
freighter 600 feet long also is being
set up at Toledo. The total tonnage |
of the Toledo contracts is said to be !
&c, 900.
Detroit reports the receipt of orders
for a score of ships by Michigan COM
panies and Ohio firms not mentioned
in the Cleveland reports. The tonnage
of the vessels that will be under con-
struction in Michigan harbors during
1916 is estimated at 100000.
Duluth says the first ship to be
built at the Superior. Mich, yards
since 1910 viii be constructed this
year provided steel can be secured
The scarcity of steel also is men
toned from Detroit. The inability to
purchase greater quantities of build
ing material, Detroit says, has prevent
ed several companies from enlarging
their plants.
At Chicago, the Calumet docks I
which have been occupied only with ,
repair work during the last eight
the construction of freight steamer, 4
$50 feet long and 43.6foot BEAM i
This boat. which is to be launched the
latter part of April was ordered =.
New York agents for a COM I
pahy in Norway the name of which 4
is not known at the Calumet docks.
Detroit firms have received orders I
from eastern shippers which under
normal conditions would have been
built on or near the salt water. East
ern coast shippers, il is evident, are
buying frcighters wherever they can
be obtained
OF the ships ordered at Cleveland,
n score will be built at Lake Erie
yards whence they will be sent to the
Atlantic coast, and a dozen or more
will be launched for use on the great
lakes during the current year. Four
more are to be delivered to the coast
in 1917.
Foreign Orders.
The American Shipbuilding COM
pany at Cleveland has an order for
four boats from the same source The
latter company also is building six
a auxiliary schooners for New York
The Manitowoc Shipbuilding COM
pany has orders for three steam traw-
lers from Boston concern and for
government survey boat to be used IN
= iskan waters Five huge bulk
ighters are to be built by the Amer
n Shipbuilding company at its l4or-
) IN yards in 1916 and ten in 1871
= ders for seven other such boats for
ltl6 delivery have been distributed
long smaller shipyards on the great
.akes
At Cleveland it is understood that
allan interests are negotiating Tor
fenty-eght ocean-going trading ves-
els of 1900 tons each In addition to
1 this building activity, twenty-four
Fighters with total capacity of
l27o0 tons have changed hands ON