Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-19

SAO 4lAhOA SOAASy - 49,
issued the following statement:
During the past two months the
Emergency Fleet Corporation has
awarded contracts for 11S wooden
vessels of $500 tons lightweight ca
Ipacity each to 81 different shipyards.
IS There had previously been awarded
contracts for 235 wooden vessels of
similar type to the above and for So
vessels of composite construction,
thereby making total award to date
of All wooden and composite vessels.
of an aggregate lightweight tonnage
of ], 460,906.
During the past two months the de.
signs for machinery have BEEN com
pleted for the manufacture Of en-.
gines, boilers and other articles OF
equipment for these vessels, for which
the facilities available for machine
shops and boiler works throughout the
country have been availed of. Speci.
fications have been prepared and ne
gotiationS outlined and initiated for
the assembly and installation of ma.
chinery in wooden vessels, the most OF
which have been or are being con.
structed as "hulls only"
Difficulty in Obtaining Lumber
Great difficulty has been expert.
enced on the Atlantic coast in obtain.
ing suitable lumber for these ships,
and it is anticipated that there will be
greater delay in their completion than
was expected when this movement
was begun, Notwithstanding every
possible effort on the part OF the cor
poration and its contractors. j..
Since August / there have been
awarded contracts for 155 steel cargo
vessels of 1,076,S00 tons lightweight
tonnage, distributed among 6 ship
yards. The most important of these
contracts are for vessels of the So
called fabricated type, and special
shipyards are being prepared for
them.
Contracts for the boilers and ma
chinery and steel construction of these
vessels have already been placed, and
the contractors are actively at work
in the preparation of the sites for the
assembling of these ships. The best
efforts of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration are devoted to expediting
these great shipbuilding projects. s
Previous to August 1, 20 steel cargo
vessels of $4,000 tons total dead
weight capacity had been contracted
for These vessels we're distributed
among 10 shipyards. Therefore at the
present time the total number of steel
vessels under construction for the
United States is 225, with total az.
gregate lightweight tonnage Of
], 663, 800.
By proclamation of August 8, 1917,
the Fleet Corporation, under author
ity delegated by the President, under.
the provisions of the emergency act
approved June Is, 1917, requisitioned
ali vessels under construction in the
shipyards of the United States OF
250O tons lightweight capacity and
above. BY this act the United States
acquired total number of 400 vessels,
determined by the progress reports
obtained from the various shipyards to
be actually under construction; in
many cases, where keels had not actu-
ally been laid, engines, boilers, equip
ment and materials, all of which were
also requisitioned, are in various
stages of progress; and in compare
lively few cases contracts existing for
vessels not actually begun, which may
or may not be proceeded with, as the
merits Of each case, compared with
what is desirable construction, are
considered.
The total lightweight tonnage IN
der construction thus acquired, and
on which orders have been issued to
proceed with the maximum expedition,
exceeds 100000 tons lightweight.
Summary .-I -
There are now under construction
for the Emergency Fleet Corporation:
Type of vessel Number Total dead.
~ 80. = : of uasaels rrf fnr1r,.,scrno