The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-01

these boats--but hronze-bronze fol
rudders and stanchions and staples
After a search all over Canada ant
the United States the requisite metal
moulded in the requisite shapes. wa,
obtained.
These were merely problems of get
ting together the raw material. Wher
once the material had been gathered
together even greater problems pre-
scented neutrality-suspicious. of spe-
cialization, of concentration. Specia
sections or gangs of men were formed
to lay decks, others to hammer down
gether the engines, to adjust the brass
fittings, etc. In all 50 specialized, dis
tinct gangs were employed.
Mystery Of Delivery.
Perhaps the greatest problem was
that of getting these boats safely &c
England Remember they were so feet
only four at a time, So YOU can see
that the problem was no slight one
Moreover each boat had to be giver
an exacting individual trial
Yet in spite of all difficulties the
boats were delivered safe and SOUND
to the English government in eight
months. or four months before the al
lotted time limit of one year expired
Moreover every single one of them ex-
ceeded 10 knots in speed. These boats
cost the British government $4,000
all 100000.
Saw Value Of Submarine Chaser.
But here is the point; Before any OF
these boats had been delivered To the
British government Germany had sent
the Lusitania to the bottom and re-
vealed conclusively to the world her
menace. England saw with clear Wis
ion the part that submarines were to
play in the months to come. She
sensed the value of the submarine
chaser and ON faith alone she turned
~ lIlt dual wi poit'ii
of SO sea wasps she had
never even seen, and placed her order
for 500 more of precisely the same
craft. to be delivered by the fall of
1916. This represented contract Of
500, 900, 900.
The builders of the first so accepted
this order without tremor, realizing
full well that they stood face to face
with proposition altogether new
to this boats had been
built. But to turn out 500 in less than
seven months meant that they must
be manufactured, not built. 1t meant
absolute, 100 per cent standardized
ton.
$50 Boats in $50 Days.
Already trained by the so boats they
had just completed, they set about
erecting new factories, mobilizing new
armies of men and gathering together
new trainloads and boatloads of ma
terial. | will not go further into the
details of this achievement The re-
suit sums it all up as no words could
do. They turned out these additional
500 boats at the rate of three boats a
day and fulfilled the contract with
time to spare, making the total time
for the entire $50 Just $50 days. This
terrific speed was the result of know
ing just exactly what was needed,
knowing just exactly where 1t was
needed and knowing just exactly how
to put it there with the utmost rapid
ity-in other words, standardization.
Mr.. Sutphen, who designed and built
these $50 boats in $50 days, was in
Washington last week and had a long
conference with the navy department
in regard to submarine chasers, which
the government contemplates building
in large numbers for our protection.
Uncle Sam Interested.
The general opinion among motor
boat experts who have studied the
chasers must work is that actual ex-
perience in warfare has definitely de-
termined that the Elco type of boat is
the best boat for the severe weather
of the English channel and the North
sea. 1t is the staunchness of these
vessels that makes them so effective
for the service for which they We're
intended.
At the request Of the navy depart
ment Mr. Sutphen has supplied it with
fun details of the plans and speciiica-
tons for the S0-foot submarine chas
ers which he designed for the British
1t is understood that the
department intends Immediately to
prepare plans and specifications for
the type of submarine chaser which
would be best suited to American wa~
ters. The navy department will use
Mr.. Sutphen's plans and specifications
as basis in developing the new type.
Recent advices from England say
that all the $50 motor boats are in
service and are giving excellent re-
suits. A boat is expected to remain
at sea 10 days at a time and accom-
are provided for a crew Of
a dozen men, with all necessary equip
ment.
How many submarines have already
been accounted for by the British no
one can ascertain for certainty; but