Montgomery County sentinel., 1917-08-31

A steel-reinforced con crete vessel has
been launched at Christiansand. Norway.
1t is not very big ship. being of only 200
tons register. but other vessels of like ma
terial are under construction IN Norwegian
shipyards, the largest of which will regis
ter 500 tons. All of these vessels are. or
will be, barges. but reinforced concrete
steamship of 5000 tons is said to be in
service for the oversee export of iron ore.
The idea Of the stone ship is older, how
ever, than most people think. The very
Oldest examples were Assyrian round boats
Of wicker. covered with sun-baked clay,
modern successors of which may still be
seen on the Euphrates River below Bag
dad. One Of the Caesars-Caligula, Tibe-
rius or Nero-had a magnificent houseboat
Of stucco and stone. the remains Of which
were discovered in one of the lakes of
northern Italy. Coming to modern times.
the pioneer Of reinforced concrete ship
construction was a Frenchman named
Lambot. whose little boat. built at Miravel
in 1849, is still in service As often hap
pens, the inventor got little encouragement
and nobody gave the possibility Of fabri-
eating anything floating of stone further
thought for nearly so years.
In 1897, floating chalet. supported by
a reinforced concrete pontoon. was built at
Rome. A concrete schooner. built in the
following year for the North Atlantic coast
ing trade, demonstrated the practicability
Of this material by failing to 90 to pieces.
and. in fact, remaining uninjured, after
having been driven and pounded on the
rocks near Cape Charles. Since the open
ing Of the present century many lighters
for use on rivers and pontoons for the
support Of bridges have been built Of re-
inforced concrete at Paris and at Rome.
The Italian Government owns a concrete
steam collier. In Germany concrete barge
1870 feet long and Of 20 feet beam has
been built at cost Of rs per cent less
than an equivalent vessel of steel would
cost. Typical American examples are a
barge at Ontario 81 feet long by "a feet
beam and feet of lighters each 100 feet
long and 80 feet Of beam built in San
Francisco for the coasting trade. There
are several lighters and pontoons Of con.
crete. also some rather large scows, in use
Of the Panama Canal administration. A
steam lighter 100 feet long, built Of con.
crete in 1910 for the Manchester Ship
Canal Company, carries 200 tons Of ma.
chinery and coal and has hold room fol
large quantities of sludge dredeed from the
canal.
The construction Of a concrete vessel Of
5000 gross tonnage and to be equipped
with $500 horsepower steam turbines i:
contemplated at San Francisco The Nor
weeians. however, are credited with the
most serious effort to bring the stone ship
into practical use as ocean carriers. The
advantages Of these vessels are their light.
ness-their deadweight being no greater
than that of wooden ship of equal size
their great strength and their cheapness
costing $65 per ton as compared with $22s
atom for steel vessels, The 5000-ton tur.
bine ship above mentioned could be com.
pleted in 80 days The skin Of such q
ship could be three inches thick and yel
be lighter than vessel Of one-inch stee
plates. The danger Of cracking has been
removed. Concrete ships gather no bar
nacles, and it was found in the case OF
the barges in service on the Panama Canal
that repairs can be made readily, There
are several methods Of construction. anC
the building Of stone ships is rapid,
emerging from the experimental stage.