The Detroit times., 1917-12-20
BIGGEST
SHIPYARD
BUILDING
Has Orders From the
Emergency Fleet Cor
pOration for 100 Ships


NEW YORK. Dec o0-On Hog Is
land. near Philadelphia is being
built for government use the large-.
shipyard In the world Ten thousand
men are now al work 0n it TIE
nf6t keel VIII be laid down IA JaN Pr
Ary. There viii bo nfiy ways, -'dr
By side. extending over p pile along
tho Delaware River. wherA af't get
ernment ships w,ll be huiNsluni'a-
neouslv hy over $4,000 workmf7-
On the western shore az fhe 'oIl-
ware River. bordering on tho Ph..a-
delphia City Line and "a fcw miles
below League Island, two months
ago there was a sand and mud fat
three and quarter miles long aud
two 10 three miles wide TN The post
two months an enormous amount 2i
work has been accomplished in the
transformation of this site into a
shipyard. Planted roads have boeu
laid down. railroad lines built. thoa
sands 0f wooden piles driven. and
buildings Of an kiuds-adminisi
ton. barracks, mess halls hospital
shops There win be- TU 90 SO miles
OF railroad track. a spur laid into
each way. many miles OF planked
and macadam roadways, hundreds of
buildings and q store dixie over "a
milo in length inciosing the wet ba.
sins" where the ships viii be equip.
red and completed after the bare
hulls have beer slid into The water.
The American International Ship
building Corporation. as agents for
the Emergency Fleet Corporation,
has orders FOR 100 ships-ffty $500
ION ships and seventy 5000 tons
making n total OF 935,O00 tons II Is
expected that delivery Of completed
vessels will begin next fan
Every energy Of a large organiza-
sion OF men expert in every depart
nent is bent toward tho completion
of this task, and various agencies Of
the government are assisting In ev-
cry way 10 secure the materials. la
hor and transportation 10 speed up
the work.
One OF the most difficult tasks is
the securing of workmen II ia esti.
mated that there are about 20 0O0
trained shipbuilders in this countrg.
and that between 10000 and 200. 900
will be necessary 70 carry out the
governments enormous shipbuildiug
program.
AZ Hog Island there has been
started a special training school TO
teach entirely unsklled and par
tally skilled men the various ship
building trades The capacity Of the
school viii be coo men AZ one time.
and the course OF training viii last
from a few DAYS 70 a few weeks de-
pending upon the trade which ia be
ing taught
Every effort IS being made az Hog
Island 10 make the working condi-
fions pleasant and safe Transporta.
tion has been carefully worked out
by boat. steam train and traction
lines The Housing Department has
made an extensive survey OF Phila-
delphia 70 supply good homes for
the workmen. Barracks Ike army
cantonments have been erected f0-
mon who wish 10 live on the job
Huge mess halls are already feedin-
several thousand men. In tho bar
racks will be recreation and reading
rooms.
A birds eye view % Hog Island ~
this time would show an appareutlF
chaotic swarm ~ humnn ants DRAG
ring lumber about, IN apparently
ineXtricable number ~ trucks and
teams crowdinE the rlankpd road
ways, almost countless piles beir-
driven into the sand. wooden build
ings springing up in groups and
singiv in every direction. engineers.
foremen and guards on horses Eiding
bout. This scene As changing daily.
however. and within a few weeks an
other bird's-eye view vill show the
orderiiness OF a vast plant. The out
nut OF which Is 70 answer the cry
for ships. ships. and more ships'