Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-28
BRISTOL TO BUILD
40 BIG FREIGHTERS
u. S. Government Announces
Largest Separate Contract
for City on Delaware
WORK FOR THOUSANDS

Forty 9O0O-ton freight steamships are
to be built for the United States Govern
ment by the Merchant Shipbuilding Cor
poration at Bristol Pa, according to an
official announcement
The order means a big boom for the city
of Bristol itself and Is said to he the
largest yet placed by the Emergency Fleet
Corporation with any single concern.
Thousands OF men in and about Bristol
will be hired for the work in the near fu-
ture. The freighters are TO be rushed to
completion within eighteen months.
w. Averill Hartman signed the con-
tracts IN New York for the Merchant Cor
poraton, which he organized and controls.
The corporation not only operates the
new shipyard at Bristol, but also the Ches-
ter company, purchased recently from G.
y. NJ. Jack. a Philadelphia consulting en-
gineer, who now is employed as consult
ing expert for both the Hartman COM
r2nies.
Twenty eight freighters now are under
construction at the Chester plant.
W. T. Thomas. general manager. and
Charles =. NJ Jack. consulting engineer of
the Chester Shipbullding Company. and of
the Merchants Shipbuilding Corporation,
the two firms under control OF the Harri.
man interests are in New York today in
consultation with w. Averill Hartman.
The offices Of the two companies on the
eighth floor Of the Finance Building are
busy on the construction OF the extra ways,
dolphins and bulkhead line for the extern
sion of the Chester yard and the ways and
equipment Of the Bristol yard, which is
now under construction
The Chester ahipbuiiding yard had six
ways when Mr.. Hartman acquired II; it
now has ten, and further extensions and i'm
provements are going forward. The Ches-
ter plant is at work on twenty-eight indi-
vidual contracts for fabricated steel freight
ers, originally entered into with private in
dviduals and shipping companies. all of
which, however. have been taken over by
the Government
The Bristol plant has twelve ways and II
is expected that the first keel will be laid IN
three months or less, Mr.. Hartman intends
to have the last of the forty freighters in
commission within eighteen months.
The contract was negotiated on diff
ferent basis from previous contracts for
ships entered into by the Government. The
Emergency Fleet Corporation leases the
Bristol yard plant and facilities outright
and employs the company simply as its
operative agent to build the ships for a fixed
fee
The vessels however. although generally
resembling the standard steel freighters de-
signed by the Emergency Fleet Corporation
will he built to designs Of the Merchant
Corporation. The president, (Mr. Hartman
is chairman of the board) is r. H. NJ
Robinson. one of the best known naval
architects of the United States, who was
formerly constructor in the navy. He
is an intimate friend and associate of Rear
Admiral Taylor, chief of the Bureau OF
Construction, and himself has designed and
built several battleships.
The designs for the freighters were pre.
pared under Mr Robinsons personal super
vision, and include a number of special
features not possessed by tho standard
types. They will be Of eleven knots speed