Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-05
ICRETE SHIPS
Industry and a Practical So
N Of a Pressing Problem -
" and Description Of Concrete
Iuilding--Speed U. S. Tonnage
/ Concrete Ships.
(By Anton S. ROsirg)

solebrate it's 10th anniversary.
lusty industry was born in
Mn 1S49 when the first concrete
,a< built there.
&c has never given up its child
mich it now has reason to be
full. For the concrete ship in
is supplying France with a
ne and much needed attention
r ~overtaxed merchant marine
avail equipment.
in the meantime othef countries
adopted the new industry as
own, developed it and brought
a successful basis. Norway, for
nee, has placed herself in the
rank of concrete ship builders.
te novelty of design, ingenuity of
uction and holiness of under
< she has made herself a leader
worlds ship builders. Her con-
ships are now carrying goods
ZEN England and Norway, defy
waves, storms and submarines.
has several established plants
building concrete ships, barges,
n other countries.
n u own continent the origin Of
concrete ship industry dates back
1890, when an enterprising Ameri-
while stranded in Central Amer
made a row boat of this mate
l. It was not until 1910, however,
It the industry was put on a COM
vcial basis. In that year q concrete
~ was built at San Francisco for
e in the harbor. This, our first
numerical attempt at concrete ship
nlding, was followed at short inter
hp-the building of other barges
ers for use on our various
@ srs and harbors.
III two years ago, no attempt
zen made in any country to build
rete vessels for ocean service.
was due largely to the absence
bsolute necessity. Steel and wood
plentiful and so there was no ap-
mt incentive compelling ship
1ers to embark upon this larger
rprise. Within the last two years,
ever, the uncertainty attached to
xnding a concrete ship across the
,coan has been successfully solved by
Norway, as previously stated.
Our own country has not yet built
any concrete ships for ocean service.
But our naval architects have not
been asleep. Several practical de-
signs for such vessels have been
brought out. One large vessel of this
type has been under construction at
Redwood City, Cal, dufing the past
few months and has just beer
launched as this is written. This ship
is Of $500 tons capacity and will
when completed, be placed in the
trans-Pacihc service.
While It is, for obvious reasons, i'm
possible to state what ships are being
built by the Emergency Fleet Corpor
fion; where they are being built
sizes or material, it is known tina
halter Of concrete ships has beef
subject of full investigation an
and that contracts for vessel
lis type have been let.
ir allies, also, as we'll as neutr"
ons, have placed their approval o
type of ship construction by en-
ing the field to increase their ton
Age.
Sufficient experience has thus bee
gained to enable shipbuilders to avol
errors of design and construction an
give them confidence in their me-
material. Confidence has given ther
courage to engage in the constructio
of concrete vessels of any type, larg
or small, and for any type of service
Concrete ship building may, there
fore, be classed as one of our estat
lished, though new, industries. 1t
an industry that is capable of tremer
dous influence on u entire futul
economic life.
But important as are the possibil
ties Of developing a new and large II
dustry, the matter of greatest natiol
al concern at the present time is Il
effect Of concrete ship building on Il
conduct and ultimate outcome of Il
war. The influence of concrete in tn
field IS such that we can be deep
grateful for it's great possibilities al
for its being already in so advance
a state of development. The SUPERB
structural qualities of concrete and !
a~daptability to all types Of constru
ton are so well known that the Unit
States government, following the LEI
of the Allied governments, upon t
commencement of the war urged
adoption where formerly other mat
rials had been used in order to sa
these other materials for war uses
which they are essential. But ev
with such replacement the governme
has been unable to adequately salts
its own exceedingly urgent needs
steel for ships, rolling stock, mul
tions and other war uses. All I
requirements created by the war Q
equally urgent and equally vital, /
there IS not enough steel to go aroul
Here concrete entered and prov
its ability to relieve the governm'
Of some of it's burden by releasing
major share Of the STEEL nee'lei
ship building for other uses. t
conversion of steel from ships to n
nitions is not future but immedis
recurring only the short period neeC
for the organization Of concrete s.
building plants or the reorganizat
Of existing plants on a concrete bai
This transition period is of short
ration and should require only a I
days.
but tue TelcdSe VI Sbctl AOA W
uses Is only the first benefit confer
by concrete on entering ship c
x~truction. The second, and Of no
importance, is the far greater sp
which Il injects into the tonn
building program. A concrete S
a be built in about a third OF
time required for the construction
ships Of other materials. The eft
of this greater speed is to gain
the government a large amount
vital time in its shipping prog
and put il several laps ahead in
race with the ravages Of the EN-
submarine.
Nor do the benefits to be DER
from concrete ship construction
here. Owing to the peculiar st
tural qualities Of reinforced conc
construction It is possible without
crease of weight TO give the We
far greater security against dest
ton by outside causes, such as ex
sion Of a mine or torpedo. Thi
accomplished by making the hui
two thicknesses with an interve'
a divided into water tight {
partments. These compartments
he utilized for the storage Of fuel