El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-06


turbine engines to be used in the
submarines.
There IS not wood enough in that
building TO make a match 1T is an
steel and glass. and lr was erected
in 80 days 4 went through other
buildings covering acres which were
devoted to- fouudries and furnaces
for casting and mclduE the working
parts into shape. and visited snlpHly
after snlpWay lu which there were
ships ~ various kinds under col-
strlctiou-
Many ships Being Built.
The shops are right on the water.
and The slips running in from che
sea are filled with vessels already
launched ana now being equipped
with machinery.
This plant makes submarines. de-
stroyers, oil taukers and ir has made
cru sers and big battleshi1s. Its or
ders for submarines run into the
scores. and DO has the best time rec
ord for the turning out of destrl gers
I'm one slip 100 feet wide ] saw a large
bunch OF red submarines They looked
like bloody crOc0diles Of mammoth
SIZE as they lay on the water and
turning Ilr eyes TO another slip on
tle opposite side i saw a lot o. Ue-
str0yers on which they we're putting
the guns which viii hunt down the
submarines Of the enemy
i made my way In and out through
torpedo tubes and other huge parts
for cquiDpins che vessels. and stopped
moment AZ the steel yard where the
raw material lies ready awaiting the
work.
This yard covers more than an acre
and It is piled high with ship plates
and steel bars. AS looked at it
s. W. Wakeman, the manager OF the
yard. told me that there was more
IMAM S2.o1o.QQ0 worth Of steel just IN
der my eyes.
Great Plant at Squantum-
10 was while they were Increasing
the size OF this quincy plant that the
managers or the Fore River yards
undertook the building Of the great
plant at Squantum, which has risen
out Of the sWamps on the edge Of the
sea six miles away.
The Squlntuu plant was construct
ed only for building destroyers- It
was last 1al that secretary Daniels
decided that he must have an enor-
nous fleet Of these vessels 20 com ba @
the submarine He wanted TO pepper
the ocean with this deadly mosquito.
and the ships had 90 be built right
away The submarines were destroy
Ing our merchant vessels. they were
towering about the transports. hop
ing 20 blot out the armies we were
shippins 20 Europe.
The navy department decided upon
2 large number Of destroyers. and g
directed that the best ship yards OF
the country should be modified for
me purpose The heads OF the great
snlp1uildiu- Establishments were
called TO Washington and asked what
they could do All but one gave their
best estimate as TO the possibilities
or their plants. and the figures alto
Eether eIualed only two fifths Of the
Of such vessels needed
Feat o. Qulelz BuildinE-
Lnereupon II We Powell. who rep
resented the Bethlehem SlipbuildiuE
corporation. the only man who had
not spoken, said that his company
would take the remainder. and that
within the space OF a week 40 could
supply che plans for The construction
OF the destroyers as required by the
This was agreed to by secretary
Daniels. and one week later came -he
plans They provided that one half
or the ships should be built at che
Union Iron works, san Francisco. and
Yards. which were 90 be enlarged BY
p great destroyer plant TO be built at
o1uant um. six miles away.
For one month the plans were fin
the hands OF the navy department
ana then q telegram 30 go ahead was
received here at Fore River. That
was on the 9Th OF last October. and
on the 9Th began what IS perhaps the
most marvellous feat OF quick build
Ing construction I'm these DAYS when
vast structures 80 up almost I'm
night.
Making OF Hog island Yards.
7 have described the work at HOG
Island. where q great fabricatfn- yard
has risen out Of O. marsh Tt consists
Or the assembling Of parts made i'm
olner plants There the work is
roush, and much OF it goes on out
under the sky
The situation at Squautum present
cd greater physical difficulties. Its
work Includes the making OF the
parts and putting them together This
-A goes ON under roof. requiring
many acres Of great buildings % iron
government ship yards for genera
-lous TO come.
At Hos Island the land slopes hack
from the Delaware river and 10 has
been necessary TO drive tens % thou
sands Of piles as foundation Tor the
Gated ships.
AT Squautum the land is almost
lell level and tt is only a trifIe above
me ocean outside At the time the
order was received the whole 500
ores formin- the site was swamp.
9lro1sh &c without rubber boots 20
his thighs
Today the land all about is n swamp
with the grass growing out uf the
va ter. and it is only the 90 acres
which have been taken for The site
n the buildings that IS high anI dry
above ground.
Vast Field Is Lifted Up.
The first part Of the job was 10 life
.his 80 acre field 20 the height NJ q
MANI head and put a firm foundation
leneaJh IT, The material Cor this pur-
pose was orouE1t In by motor trucks
and by railroad and dumped into ire
Wann- Plank roads had 10 he built
or tne motor cars. and railway found
latlQns constructed for the trains.
bridge costing 5000. 600 was then
l-llL To- connect with the railway
system, and long lines Of ncto-
trucks and trains OF cars were soon
iroppinE earth into the sw4nlr. So
much Of the lin was broueht I'm hv /
rucE th1t n 30 were an loaded At ]
'Nce -le Llaln required to EFIl ft I
.ou.a reach from New York to- .
y 1shington and leave some 20 spare. I
Dc was carried no five tons 20 the I
ruck ana fully hair Of the G-v an I
vas brought iu iu that way Tile
mount carried iu one month hv truck I
md car was greater than the biggest ]
lonlh.s excavation work az the Pan I
ma canal
AT the same time 10000. coo gallons I
mud was pumped fin from tie
enths OF the sea- Great pumps were
Installed and the earth was sucL Ell I
nd forced in through pipes so rfE
- -lid llat q 500 pound hog could /
rowl through them
I1e work went on so rapidly THAT I
Thin several months a space en- AT I
o ten large city blocks had risen 10
height OF six feet over the swarm
~ tnis was done in the heart ~ the
inter and a part OF the time the I
thermometer was lar below zero