The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-10-24
SHIP BUILDERS AGE
DOING RECORD WORK
Towns and Villages on Della
ware River Near Philadelphia
Great Hives of Industry.

Philadelphia. - Shipbulldings under
the spur Of the German submarine
menace, has made Philadelphia. for the
second time in American history,
"cradle of liberty" Fostered by the
natural advantages OF the Delaware
river, together with proximity to the
nations steel production centers, the
country's largest group OK shlpyaros.
including the world record making Hog
Island plant has grown up in the home
district OF the Pennsylvania, metropolis.
In this district are employed more
than 100000 shipworlers, one-fourth
the enrolment in the industry through
out the United States, whose outturn
for service. Vessels of all types from
$500 ton wooden steamers TO huge
steel freighters Of 10000 tons are pro-
duced. The influx OF workers has
oyerrun a score of communities, en-
forcing the building OF seven new
towns. yet the cry is for more men and
more men. Given a sufficiency or ma
teria!s and the workers to handle them,
the philadelphia phenomenon In ship
construction promises to become an
other worlds center.
In this region the Emergency Fleet
corporation, through the companies
carrying on It's work has undertaken
an extensive housing project. At
Bristol, Chester, Cornwells, and Hog
Island, in Pennsylvania, at Camden,
and at Wilmington. in Delaware,
homes, bachelor apartments, barracks,
boarding houses and even hotel nave
been erected, with the hope OF solving
the problem Of Inadequate labor grow
ing out of poor accommodations
How the yards on the Delaware river
have expanded in the past II months
and what this influx OF labor means TO
the communities alcng the river, Is IN
Dictated by comparison with the census
80 10 n1f0
Of men engaged was less than 26OO0.
Excluding Cramps and the New York
Shipbuilding corporation, which were
then working as completed yards, the
nine other PLANTS on the Delaware then
reported 10000 workers.
Recruited From Outside.
More than half the present force of
shipbuilders has been recruited from
outside the district. SO that the popula-
ton growth from this source alone has
been doubled that OF any normal year.
At Bristol, rs miles above Philadelphia,
viously accepted shipbuilding zone,
workers at the Merchant plant now
exceed the entire population OF the
borough in 1910. Chester, where John
b. Roach built American warships so
years ago, has trebled in a year its
population gain between 1900 and 1910.
Except the great Hog island plant
that of the New York Shipbuilding
Corporation at Camden, employing
II, 500 men, is the largest in the Phila-
delphia district When work under
way is completed there will be 20
ehipways, most of them able to accom-
modate at one time two ships Of ordi~
nary size. The yard set q new worlds
record when it launched the collier
Tuckahoe in 27 days from the time the
sci was completed, feat which has
not been equaled for a ship OF this
type. Transportation has been prob
lem, with the majority Of workers
forced to travel long distances to and
from the plant. To overcome this diff
town of Yorkship a mile from the
| works, with a connecting trolley line.
The community which will be without
saloons, will be made q part Of Cam
den.
Neighboring Gloucester is another
Of the old race track days faded under
the ban Of New Jersey legislative en-
actment, the town went to sleep. It has
been awakened. The Pussy & Jones
Company operates two yards. The
ssPsnnsylysnia" plant. two pears OLD,
types within q year. and the newly
completed . New Jersey shops have
four vessels on tho ways. Launchings
here aro made sidewise into basin,
| the reinforcement slide which has been
pracdced through centuries OF ship
building. The company Is erecting $50
homes for It's workers near the two
yards.
Recently both the Gloucester ana
Wilmington yards Of the Pussy & Jones
Company have been combined under
the Emergency Fleet management and
. standard type Of 10000 ton steel
vessels will be built.
Made Great Record.
Creation In less than q year Of q
great fabricated st sel shipyard with one
vessel launched aud three others about
ready to take the water, is the feat