New-York tribune., 1918-03-13
Test To Be Made Of Ger
man System Improved
Here
Said to Increase
Output Sevenfold
Vessels Are Welded To.
sether by Electricity,
Without Use of Rivets

Germany's latest U-boats are fabri-
Gated ships. That is one of the two
reasons why she is able to launch
new submarine for every one put on
the missing list by the guns or depth
bombs of American and Allied naval
natrols. The other reason for her speed
nroduction is this: The vessels are
not only fabricated, but are welded
electrically, a process which makes
their skins literally one piece of steel.
The new Uboats are rivetless, ac-
cording to the most authentic infor-
nation obtained by the b tsh Adj
miralty. The great yards at Kiel and
the submarine bases along the coast of
Belgium are said to be turning out
from four to six electrically welded
craft in the time ordinarily required
10 construct a single vessel of
similar proportions by the now anti
quated method of pounding in red hot
riyats with air hammers.
Standardization and fabrication to
obtain wholesale ship production were
spproved long ago by the United States
Shipping Board as the most obvious
means of overcoming the ravaees of
the undersea pirates. Still another
method is about to undergo the process
Of proving up. A yard near New York
is preparing to construct ship from
cast steel sections which are to be
welded, instead of riveted together.
American Proved Process
Electrical welding, however, always
was regarded with suspicion by Amer
lean marine engineers until Com
mander E. ?. Jessop, U. S. N, and his
assistants repaired the damaged Water
land and other German ships, requir-
ing days where it was believed months
would be needed, and at a cost of
thousands, where millions had been
the estimate
the electrical welding process is to
nav 1pS SHc!lNC " SJCSO UD AU6IICCH
ship production still more. Several
yards are 10 make the test. Machines
for the work are either at the yards or
on the way, and among the ships whose
plates are to be turned into steel
sheaths as smooth and unbroken as
the skin of a baby's cheek will be at
least one big American torpedo boat
destroyer
Commander Jessop, in repairing the
smashed machinery Of the German
ships and turning them into transports
months before marine surveyors
thought they could, used a welding
process developed on the Erie Railroad
BY David II. Wilson, an electrical con-
sultng engineer. This process is based
on system imported from Germany,
one which it is believed is at least the
foundation for the process now en-
pieyed by the Kaiser's naval con-
struetors in fabricating U-boats and
other ships.
But, having at last adopted the
sehsme, the United States expects to go
Geemany one better in ship welding.
flsst, the process to be employed is
superior, because it controls the heat
OF the fusng current Second,
Machines are being devised to do the
sofh automatically.
Green Hands Soon Expert
according to estimates made by
snlers IN nautical and iron trade jour
Aais, green hands can become expert
ssaers IN from six to eight weeks, and
we welder can DO the work of more
.Asn ten rlveters. But the scheme is
y sttaln still greater speed by setting
~e "eioers on runways parallel to the
~ sIs,ns al OF the ships and letting them do
''i W she WORK without a guiding hand.
ar wilson is in Washington now
eeonferring with the Shipping Board
salels, some Of whom came to New York
'eTgshtiy to consult with him
mere Is no question of greater speed.
..Jae as to the greater strength of weld
~ ~ joints as compared to riveted, but
irsie ws is no available data as to costs.
s~sshef es~ welding ships plates is
h. APE tnan rlveting them is yet to
r. r. determined. If the experience of
l0mmaader Jessop with the deliberate-
wrecked machinery on the German
es Is any criterion, however, weld
ss WI have long lead over the old
,Nf.sing in "The Journal of the
..,s1lcan y. ~ Society of Naval Engineers"
~. december, Commander Jessop made
n..1 s1m parison of the old mechanical
s.aias ..noas and the welding process as
..s ss.eo TO the repairing Of the engines
a. s'efed ~ the sledgcs Of the German
p s.r. crews when the United States
soa d. tne koenig Wilhelm II, he said,
s,Jmsaged s,sJ engine cylinders were pre-
h. ior a mechanical patch, while
81. ssioefs went TO work on the Fried
rsn yer Irosse and the Princess irene.
nj, @eeKs later the mechanics were
sas.a .s a. work on the Koenig Wilhelm,
csrs.ss as the electrical welders had
Irpsted thelr work on the Princess