Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-07-27

ship out of the way and with force of care
fully chosen workmen, the keel of the collier was
laid and assembling rushed
The men were keen to make good and they
labored with unfagging zeal. Not only that but
they worked in three shifts and speeded up the
building continuously night and day There
fore they were able at the end of 81 days to put
the craft overheard.
This makes II plain why in ordinary times
three or four months were required TO advance a
ship far enough to warrant launching and why
it took two or three months to install her
gnes and boilers and to get her otherwise out
fitted and finished for active service In the
case of the Tuckafoe her builders found it pos
sible to accumulate all of the materials needed
and once she started TO forge ahead to her as
semblng without hitch
But even though the pace set by the West
Lianga and the Tuckahoe cannot be maintained
generally by old-ne shipbuildng plants still
most of these are in position today to produce
faster than heretofore because of mechanical aids
now at their disposal And what was done at
Camden in turning out the Tuckahoe is doubly
interesting because the practice there may be
likened IN measure to what is now termed the
fabricated ship.
The fabricated ship offered as a solution Of
a very vexatious situation that had a number
Of angles. First, for ship construction 1t was
needful TO draw upon steel workers and allied
building. Next, 1t essential that steel
plants that were capable of producing the ma
terials for bridges, the framework of great office
buildings and the steel parts of other land struc-
lures should be made available and their ton
mage utilized in the construction of the manifold
parts for oceangoing cargo carriers Finally, con-
venient points on deep water had to be chosen
for the assembling Of these elements which were
manufactured far and wide and delivered at the
places Of building in a more or less advanced
stage Of fabrication.
The fabricated ship is not strictly speaking,
a type Of vessel but rather a standardized order
or construction which depends primarily upon
a measure Of advanced preparatory work done
at plants remote from the shipyard and done so
well and accurately that similar parts are iden-
teal and can be put IN any one OF 4 group Of
type hulls Of corresponding dimensions. Inter-
changeabity is the paramount requirement.
The three distinctive fabricatng yards on the
Atlantic seahJard the Newark bay plant
of the Submarine Boat corporation, the Hog is
land plant Of the American International corpor-
alton, and the yard of the Merchants Shipbulld-
ing corporation at Bristol Pa. Because Of the
way in which these establishments are laid out
and because they receive their materials ninety
odd per cent ready for erection and assembling
and therefore need proportionately fewer men on
the spot per ship than otherwise would be re-
qured it is practicable for them to handle at
time unusually large number Of vessels.
While the materials manufactured at some
score Of different steel mills they are true
to dimensions, thanks 20 drawings Of excep-
tional accuracy and fullness Of detail and pat
terms that are exact IN every particular, that the
independent concerns can be relied upon to fur
nish just what is wanted.
Chairman Hurley of the Emergency Fleet cor
poration has told that should be able TO
turn out annually quite 100000 tons Of wooden
craft. This means not only exceptional indus
Try on part. but Il represents the surmount-
ing of seemingly mountainous obstacles. But
his confidence Is So far justified IN the scores Of
old and new timber plants mat he has re
Gently ordered approximately 200 additional