The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-17
WaFShipS Win Be Turned
Ont Just Like
Fivvers.
10 SEA THROUGH CANAL
They viii Burn Oil and
Can Steam Across
Atlantic.
~ FREDERICK N. KERRY
On. E. A. STAFF cOrreSpondent.)
nonoSoN kog II Q raugar

DETROIT, Mich, Ape. Turning
out WoFshlps as II they we're fliyyers
q . success.
Henry Ford told Secretary Of the
Navy Daniels he would do II. when
~ undertook the contract for the frs,
100 Eagle bOats-the new submarine
chaser. designed by the Navy depart.
monG That was last January. In a
loH days, De plant which was design.
q, blilt anl put into operation in Jess
than sl6 mObths, hopes to be dropping
Eagles" into the water at the rate Of
one Vaay. dropping" is the correct
stolm: they are not launched.
TIE River Rouge plant OF the Ford
4 Motor company, where spent the day
y Inspecting the production Of the new
navy boats, 10 called a shipyard It
looks IKE q vast factory; and It is in
far . steel fabricating, assembly, and
equipment plant.
These boats are built on moving
platforms, conveyed on wheels; they
are made Of steel parts fabricated in
endless quantity and put together with
TiVots; they are wheeled out TO the
waters edge, placed on a platform
operated By hydraulic jacks, aud plat
form and ell 10 let down into the Wa
Ter and the ship flOated away. It is
ne theory Of "flivVer" production ap-
Piled 10 ships.
Secretary Daniels called Henry Ford
% Washington last January to ask
him q be would undertake the job Of
building the new Eagles" Ford saw
no reason why ships could not he
bnlit IN iuantity like automobiles. SO
tie contract was signed January II.
Plant Built IN Three Weeks.
Within - hours plans were being
drawn. and details Of the buildings
worked out. The site on which the
great plant stands was partly under
water. Il was filled; the river Was
dftdged, q canal was cut to the fac.
tory doors, and work begun on the
buildings.
The fabrication shop was built in
three weeks. Long before the 100.
foot assembling buildings was finish.
% the fabrication shop was produc.
inc plates, angles, channels, etc, so
that the first ship could be begun as
soon as the assembling plant Was
ready.
The first complete Eagle" went into
the water Jnly l5 Eighteen ships
are under way now. In a few days
there will be q on the shlpways-the
capacity Of the plant. Before long a
ship Q day will 60 into the water.
These boats should not be con.
fused with the 1lO.iooters-the orig.
hal submarine ChaseFs. These are far
larger and more powerful vessels.
Ihey are, IN fact, halfway between
The chaser" and the destroyer" type
two hundred feet long and Of 500 tons
displacement.
The plant Is laid out systematical.
y, 50 that the steel is fed into one end
While at the other completed boats.
Win naval crews, guns, stores and
supplies aboard, sail away to the At.
lantic. Across from It is the Navy
departments eantonment, where the
naval crews 70 man the ships are be.
ing trained.
The boats are made out Of sheet
steel stampingS. pressed from sheet
metal u the fabrication shop these
plaloB-keol, floors, beams. angles.
irames-are shaped, and then run
through great punching machines that
cnt out dozens Of riVet holes at a time
Service rpilWays run from this shop
Q The assembling plant. which covers
y acres Of floor space. The keels are
leld and the complete hulls built On
Ilxl1 timber mounted on IL standard
steel car trucks, operating on ordi.
nary rails. There Is room for seven
81 these trucks in each shipway, and
mere are three shipways. To the keel
The frames are added, then the bulk.
heads, plates. the decking, and at the
seventh operation the hull is com.
Pete ana the boat ready for launch.
How BOatS Are Launched.
AZ the lower end Of the assembling
plant, . great transfer table operates,
Onto this the car trucks carving the
complete huh are run. ana this table
connects with the launching bridge.
The boat and &c carriage are run onto
ne bridge and By means Of large ny.
draulic Jacks, the whole is lowered
INTO The water. The carriage with
10 trucks q lowered away from the
boat, thus allowing It to float free.
Afior launching the hull Is GOated
down 70 the QUILTING shop, where
ne boiler, engines and other equip.
nodl q added.
More than 5000 men are at work
nov. The vista Of ships on the plat.
forms, with the three nearly complet.
a hills are far away at the lower
doors. and the three lines tapering
down untn % the upper end Of the
|'re only the heel and skeleton ribs
represent TIE ships, conveys a clear
lea oi tie plan Of the whole thinR.
one zen actU0lly see thOSs SoAts
cIeopi1R forward day by dav 10 the,P
places n tho fieet that 10 hunting the
u.boall.
ne Eagles" will be sent to ,he At.
|snlle thToagh the New York state
H.rTo canal The fuel - oil. and the
Seeming radius 70 aufiiclen: 10 tALo
I1cn across the Atlantic. FOX Il
building the engines IN a big addition
~ ID original OhtoaSb'lO plant