The Washington herald., 1918-05-31
WILSON DRIVES
RIVET in KEEL
OF STEEL SHIP
Chief Lady Of Land Names
the First Alexandria
Built Craft.
DFCNITARIES PRESENT
Yards on Ground Granted
by King James Of
Old.
DICNITARIES PRESENT

Alexandria, Va. May 3o.-Presi-
dent Wilson this afternoon drove
The first rivet in the keel of the
first Of the big steel ships to be
constructed by the Virginia Ship
building Corpora ton in Alexandria.
The President facetiously remark
ed. II haven't got my union card.
but I guess It's all right"
Standing beside the President
when he drove the first rivet was
Mrs. Wilson. and to her goes the
distinction of naming the first ship
Of this corporation. which she
designated "Gunston Hail." the
name of the historic home of
George Mason. author OF the Vir-
ginia bill of rights. which is To-
Gated in Fairfax County. several
miles south of Alexandria. Mrs.
Wilson put her hand on the verti-
cal keel and simply said: II name
thee Gunston Hall"
When the President and Mrs. Will
son arrived on the big way, where
the keel of the ship was laid. work
men were busy preparing the iron
bolts. In a few minutes, a red
hot rivet. prepared by Charles An
drews, superintendent of the yards.
was passed by r. B. Wallace, plant
manager. The pneumatic hammer
was handed over to the President
to put in the rivet by Robert
Mooney. rivet foreman. William
Sims. shipfitter. held on to the ham,
mer. as the President worked it.
When he finished. he was given an
ovation. and the American Indian
Guard hand played The Star
Star SpAngled Banner" while the
President and party stood at at
tention.
Girens Greet Him.
The President and Mrs. Wilson mo-
tored over to Alexandria, at 3:35
o'clock. Ten minutes after their ar
rival, the President was inserting the
twenty plates, its keel being 40e feet.
The party was met by Representa-
tive Charles C. Carlin, who acted as
master of ceremonies.
Seven hundred invited guests were
on the big concrete way awaiting the
coming OF the President. AS the
President arrived at the yards, the
sirene whistle turned loose and the
party was given an ovation.
At the conclusion of the ceremony
the President and Mrs. Wilson at
once left the yards. there being no
speech making as was first planned.
While walking away from the scene,
Mrs. Wilson remarked to r. NJ. Much,
assistant treasurer of the company,
that she thought the President did the
job very well. and Mr.. Much assured
her that he did. The rivet which the
President inserted connects the verti-
cal to the horizontal keel.
Both President and Mrs. Wilson
marveled at the rapid progress made
in the construction of the shipyard,
they having observed 1t passing up
and down the river recently.
The ceremony was witnessed by
number of distinguished guests.
among whom were Speaker Champ
Clark, Senator Thomas S. Martin,
Senator Duncan U. Fletcher, Flor
ida, chairman of the Waterways
Committee; Representative Joseph
Cannon. C. W.-Morse, president of
the United States Steamship Com
pany. of which this Is a subsidiary:
E. A. Morse. president of the Gro
ton Iron Works. Groton, Conn. !;
Nois IdThe ana
Maj. Lannigan. Camp Humphreys,
Va.
Record Construction.
A worlds record was achieved in
the construction of these yards. To-
day was the eighty-fifth actual
work day in the erection Of a plant
capable of building twelve steel
ships of 9.400 tons each, of the
Moore & Scott type, the first Of
which will be finished and turned
over to the government before
October. and all of which will be
turned over completed by Febru-
airy Is.
A total Of 1.50O men have been
employed building the yards, the
work being done by the Raymond
Concrete Company, of New York,
and the buildings erected by the
Ley Company, Springfield. Mass.
Colin H. Livingstone, of WASH
ington. is president. and r. B. Wal
lace plant manager.
This concern, will have an annual
payroll of between $4,000. 900 and
100000, and after things are in
full swing will give employment to
a total of 1000 men.
This yard is one Of four yards
in the United States built of rein.
forced concrete.
Representatives Of the new concern
are loud in their praise for Repre-
sentative Carlin. through whose eff
forts this plant was located in this
city and which will be permanent.
1t will result in almost doubling
the population of old alexandria, and
already has wonderfully helped the
city in a financial way.
Historic Ground.
The site Of the new shipyard was,
up to its coming. a barren waste,
and the land just north of it James
the Second granted to. the treasurer
Of the Association of Adventures Of
coUpuNrrrr, o,r c.cr s.