Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-12
BETTER EFFICIENCY
OF AMERICAN SHIPS

ships have increased so per cent IN
efficiency. two vessels now doing the
work Of three before the war, accord
ing to transportation records kept BY
the Shipping Board. This increase
results from a marine skipstop sys-
TEN, which includes direct routing.
ur,ification of cargoes, full loading
and reduction of time in port.
This work Of the Shipping Board is
the first in the history of American
shipping of centralized organization
watching the work of ships, contrast
ing their performance and striving
all the time 10 speed them up.
Vessels in the coastwise trade are
working with hitherto unequalled
sreed Two round trips a month be-
tween Norfolk and Baltimore and
Boston was considered good service
in the past for vessels in the New
England coal carrying trade. Now
the pace is four trips. The British
recently made the turn around" IN
five and half days.
Nitrate from Chill and manganese
from Brazil, both in great demand
because of the war. are being brought
II the United Sta ties in record time.
-Four voyages to Chilean ports in
year was formerly regarded as good
SCI, vice. but the Commodore Rollins
recently made the turn around be-
tween New York and lquidue in "A
DAYS which included a stop at Nor
folk for a cargo of coal to the Canal
Zone. The Santa Luisa on her maiden
voyage established a record Of eigh-
teen DAYS before New York and Val
p2raiso.
In pre- war days the long voyage to
Rio de Janeiro and back took three
tC four months, but now only s. days
is the time according TO the Shipping
Board standards. The Saga recently
made round trip from New York
t. Rio in So days. Wool for soldiers
uniforms is being brought from Bue-
ros Aires and Montovideo. the round
trip being of 100 days average time.
Sailing vessels, before the war
made the round "trip TO South Ameri-
Ia in six months, but one schooner
built for the Shipping Board, was
back in New York from a delivery OF
! a cargo of coal at Bucnos Aires n
I III days. The George :. Smith, an
other sailing craft in the South Am
er;can trade, made the round trip
+ between Norfolk and Para in "a days.
Diversion of fast ships from the
Cuban trade to trans Atlantic service
has handicapped rapid operation be-
tween New York and Cuban ports,
Lu- the Shipping Board records show
thc average including time in ports,
to be about % days.
The average turn around in the
Mexican oiltrade has been reduced t.
eleven days, and some tankers have
made the trip in a week.
In the Pacific the average turns
around arc steadily approaching the
fastest times of preWar schedules
The swift ships there, as elsewhere
have been sent to the Atlantic fol-
| val transportation to Europe, but the
| vessels allocated to the trade with the
/ Orient and Australia have saved time
II by fewer ports "a. =, aiding anG
II unloading mrrl quo " nan in the
i past.
/
/ Honolulu, sydney, Pago Pago ant
! hack to Honolulu and thence to Sar
/ F-ancisc in 60 days. which feat was
. duplicated by the Sonoma.
Tho average round trip between
San Francisco or Seattle and China
| inc luding days in port. has been cut
TO eightyo one, and only sixty eisf,
, days are required for the round triE
between the Pacific coast and Japan
! New vessels are to be placed in the
trade are expected to reduce the time
! Round trips between San Francis
co and the Philippines, including
I s;tps at Manila, Cavite. Hong Kong
Shanghai Kobe. Yokohoma and Hon
: clulu range from eighty four to 13C
days. Between New York and Manila
the round trip is 1853 days. a Iona
voyage for these war days which is
: cniy made because of the vital need
of some commodities. The round trir
in the British Indian trade, between
! New York and Calcutta, holds re-
cent record for elapsed time, an av-
!, GRACE of 207 days.
, Catty Comment.
, Nell have a nerfectly killing cos