The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-17
THE LONE STAR
STATE BUILDING
MHkATVT VTrrCENT q
MHlilft MhlfMtf 1L0OELO
Sixteen Launched and More
on the Way
SHIPYARD EMPLOYS
FORCE OF 1000
Enemy Burned Three Ships
on independence Day

Orange, Texas, Oct 16-Sixteen
vessels have already been sent down
the ways at Orange, "a others will be
ready for launching before Christ
mas, and contracts have been placed
for construction of 81 more at the
earliest possible date. The tonnage
of vessels launched, building and com
tracted for here totals 317 300. =
Before the program is completed
here more than half a million acres
of yellow pine forest will have been
Laid bare.
The shipbuilding program brought
prosperity to the little town, whose
population has nearly doubled since
America entered the war. Fifteen
months ago the industry was little
known or understood here. One OF
two small yards, located along the
banks of the sluggish Sabine river,
were devoted to repair work on tugs
and small launches.
Then came the call for a "bridge
for the Atlantic" Almost over night
the river banks sprang into life. The
ring of axes reverberated through the
forests nearby. The hum of industry
banished the festive alligator from his
old haunts and the steel-ribbed skele-
tons of the ships began rising almost
in the midst of the wilderness.
The shipyards now employ approx
mately 1000 men who draw wages
totalling $225,000 weekly. Notwith
standing more than thousand
homes have been built in clever
months, workmen still are forced tt
live in mprovised shanties an dtents
while housing facilities are being in
creased with all possible speed.
The National Shipbuilding Com
pany of Texas has launched six ships
has eight on the ways and contract
for 18 more, all for government us'
except two of those already Launched
which went to the British Cunart
line The southern Dry Dock an,
Shipbuilding Company has Launches
one ship, has five on the way an
contracts for five more, all for gov
errment account; the 1nternationa
Shipbuilding Company has launche
eight, has ten on the ways and con
tracts for SO more, all for the Italia
Government; and Ed. Weaver
Sons has built one and has one on tn
ways.
The National yard is building tn
new type Of vessel of 4,940 tons eacl
The first two of these ships, whic
are classed by authorities as anon
the innovations of the war, are no.
on their maiden voyages. Approx
mately 1900 dead weight tons large
that n Ferris type vessel, the neN
ship requires nearly 100000 fewe
feet of timber to build and fewe
steel bolts. 1t was designed by A.
Daugharty, an engineer who at til
outbreak of the war was building a
oil refinery here. His employers wei
in need of tankers to transport cruC
oil from Mexico, and Daugharty d,
signed a tanker 315 feet long, wit
4S-foot beam and 26 feet depth {
hold. His design was radically di
ferent from the common type havin
the boilers and engines in the ster1
and his propeller drive shaft was on
10 feet, as against a drive shaft
.119 feet in the Ferris-type vessel.
fore peak tank balances the weigh
The emergency fleet corporation o
fcials were impressed with the Da
gharty idea and awarded the compa1
contract for 26 of the vessels.
Workmen at the National var
claim a worlds record of setting ,
the 70 frames for Daugharty ship N
242 in 80 hours and 25 minutes al
have challenged other yards to ecu
the record A Pacific coast compal
held the previous record of "A hou
for framing a ship.
One of the greatest problems co
fronting directors of the shipyar
here has been protection against &c
man agents. On Independence De
the torch was put to the shipyard
the Orange Maritime Corporation
an enemy agent, resulting in the va
and three large vessels being destro
ed Now armed soldiers patrol eve
foot of every yard, while agents
the Department of Justice round
all suspicious characters.