El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-13

DALTIMORE. Nd. April II have
- come TO Baltimore TO show you
some OF Uncle Sans wooden ships
IN the pnallnE. might have chosen
any one OF a hundred other ports
along our mighty coast line. They
are building the wooden fleet along
the Atlantic all the way from Sandy
Point, Ne. 70 Jacksonville. Fla. and
along the Gulf OF Mexico from Tam
pa TO Port Aransas, in Texas. They
are building ships at 40 different
yards on the Pacific, beginning at
salmon bay. north OF Seattle. and ex-
tending south 10 Wilmington, Cal.
not far from Los Angeles They are
building them on the great lakes and
a half dozen rivers not far from the
sea In all there are more than 100
shipyards making these vessels, and
there is an army Of more than 100. 600
men who have been more or less
trained in wooden shipbuilding en-
Eaged upon them There is another
hundred thousand or more at work
IN the forests Of the south, north,
and west, getting out the timbers.
and the great lumber and sawmilI
associations Of the south and west
are doing all they can TO speed DIP the
work
A considerable number OF vessels
have already been constructed and by
the first Of next July I am told that
200 Of the new wooden ships viii
have been put in the water. and .
little later 20 VIII be carrying cargo
abroad BY Iau we should be launch
ing one wooden vessel a day. and If
the war should continue II viii be
only a short time before the 434 ships
contracted for VIII have been built
First Is Built in Texas.
To show you the activity now going
on, 7 VIII take you first TO the little
port OF Orange, in Texas 1t was there
that the first ship built Of wood
70 carry food and munitions 20 Europe
was constructed and there only a few +
weeks ago was launched the War
Mystery the largest wooden ship that
has ever been built since Noah con-
structeG the ark. The War Mystery I
is ship Of 5000 tons She is 81 feet I
than q feet deep Her machinery is I
now being installed and by the time I
this letter IS published she win be I
carrying cargo TO Europe.
The first wooden ship built for the 4
war was MADE before we entered the ]
struggle. 1t was constructed by Hen I
~ PiaEgio in q shipyard and financed {
by the Italian government PiagEio \
was the Italian consul At GuIfpOrt /
Miss Shortly after Germany declared /
var he observed the scarcity Of ships I
ana proposed 70 his government that I
ne build some wooden vessels for ITALY I
on the Gulf Of Mexico. The result Of (
this was his shipyards at the CITY Of 4
Orange, where the first wooden vessel /
as launched in November. 1915 This \
vessel was named The City Of Orange
Tt was a boat Of $500 tons equipped ]
with sails and steam engines. so that 4
= could be moved through the water /
both By the wind and BY steam The
boat was loaded with food and NUM-
tions and started across the Atlantic i
verse winds and weather. she made D
eight miles an hour in lodging sub
marines, and reached Gibraltar IN
prime condition.
Demonstrates Speed.
At that port she found one OF the
naval commanders Of the allies about
TO convoy several steel steamers 70
her port Of destination. The captain (
OF The City Of Orange asked that he
be allowed TO 90 with them where
upon the naval commander refused.
saying that a wooden ship could not
possibly keep Up with the steamers
or steel and that the delay would en-
danger their safety The captain Of
he could 60 as fast as any ship Of the
z Get but the official replied that his
Joining them was out OF the question.
and thar he would have to take his
chances with the submarines There
upon the fleet left and II was not
until two hours thereafter that The
City OF Orange was able 20 follow.
She threw her sails to the breeze and
put On all the steam she could stand.
she made Is miles an hour all the
way and beat the convoy into the ,
italian port by more than three hours.
Since The city Of Orange was built
she has been making regular trips to {
and from Italy, and four other wooden
vessels Of the same type have been
launched from the PiaEgio yard at
orange The same yard is now build
ng eight more wooden steamers and
several Of these viii be IT. the water !
before this letter IS published
1Ir. PiaEEio has added to the size as /
we'll as TO the number Of his vessels.
he has established yards at three q
OTTTOOT n 4