Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-16
BUILDING "sRIDeE OF SHIPS
Newport News Furnishing Chapter in
History Of Ship Production.

Newport News. Va. Oct. 16.-Ee'N
ship ways, towering trestles. spread
ing shops, fields of steel and the in
cessant clamor day and night OF auto
matte riveters, great steam hammers
and whirri.lg machinery are the SYM
bols of wartime bodybuilding here
where deep sea craft have been turned
out since the SOS.
In this great plant 10000 men and
women are working at top speed. Slid
ing quietly from the ways without a
semblance ot~the ceremony that at
tended launching in the days of
peace, ship after ship has been built
and floated only to lose itself In the
maze of commerce at this gateway to
the Atlantic and to the fields Of
France.
When the war; time history of the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company is written it will be an
interesting chapter in the romance OF
the destroyer. 1t will tell how farmer
boys from the rolling plains of the
west, who had never seen a ship, and
women whose only experience with
metals had been in the handling Of
pots and pans answered the call Of
their country to build many Of the de-
stroyers which steadily are removing
the menace of the submarine and
keeping open the lanes thru which
the millions of American soldiers are
going to the western front.
How well these men and women
have done their work under the
guidance Of skilled workers is demon
strated by the fact that every destroy
er turned out has more than met the
express-train speed required under the
navy contract. And it is no secret at
least not here, that the finished ships
which have gone into the war zone
have given good account of them
selves even as the Tanning and other
pre-war products of this yard have
added new laurels 20 American
records.
While all possible energy Is going
into the building Of the bridge OF
ships" to France and their guardians.
the expansion of this plant into one Of
the worlds greatest shipyards is
planned for -the-war needs as
well as for those Of the present. Shop
after shop has been built and cranes
and other labor saving devices in
stalled so that when peace comes for
eign yards may he met in the great
race that is inevitable for the restora-
ton Of destroyed tonnage.
Even now there are in the building
two of the largest shipways III
America. Here, after the war, will be
laid down two OF the monster battle
cruisers congress authorized IN 1915,
designed as the.fastest and most pow
erful ships Of their type on the sea.
Nearby these new ways four
emergency ways have been thrown w.
on ground made within the year.
On these emergency ways naval yes
sells are building and more will fol-
low when these are launched. A few
hundred yards away more fighting
ships are building, two and three to
one set Of ways. On stu other stocks
merchant ships and other craft are
being put together.
Turbines largely have supplanted
tho old-style reripocal drive engine
and it is on these that women have
been pressed into service, performing
the delicate work of finishing the
myriad brass paddles against which
the steam strikes to revolve the tur-
bine drum, much as water runs mill
wheel.
In the yard dispensary. whore men
who are injured are treated. nurses
and doctors are constantly on duty.
"A band gives concerts in the yard
each noon.
Housing has been the greatest prob
lcm. Two miles beyond the city, on
q high bluff overlooking the river. is
rising new city to be peopled ex-
clusively by shipyard workers. High
wages are the rule as at other yards.
with riveters. many Of them negroes,
making as high as $25 and $40 day.
Loyalty is preached in season and
out. 49,
In peace times this yard completed
merchant ships in six months or less
but 1t is bettering that now even as
II has more than cut hi half the time
for turning out destroyers. Officials
and workmen alike have eyer before