The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-01-21

When the shipping situation became acute a few months ago many were astounded by a proposal to build transatlantic freighters of the same material that has become popular with bungalow builders-concrete. Surprised ones visualiz- f hardened concrete as stone. And then remem- bered that stones sink instead of floating-forgettin that steel and iron, used in shipbuilding since Civil War days, also sink when in their natural state.
 Better informed opinion realized that concrete could be made into floatable forms, just as steel and iron are made up to float, according to the Scientific American; but even these held that the hulls of ships made from concrete would have to be so thick that there could be no room left inside for storage purposes.
 Concrete boats, however, are not new Barges and pontoons of rein forced concrete are common enough in some parts of the country, and lighters for carrying sand and broken stone in quantities of from 100 to 800 tons have proved serviceable in quiet waters. They were cheap and tough but not self-propelled.
 IN ACTUAL PRACTICE.
 Nevertheless these barges, pontoons and lighters constituted an engineer ing start upon which to predicate safely the construction of much larger and more ambitious vessels. But be- fore we engaged in this revolutionary departure in naval architecture kin dred conditions had compelled some of the Scandinavian countries to seek similar relief.
 The Norwegians took the lead in this e:ort, and more than year ago equipped a plant at Moss, about forty miles south of Christiania. Norway now has to her credit the first self propelled. seagoing concrete ship. This craft, the Namsenfjord, has ac- complished round trip between Christiania and the British Isles, which. by the routes chosen for safe tvs sake, involved a total journey of about 2,000 miles.
 The Namsenfjord is single-screw vessel driven by heavy oil engine of the Diesel type, and her displace- ment is in the neighborhood of 800 tons. She carries enough fuel for the outbound and the return voyage, and was build especially for service be- tween Norway and England.
 The urgent need of additional bot toms found the pubic in receptive mood, and no trouble at all was en. countered in getting ample funds fol the equipping of plant having a potential yearly output of from 10000 to 30,000 tons.
 The first vessel undertaken at the yard was started in June, 1916, and by the beginning of 1917 the estab. lishment had built and launched ff- teen craft. Most of these were barges for coastwise towing, and it was not until a few weeks ago that the Nam senfjord" was ready for service. The earlier boats enabled the company to feel its way in perfecting the meth ods now standardized, and today the yard has on the blocks one ship of 4,000 tons we'll advanced, and four others begun-three of 1,600 tons and one of 1000 tons, all of which will be driven by Diesel engines of the Bolinder type.
 LiGHTsHiP IS ON WAYS.
 The same company also is con structing lightship of reinforced concrete for the Norwegian govern ment, and when this vessel is ready she will be stationed in the stormy sweep the Skagerrack. The yard is building, besides. a big tugboat of the same material, and has already turned out a granolithic floating dry dock having a lifting capacity of seventy.flve tons. Based upon the ex
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