The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-10-17

getting the ship built. tested and
OFT the WAYS. The outstanding law Is
speed" hut this must be a speed
without haste or neglect The whole
scheme OF things In the ward Is %
big. so busy and sc dramatic That Few
of the 1000 workers have failed to
catch It's spirit. II has INSPIRED some
of them to verse about the great et-
tort as a whole and others about the
efforts OF individuals. Here is a
stanza from the pen OF H. NJ. Robert.
son, a yard boss. on thu virtues OF his
chicf, H.. Stevenson, superintendent
OF hull construction:
" You get me. Finished is his cry.
No uso to eason how or why.
Hts M desire. his fond ambition.
To watch ships grow into completion.
Finished
The plan is 20 launch u ship about
once IN two weeks, TIC plant is held
by government contract 70 the turn
ing out of a certain uuuou OF ships
iu - specified period. Bat contracts
are a mere formality here. There ~
no more necessity 81 binding the
Bethlehem workers g. q production
contract than there would hC TO I'M
pose a lighting agreement on the sun
OF the stars. They tro out to go the
ont HCtural feature Onc better
through their spirit and enthusiasm.
They boast more of what they are
doiug than of What they are Getting.
That ~ why tho plant Is flying en-
cheney p%cnnants and plans 10 keen
those pennHnts coming until the
emergency * past
Light. comfort and hard work ara
the hy words of the plant. The ma
chine shop has g. 900 panes of glass
and all the places whore the wurkcvs
are Obliged "a gather indoors ar,
constructed To let in as much of the
elemental outdoors rs possible. witt
the exception OF wind and ain An
emergency hospitol Is maintained
WITH numerous stations about the
yard. There Is q well equipped fire
department also. Much OF the work
is hazardous. but the element OF dan
ger IL u drawing card. Most Of the
men Viii be found where most dan
ger lies
Dave" Mowatt. Yard supcrintcn
dent. 10 an oNampl, ot the opportuni-
ties the plant Affords It's workers and
the efforts the executives are making
to detect and reward particular merit
\ Few vcars ago Nowatt entered the
plant as the humnlCst of workers. lie
rosc rapidly and brought a number
of others M with hlm. The Bcthle-
hem company always present a mum
Der Of GOOD fair targets to shoot at IN
the line Of promotion and Dave
Mowatt developed skillful marksnar'
shtp. Much Of his time IN devoted tc
showing others how TO do the thing,
that he has done
Many things that the outsider
might not consider particularly es.
scntiHl &c into the making unt
launching of a ship at this plant
Even sheep are important In the
building OF boats 10 carry men unC
supplies To whip the kaiser, THEFT
tullow, particularly suited To grease
the ways, Is used in every shipynrd
\ quarter of "A million pounds of 3
were used In an yards July 4 to- sen,
ninety. five cargo cnfriors splashing
into the water, halfway on their er
rand TO crush the "spurlos NcfseGkt'
hopes OF the Potsdam crowd.
Raise sheep 60 launch ships" "a
an appeni made by William Thomp
son. launching master at the Bethlc
hem yard. To him sheep raising is ,
fundamental roduirement of the war
To other department heads, likewise
some one thing, a,emingly minor
looms big.
Ships. however, when well bailt
must he well lHunfhcd before the,
can play their part \ thousand littl,
things 20 to make "a vessel itself onl,
u unit IN the fleet Of hundreds ol
thousands demanded by the ,ountr,
from the army cover here" for th'
support Of the army over there"
10 launch ships. the ways are
creased a week ahead here. This d
To permit the absorption OF the lu.
bricant. half tailow and half com.
pound. \ lew DAYS before the launch.
ing az much as possible of the falls,
work ~ taken from the ships era.
de Then all that In necessary q
start her down the ways rs the knock
ing out Of q few blocks to trip the
starting mechanism.
Flfty men arc used 10 displuct
these blocks. They must work evenly
To release both sides of the ship al
once. when the blocks . "a the
fellow begins to do is work. II In.
snrcn "a minimum of friction between
the sliding and the permanent Ways
gnd the neutI tiizing OF that friction
IN a manner that permits Of q
smooth, ever passage of the ship int.
the water
Each ship constructed here rests ot
a series OF blocks running her entr,
length m each supporting o weight
OF titeen tons An elaborate fret
work OF timbsTing and steel rod re-
Enforcement IL necessary 10 prevent