Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-09
Morrison Sees Concrete Ship Made

J. D. Morrison, OF Retnbeck, had an
interesting experience in California. He
writes Of seeing a concrete ship actual
ly being made in a San Francisco ship
yard. His letter follows:
Redwood City, Cal, March 4, 1918,
Editor Times Republican,: Is there
such a thing in existence las a large
sized ocean going ship built OF con-
crete? How many of your readers
could answer this question correctly?
We have all read that concrete boats
have been built in Norway and that
they are going to be built" in America
in large numbers by various concerns
and in divers places. A lot OF guess
| work and mis-information has been
published in regard to this new type OF
boat and much interest and curiosity
aroused. Thru a friend who Is inter-
ested in the ship building business
twas enabled to meet the people who
are actually building Reinforced con-
crete ship of 5000 tons burden-not
going to- do it at some uncertain time
in the future. | visited their plant and
inspected this strange craft from stem
to stern and from deck to keel. In ad-
dition to this l secured the first author
lied interview her designers have ever
given to newspaper man. Answering
my first question, l will say that no
large sized sea- going concrete boat has
ever been built and that the one I am
describing is in a class by itself. A
few small barges for inland waters and
a $50 ton seagoing boat have been
built in Norway. No previous attempt
has been made to build a large ship of
concrete and this American vessel will
be real pioneer-the first of her kind.
1t is a long jump from $50 ton
ship to one of 5000 tons. The lay
man will appreciate this when he
iearns-as | did-that the strain on
vessel increases as the square or It's
length That means that a 300 foot
vessel must be nine times as strong as
one that is 100 feet long. No one knows
what 5000 ton concrete ship will do
in a heavy sea for the very good rea-
son that no such ship is in existence. 1t
is safe to say that no one but an
American engineer would have had
the courage to design such a vessel
and only American capitalists would
have financed such venture.
The story Of this epoch making en-
terprise is here told for the first time
as it was given to me by Mr.. Alan Mac
Donald of the firm OF Macdonald and
Kahn. Of San Francisco. the designers
Of this new tangled craft.These gentle
men know the concrete game from end
to end. having constructed over s5,-
000. 900 worth Of re-enforoed concrete
buildings and bridges in the past FIVE
years Being anxious to do their bit
TO help solve the great problem of
ships these gentlemen brought their
experience and technical knowledge to
bear upon it and these were soon en-
bodied in a set of plans for a 5000
ton freight steamer. These plans were
submitted to Mr.. Couyn. who Is q
large ship owner and a shipping man
OF many years experience. Hr. Comyn
was favorabfy impressed - the new
idea and showed his faith In tho judy
ment Of tho designers by Anme6fateiy
Offering to invest 100000 In = ship to
be built according to the design sub
mitted Not only this. but be went
among his friends in the shipping trade
and N torty-eigh hours ne had raised
81 900 600 with which to finance the new
enterprise. The San Francisco Ship
building Company was at once organ
lied, a suitable water front secured,
and work begun on a vessel mat may
revoiut1onize the shipbuf1ding industry
and also prove tod b. one OF the great
est factors in winning the war.
One Of the strong points in favor OF
this type of ship is that it doesn't inter-
fere with either steel or wooden ship
building in any way. In the first place
It requires no structural steel and in
the second place neither steel workers
nor ship carpenters are needed. House
carpenteds to build the form and COM
mon labor to handle the concrete COM
prise the entire force. Nor is any
investment necessary TO provide ship
yards. A concrete mixer is the only
machine needed and a water front
large enough to build a vessel is all the
yard required. The largest piece OF
steel in the vessel Is IL inches square
and other sizes down to y inch are
used.
Near the outside Of the hun net
ting made Of No. S wire and having a
six inch mesh, is used to prevent sur
face cracks in the concrete. The outer
shell OF the ship is four inches thick
and is reinforced with steel rods Of