Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-23
PROMOTES HEALTH
Of SHIP WORKERS
Uncle Sam Will Adopt Ideas
Learned at Panama
Canal.
EXPERTS AT EACH YARD
Numerous New Plants Spring
Up Along Atlantic and
Gulf Coasts.
EXPERTS AT EACH YARD
ny JAMES II. COLLINS.

4 little new shipyard iii your town
IN the starting of something ;lslc
100 brand-new shipbuilding enterprises
the past year. and the enlargement Of
others. Uncle Sam hss dropped ship
ways and shipbuilders into man. a
community around our coasts and start
ed thriving new industry. II you.
town got one of these yards. probably
you feel good about the new activity.
the new jobs for workers. the new
pay roll putting money in circulation.
But your now shipyord is going to
circulate something more than Uncle
SANS moncy-it will also bring you
his ideas OF sanitation and health.
When Uncle Sam tackled the ram
anna Canal job he began at the sani-
tation end.
When he planned his draft army and
built the environments. sanitation was
likewise the first consideration
And in building ships. Uncle sam
holds to what he found made for
success in building I canal and train
ing an army.
Through the United States Shipping
Boards department of health AMI sani-
tation, under Lieutenant Colonel Philip
:. Doane, every shipyard is bcug SUI
as communities adjacent 10 the skip
Yards. In mos cases. as we shall sec.
it means radical. reforms in health
regulation and community spirit.
Some weeks ago, at a little shipyard
recently set down in rather sleepy
Atlantic coast town. an outbr rak OF
dys"ntery waS reported among ship
yard workers. about 100 of them hav-
ing suddenly come down with the
malady. The Shipping Board had a
sanitary engineer on the job imine-
diately. making an investigation in CO.
operation with the state board OF
health. 1t was found that, while ;he
drinking water supply used in tho
yards was entirely pure, being chlcri-
mated, there was a temporary water
supply for concrete mixing, In which
polluted river water was used, Work
men had drunk from the concrete wa
ter supply. despite warning signs. .As
the best way Of eliminating all chances
in the matter, the sanitary engineers
arranged tor purifying the concrete
water, too. using chloride OF lime to
make it safe TO drink.
DAUGHERTY TYPE
ORIGINATED IN TEXAS
in shipbuildng. and numerous new
yards have sprung up around the Gulf
and South Atlantic coast. The Daugh-
crty type of wooden ship, just adopted
rs official by Uncle Sam. because 1t is
larger than the famous Ferris type.
and can also be built with smaller
timbers and less lumber. originated in
a Texas shipyard.
The South is building ships, and its
shipyard enterprise Is bringing new
standards OF sanitation to many
Southern town.
Uncle Sam steps In as soon as the
shipyard gets busy, looks into santa
lion. and perhaps finds open privys,
pigs IN the street, undrained swamp
lands and other bad conditions. Until
the new shipyard came. people in that
town hadn't thought much about sani-
tation. When good sanitary practice
is pointed out to them. however, and
its Importance IN building ships ex-
planned. community spirit rises TO ship
building spirit in every case. and Il
cleanup campaign begins.
BAD CONDITIONS
NOT ALL IN SOUTH
Nor is 1t entirely in the Southern
Cine OF the oldest communities in New
England. and a place OF considerable
population. was found 10 be without
health officer. have dangerous open
sewers, lack garbage collection and be-
low good health standards in other
ways. When an Old shipyard in that
towns was rehabilitated. Uncle Sam
said Clean up And the town has
responded.
The Pacific coast threw its energy
into shipbuilding TO such good purpose
that it launched the first merchant
ships and made the first shipbuldinS
records. Likewise, in its eagerness
10 build ships. the Pacific coast occa-
sionally overlooked good sanitation.
One yard in that locality was handi-
capped by sickness. Workmen were
hired. only to quit. and during a single
week the superintendent OF steel con-
struction, the foreman riveter and tn.
foreman of the plato shop were all laid
up in hospitals and their places were
being filed by assistants just recover
ing from attacks of disease.
III this goes on much longer said
the superintendent. we will have TO
change our name from the Blank
Company to the Blank
Sanitarium Investment Company"
Inspection showed that the yard
lacked sanitary toilets and equipment
for serving the men warm meals. u
had too small a number of drinking
fountains and was inadequate In other
ways. Moreover, a large city sewer
which ran over the tide fats near tho
shipyard was broken open. making easv
the spread OF disease through flies. The
shipyard company had called the az
tention OF the nearby city to the bad
condition OF Its sewer. only to he told
that no city funds would he available
for repairing the break until July.
When Uncle Sam stepped in through
the Shipping Board. hacked by the
authorities. who refused TO (.
detail soldiers to guard that shipyard
until the sewer was repaired. there
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