davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Machinery for 500
Is Already Assured

Taking it for granted that corr
crete ships are successful, 'a'
United States could, by starting u
at once, probably build 500 OF tnsu
within twelve months, and possiO,
several hundred within the cufre'.
calendar year. Machinery for svs
or 500 3,500-ton boats is assured.
the average size were to be o'vVS
tons, not so many ships couia !.
equipped with power this year. pu'
the total tonnage would be as gfea'
BY beginning now just as II w
were as sure Of the concrete snip s'
we are of the steel ship we stanu :.
add several millions of tons 10 ~.
shipping resources this year, anu y.
next year we shall be in shape .
build them in such numbers tna'' :.
conjunction with the ten or s"e''.
million steel tonnage we may 'A
realize, the submarines greaseS
possible inroads would be c0p'
parative trifle.
Before we knew whether we nss
picked a winner or not, we nl's''
invest many millions of doi'a.s
They might be lost. We might No., !,
to scrap half-built plants. bus i,
we should pick a winner we w0s.
have saved not only those half-na,.
utes that General Foch does IS SIS
disdain to mention, but half w
and, perhaps, the world.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Photo Kadel & Herbert
A concrete ship after it has righted
itself, but before the water is

ing Company of Moss, Norway, last
year, and proved successful after
severe ocean trials.
The same company has completed,
or is about to complete, 3,000-ton
oceangoing ship, and is now offering
to contract for 5000 and 4,000ton
ships. Concrete barges are building
in France by the hundreds. Concrete
yachts have been built in Massachu-
setts and at Chicago. British naval
architects are reported to be offering
to build and guarantee concrete
ships. A 200-ton motor lighter was
put into service by the Porsgrund
Cement Casting Works, Porsgrund,
Norway, last summer, and a nine
foot model of this boat was turned
over to the United States Bureau of
Standards for study-the study that
led the Emergency Fleet Corporation
to create it's concrete shipbuilding
division. A 300-ton ship is almost
ready at Montreal for lake service
Finally, there are the 700-ton barges
built and building by the Louis L.
Brown Company, Inc, of New York,
and the 4,500-ton ship on San Fran
cisco Bay mentioned above.
Test Still Needed
On Ocean Conditions
From an examination of all the
data relating to the concrete vessels
in service, it appears that practice
has long since demonstrated their
suitability for protected waters in al
most any size and for ocean-going in
small size. There remains only the
testing Of large self-propelled ships
under ocean-going conditions. The
San Francisco ship will soon supply
the missing link.
The Shipping Board is in no way
responsible for the last named ship
but is prepared to reimburse the
owners for her injury or destruction
in submitting to such tests as it may
suggest, and has watched her prog
ress with the greatest interest. II
has given provisional contracts te
the Liberty Shipbuilding Company
of Boston; the Foughner American
Steel Concrete Shipbuilding Com
pany, of New York, and the Ferro
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Shipbuiider Says
No Limit Can Be
Put on Dimensions
By Mic. K. Tongner

Foremost builder of concrete ships,
aUho has come to america to build
them here.)
Concrete ships can be built with ma
terials and labor that at the present
time are not required in other ship
building. In other words, by building
concrete ships we add tonnage with
out depriving the steel shipbulding
yards of their skilled mechanics, with
out depriving them of the structural
steel manufactured in the shops for
building steel ships, without depriving
the wood ship builders of the heavy
lumber required for building wood
ships, without making use of the
skilled ship carpenters necessary for
the wood ship construction.
Concrete ships are built with mate
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10

ships that are now being started I'M
der contract with the Shipping
Board, the 4,500-ton concrete ship
that the San Francisco Shipbuilding
Company expects to launch at Red
wood City, San Francisco Bay, next
Thursday, will have been proved a
success or a failure. In the former
event the proposed concrete ship
yards could be rushed to completion,
contracts could be let for hundreds
of boats of the new type and but
little time would be lost.
So far as engineers can foresee,
there is nothing to preclude the sue
cess of the concrete ship. The situ-
alton is that, while hundreds of con-
crete barges and other small vessels
have been successful, no large ship
of concrete has ever been completed
and tried out. The technical side of
concrete ship construction has been
worked out in the greatest detail. In
fact, it was not until that had been
done that the Shipping Board Gre
atcd a division of concrete construc-
ton, began to draft plans for a
standard 3,500-ton boat, and even
committed itself to provisional con-
tracts, in which it stands part of
the expense of the experimental
boats in the event of their failure.
Except for the element of size, there
is already large amount of empiri-
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10

good, while s,insect life Ga constant
source of worry in wooden vesscls) is
eliminated.
The great disadvantage is the large
additional light weight of the vessel.
in comparison with that of a steel ship
of the same size.
1t is in vessels of moderate size, say
up to a maximum of $50 feet in length
and 1000 tons dead weight, that ferro
concrete will be found to be a suitable
material, the reason for this being that
in large steel vessels the amount of
steel used in the construction has
been reduced to the minimum which
recognized authorities consider con-
sistent with safe working stress on
the material.
There is, therefore, little nroba-
bility that in vessels much above the
size indicated ferro concrete will be
cmplOyed
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Hundreds Can Be Built
Without Dra.uing on
Men, Material or the
Engines Needed for
Regular Programme

By Theodore M. knappen
TT TAKES an idea a long time
to gain momentum.
A Frenchman built con-
crete rowboat in 1849. 1t is still
in use.
Hundreds of concrete vessels of
various kinds have been built in re-
cent years. But the engineering and
marine worlds have not yet made up
their minds whether concrete ships
are feasible.
Late in December the United
States Shipping Board established
department of concrete ship con-
struction and began to feel it's way.
1t is still feeling. The inertia of
the conservatism to be overcome is
tremendous. The engineers are cal
cUating and conjecturing, and pro-
visional contracts have actually been
let to three companies, the general
provision being that if the first ship
is successful the companies will be
authorized to proceed with consider
able numbers.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10

it cannot be met under existing condi-
tions, but the use of concrete will give
us many more ships and a greatly in
creased rate of production without in
any way interfering with the ship
building programme already under way.
To be effective this work must be un-
dertaken at once.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10

cious venture instead of waiting
weary months for four or five trial
ships.
1t is conceivable that this country
can build 500 five-thousand ton con-
crete ships in about twice the time
that a few pioneers will require.
They would cost, exclusive of ma
chinery and fittings, about $400,000,-
000-say about 100000 all told.
The Shipping Board, mindful of
the relative failure of the wooden
ship programme; mindful Of Con-
gress; mindful Of public opinion and
technical conservatism, dare not
take the responsibility of this mag
nifcent gamble-a -the-war
gamble. 1t has taken the initiative.
IL has discovered that the chances
strongly favor the complete success
of the concrete ships. The country
and Congress must take the grand
responsibility for large "ante" on
this S5OO,00O.0OO if they want to feel
that they have done everything
within their power to bridge the At
lantic, to answer the appeal of Gen.
eral Foch:
Need to Hurry
Is Imperative
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Do
not waste even half minute!"
What is even half a billion if it is
to determine the issue of the war or
whether the issue is to be fought out
in America instead of Europe?
Hurry, or there may be no place for
US to land troops in Europe! Itmay
be all German!
Inquiries at the offices of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation give
the gratifying information that even
with all the strain that has been put
on them the boiler and engine manu-
facturers of America can "come
through" this year with power for
the propulsion of the five hundred
concrete ships.
Cement men and workers in con-
crete say these ships can be built.
Next year, if there still be time for
shipbuilding, we might turn out two
thousand concrete ships. If these
were of 5000 tons each, instead of
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Can Be Built
Quicker Than Steel Boats

1t is rat-proof, rot-proof, rust.
proof and inimical to barnacles and
other marine growths. 1t does not
require frequent and expensive
painting and is easily and cheaply
repaired.
Concrete ships can be built in
quantities more rapidly than Steel
Their cost is probably not more than
| two-thirds of steel, and may be very
much less. 1t is even less than that
of wooden ships. They will prob.
ably last thirty-fvc years, as
against twenty-five years for steel
ship. AS such a ship is practically
a monolith, it will not be as leaky
as a steel ship, and injuries will be
localized. AS a concrete ship con.
sists principally of cement, sand
and gravel, their chief building ma.
terial is usually available near BY
The reinforcing steel rods, meshes
etc, do not draw on the kind Of
steel required for steel ships. Such
wood as is needed will not interfere
with the progress of the wooden
ships. The workmen are simply the
same class of labor as is used in
building edifices of concrete. Very
little highly skilled labor is required
Hence the concrete ship is practical
ly drawn from new sources Of labor
and material. It can be built IN
quantities without interfering with
the present wood and steel pro-
grammes.
Z The yards for the building Of
these two classes of boats are now
so numerous that to start any more
has the effect of delaying the Others
for there is limit to the quantity
of labor and material for them. AS
suming that we are now planning
for the uttermost limit of steel and
wood capacity, which is about the
fact, we have still in concrete ships
an entirely new and almost unlimited
shipbuilding capacity. The Unlteo
States has an immense cement pro-
ducing capacity. and, owing to the
suspension Of building to large ea'
tent during the war, all OF 'ne
cement needed for ships can be sup
piled without interfering with otnef
war business.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Will Build Four
Million Tons This Year

Our present 1913 programme calls
ter 6,oO0,000 tons dead weight. We
built last year about 100000 tons
dead weight. The present prospect
Is that we shall build between 3.O0O.-
0co and 100000 tons this year.
with still d slight hope of the 6,00O,-
600. But the loss figures are given
In registered tonnage. Even if we
complete our 100000 we shall only
make 100000 inroad into the 49,
0OO, 900, On gross tonnage basis.
The absolute limit Of wood and
steel tonnage production is being at
tanned.
Remains only concrete as hope
for still more ships.
There il no immediate hope in con
crete except by taking a great
gamble.
The hazard will consist in start
ing NOW TO build an immense mum.
Der Of ships al an admittedly auda-
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
u. S. Entrance
Requires 100000 Tons

Assume that the destruction and
construction are even, and you still
have that deficit of 4,500,000 tons in
the pre-war supply Of shipping, and
the additional fact that the entrance
Of America into the war has created
an extra demand for at least 5,000,-
COG tons. Remember, too, that owing
to the deterioration of vessels from
infrequency of repairs, the slowness
Of repairing and the retardation of
speed and general lowering of eff
cheney due to the conditions imposed
by the submarine danger, ships are
doing less service than in peace
times. Considering all the factors,
it is not too much to say that the
world ought to have 100000 tons
of new ships this year to provide
that abundance of transportation
that will insure the defeat of Ger
many.
Recent developments show that
war-weary England cannot be relied
upon for more than one-ninth of that
figure. Practically all the rest must
come from the United States.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
oncrete Ships Offer Added Pouer Against U-Boat
Risk Involued IL, Co;np
Ahead Without f.
pertinent Beyond Shin
Boards Po,ver-De.
lay May Be Fatal

Concrete Shipbuilding COMPANY ~
New York. The contract with ~.
first named company is for tr;.l
boat Of $500 tons, the risk be;n,
taken by the company and the eov
ernment on a $3.50 basis. If hi.
first boat be successful, the comnanr
is to have a contract for forty-nins
more, which will likely be of 7.5M
tons. The experimental ship s
building at Brunswick, Ga. The San
Francisco Shipbuilding COMPANY
which is completing the above men.
toned 4,500-ton vessel on its own AZ.
count, is to be awarded a contrast
for a 7,500-ton boat. The Foughne,
company has a provisional contract
with Norwegian shipping interests
for six 8,000-ton boats. The Fern
Concrete Company is building a
3,5OO-ton boat at Redondo Beach
near Los Angeles. Each COMPANY
has a method of it's own, but all usa
ferro-concrete.
The concrete boat, assuming that
it is success, has some disadvant.
ages and some advantages as com.
pared with steel ships. The chief
! disadvantage is that, on account Of
the thickness of its walls, ship Of
a given size will have less cargo
space than a like one of steel. On
the other hand, it will not be 50
heavy. 1t will have a smoother sur.
face, and will therefore not offer
so much resistance to the water
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Outcome Depends
On More Shipping

But the building of these first ex-
perimental ships will take a long
time, and when they are done and
proved and accepted it will take
long time thereafter to get ready for
large scale and rapid production.
Then, when the word is given to
go ahead, the war may be lost.
War is a gamble. We've Ameri-
cans alone-are gambling at the rate
of about twenty billions Of dollars
year that we are going to lick the
Germans. The outcome of the gamble
depends more on shipping than any
other material factor. The food,
munitions, supplies, airplanes, artil-
lery and soldiers that are to win the
war, if it is to be won, are on the
American side of the Atlantic. Only
ships in abundance and in a hurry
will get them across before it be too
late to fight or win the war in
Europe. After that it will be fought
on the high seas and on our own
land. Therefore the need of ships is
supreme.
At present, ordinary causes and
German submarines and mines are
sinking ships faster than they are
building. The most carefully COM
piled figures on this subject show
that since the beginning of the war
the Allied and neutral losses from
German attack have been more than
100000 tons. In the same period
the losses from ordinary causes have
been 100000 tons. During the
same time the world, outside of the
Teutonic countries, has built $780,
900 tons. 1t has appropriated 875,-
600 tons of Teutonic shipping. Its
net, loss, therefore, is not far from
100000 tons. Even with all the
shipbuilding that is now in progress
the submarines are getting away
with somewhat more than is being
built.
New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Scotch Engineer
Says Small Boats
Give Good Results
By Bernard J. Ives

I'm q recent issue of The Glasgow
Herald. Mr.. Iues IS q leading
marine enaineer of Scotland.)
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
CHIEF HARBOR OF MACEDONIA
Named by It's Founder for His Wife.

In the days when St. Paul Addressed his EpiStleS to the ThcSS;' lonianS Sa- lonica was not modern. for i, was built about 515 B. C. on the site of an old rr city called Thcrlne. sa.S tl." Lon don Globe. and was named lw it> founder after hlS wife. a sister of Alex ander the Great It has always beer il place of importance. as il iS the chief harbor of Macedonia. and was point nn the ancient highway from Rome to the East.
 With q few fine. buildings like the nld mosque which had been in turn temple cf Venus and Christian church. it has always been a collec tiOn of houses largely of wood. and. therefore. highly inflammable in the extreme continuous heat of summer.
 The cnnflagration which recently swept away the main part of 1t is not by very many the first experience of the kind fin it's history. one of the most memorable heinz the fire at the beginning of September. lS0O. which did $4.ON,OW worth of damage.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
Bidding for Trouble.

These women certainly do get away with 1t.
 Who would suspect the supreme court of New York having pronounced views on the equality of the sexes? But here Is Justice Golf. comments the St. Paul News. who not only admits that q woman may practice law. hut in- sists that she Is just like other lawyers.
 Mary l.. Lilly rose t" address the court. "Arr you member of the har?" queried the justice.
 "YnS. your honor" the lady replied.
 "Then you should remove your hat. like all other lawyers"
 This little dialogue merely shows that the court values the "wOman's pre- rogntive" of changing her mind. Not many years ago Dr. Mary Walker was in trouble with the courts because she wanted to wear trousers, ''like all other doctors" Now what would Justice Golf decide if Lawyer Lilly carried his advice to logical conclusion and came into court in regular male attire. ''like all other lawyprs?"
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
The Sound of Guns.

Conflicting statements have been made from time tO time as to the dis tnnce at which the guns can he heard. On still night. when an easterly breeze is prevailing. says writer in the Dundee Advertiser. I have heard the dull thud quite distinctly in South London. It Is this disquieting sound. not less than the din of an occasional air raid, which gives Londoners an idea how near the conflict really is. Now records are heinz prepared which show the extent of the distance at which the guns are heard. Scientists at University college declare they can he distinguished at range of 200 miles. This would include places like Warwick. Hull. Croner. Brighton and Weymouth. Sound travels at a rate of about 1,OG0 feet Il second. 30 that the sound of the guns in Flanders reaches London about 12h minutes after the explosions occur.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
NEW YoRK's BURIED WEALTH
Millions ef ooIiars' Worth of Copper, Lead and Other Products De-
 positsd Beneath Streets.

Under the streets of New York city are deposits of copper. lead and other valuable products far exceeding In quantity and value any mine yet dis covered throughout the world. En- gineers and scientists estimate the amount of copper to be found In the boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx at sO. .0O0. 900 pounds. valued approximate ly at $7,50O.OOO The lead Is estimated at 6O.OO0,OO0 pounds. worth something like $4.8OO0O
 This discovery was announced at the electrical exposition at Grand Central palace. where the Consolidated Tele- graph md Electric Subway company had 6 large exhibit showing . full-si1e cross section of one of the city's prin- cipai thoroughfares. In this mammoth cross sectlOn of earth and rock the veins of copper and of lead could be easily traced. Of course. the veins of copper are the wires carrying the cleo tric current for lighting. heating. power and communication to every nook and corner Of the great metropolis. while the lead is used to protect the cables.
 The street crOss section at the cleo trical exposition was 7O. feet long by 2S feet deep. It showed the location of the street railway cOnduitS and rails. electric service suhstatiOn. distributing station. condnits. splicing chambers. with their unique water draining sys- teins and other interesting things that lay beneath the streets of New York and mark the advanced stage of Its civilization. It took a crew of 20 men Il week to construct this interesting exhibit.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
The Soldiers Life.

Sergeant Finnegan was all dressed up and looked 1t. He was stationed at Fort Tilden-which is away among the sand dunes on the far end of ROcka- way Point-and he was going to take a day of, writes camp correspondent.
 "Good-by, fellers." he shouted. Its going to be a cold night. Me for a warm bed at home tonight" And he started on run for the boat waiting at the pier.
 He had got about 25 yards along when he heard: Sergeant Finnegan." The voice was the voice of hts com. pany commander. and the sergeant turned and went back and stood at sa- iute. The captain spoke: s.
 You wifi distribute the underwear this afternoon and bring over the Stovss which arrived at the barracks this. morning"
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
MANY AUTOS ORDERED
 FOR GOVERNMENT

Lieut. H. M. Faust of the local Sig nal Corps division, has five autos or dered for use on the trail by his de- partment the coming year. One will be stationed in Fairbanks, three on the trail at various points equidistant and one in Valdez. This will greatly facilitate the work of the department. and will greatly cheapen it's opera tion, as horsefeed in the interior costs like ten dollar bills.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
ARRIVES LATE
 SATURDAY EVENING

The steamship Alameda arrived from the westward about 4:30 o'clock Saturday evening and sailed south two hours later for Seattle. Those talk ing passage on her from here were: Frank McManus, Agnes Woodward, Geo. Fawcett, Miss D. M. Courtwrght, M. F. Collins. Rev. Fr. van der Pol, Wm. Schauvellis. Wm. Smulling, Geo. R. Hoge, David Miller, jr., J. D. Craw- ford. Frank Winchester for Seattle: Mir. and Mrs. Geo. Harmon for Cor dova.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
Mears Goes fO France

Col. F.. Mears. who has been a mem- Der of the Alaska Railway Commis- sion. since the inception of railroad building, will leave Anchorage in time to catch this trip of the Alaska. and will pass thru here on his way to the States. It is stated that Colonel Mears will raise force of engineers. many of them from Aalaska. and af- ter training them. will go to France
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
FORMER VALDEZAE
 GOES TO THE FRONT

Mrs. H. P. Sullivan has received a former resident of Valdez, dated at Washington. D. C.. in which he states that he is now a member of the Twen- tieth Engineer Corps of the U. S. Army, and at the time of writing was on his way to the front. in France.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
MaripOsa Will be Raised

stated that the wrecked steamship Mariposa would be raised in the spring. provided she was not further dismantled by winter gales. The yes sel is resting easily on the reef. and portions of her are visible at low tide. Heavy southwest gales prevent work on her this winter
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
Sslesmen Wanted

Does your trade use salesboards! We invite correspondence from salea' men who are making their trade rea
 ularly. The most remunerstivs sidf line,--no samples-no collections-7
 Commissions due a soon as order r shipped. We want only drst-class men Enquiries to receive attention must state line carried and how long. class
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07

James Lankin and wife of Anchor age. were thru passengers on the Ala formerly agent for the Alaska Steam +hip Company at Anchorage.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
RED CROSS SUBSCRIPTIONS
 SHOW PATRIOTIC SPIRIT

The sum realized from the Red Cross drive here Christmas week reached s3 cents per capita. Inasmuch as Seattle is boosting over 20 cents per capita, Valdez is away ahead of any of the cities on the coast.
Valdez daily prospector., 1918-01-07
NEARLY EVERY ONE
 JOINED RED CROSS

Dr. Silverman, chairman of the To- cal Red Cross Chapter. reports that practically every man, woman and child in Valdez with but few excep- tions joined the Red Cross during the innate 99 per cent of the population are now members.