Grand Forks herald., 1918-11-07
BUILD 1000 TON
ship Less THAN
EIGHTEEN DAYS
Aberdeen Yards Establish
New Worlds Record for
This Type Of Boat.

Aberdeen, Wash, NoN. 6.-An-
nouncement by the Gray's Harbor
Motorship corporation Of Aberdeen Of
the completion Of 1000 ton dead
weight wooden ship from kesl 70
water in IL 1-2 working days estab-
lished officially world record for this
type and tonnage Of vessel either Of
steel or wood, according to the o16c-
ials Of the plant.
Work on the vessel was begun Sept
9, and at that time the officials Of the
company expressed the belief that
they would complete the ship and
have 1t equipped. with steam UP and
ready for the government in IS days.
Several records were chung up." the
officials said, in the construction Of
the speed ship" as tho yard workers
called it The keel was laid in ten
seconds. The best previously recorded
time was II seconds. The frame Of
the ship was constructed In IA fewer
framing crew in q single day put in
ten more frames than any other crew
had ever done in q similar length Of
time.
Eight days after the ship was be-
gun, the workers already had gained
21 hours on their IS day schedule.
According to W. r. Patterson, an
official Of the shipbuilding corporation,
the company put the first wooden
ship into the water for the govern
ment, although 81 contracts had been
let, before the company received its
contract.
This yard differs from many wood
en- shipbuilding establishments In that
its ships are turned out completely
equipped for service; engines and
boilers being furnished and installed
by the local company.
The company has Its own eawInill,
and saws its timber within the yard.
There are eight ways and tho ships
turned out are Of the company's own
design, under plans drawn by n. r.
Ward, the manager.
An interesting feature TO the visitor
is the worker in the yard and the
wages he receives. Two thousand men
in three shifts are employed by the
company and this number Is being
added to as fast as men can be OBJ
tained. Altogether these men receive
100000 week.
Following an appeal Of the COM
pany for more men, more than one
hundred business and professional
men OF Aberdeen went to work In the
yards after the days business. For
the most part these men clean up
about the ships and yards during the
two night shifts. For this they re-
ceive $40 a shift. Most of this
money is either donated to the Red
Cross or invested in Liberty bonds and
war savings stamps.
The Grant-Smith- Porter shipyard
is another local establishment which
has made records. For two consec-
utive months 1t has won the coveted
blue pennant Of the United States
Emergency Fleet corporation, award
ed to the shipyard showing the great
est speed, most efficiency and best
workmanship.
Disloyalists may not work in this
yard. Winning Of tho two pennants,
according to II. T. Hall, superintend-
ent, has put the men on their mettle
and they will not stand for, agitators.
The loyal legion composed Of woQd and
rid the> yards and woods Of disloyal
men.
AS a aresult Of this Loyalty, tho
Grant-Smith-Port yard has shown
speed unforeseen months ago. At the
beginning Of construction it was be-
ieved the yards would do we'll to
launch eight ships by January 1, 1919,
from the Aberdeen yards.
Already ten have been turned over
to the government and It il estimated
four more at least will be delivered
before January. This yard has four
ways, employs 1850 men in three
shifts and plans to put q ship into the
water AZ days after the keel is laid. A
school for training new men as spe-
cialists in the various crafts is main
tanned, thus obtaining never-ending
supply Of labor. for speed" is the
watchword Of the yards. and to have
that the men must be trained.
u.-.,s m.... p-,-- 80, !