The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-10-18
by FREDERICK VI. KERRY
O.. r.. a. Staff Correspondent
Prs,rd by L. ;. Crnsorl


DETROIT. Mich. Oct. iS.-Turn-
ing out warships as they were
fllvvers Is success.
Henry Ford told Secretary OF the
Navy Daniels he would do Il. when
he undertook the contract for the
frs. 100 Eagle boats-the new
si,br,arine chascrs designed by the
navy department. That was last
January. Before long the plant
which was designed. built and put
into operation in less than six
months. hopes 10 be dropping
Eagles into the water at the rate
o. one a day. Dropping" Is the
eorrec, term. they are not launched.
The River Rouge plant OF the
Ford Motor company, where ! spent
the day inspecting the production
Of the new navy boats. IL called a
shgpyard. II looks Ike vaEs
factory: and It Is In fact a steel
fabncatlng, assembly. and equip
Yncnt plant.
Built on Moving Platforms
These boats are built on moving
platforms. conveyed on wheels
thev are made OF steel parts fabri.
Gated In endless quantity and put
together with rivets; they are
wheeled out to the waters edge.
placed on a platform operated BY
hydraulic jacks. and platform ana
ali Is let down into the water and
the ship fIoated away. II Is the
theory OF "filvyer" production ap-
Piled TO ships.
Secretary Daniels called Henry
Ford TO Washington last January
TO ask him II he would undertake
the lob of building the new Eagles.
Ford saw no reason why ships
could not be built In quantity like
automobiles. 50 the contract was
signed January II.
Plant Built I'm Three Weeks
Within "a hours plans were being
drawn, and details OF the buildings
worked out. The site on which
the great plant stands was partly
under water IL was filled; the
river was dredged. canal was cut
TO the factory doors, and work be
gun on the buildings.
The fabrication shop was built In
three weeks. Long before the
1.700foot assembling building was
finished. the fabrication shop wss
producing plates. angles. channels.
etc. so that the first ship could be
begun as soon as the assembling
plant WAS ready.
The first complete Eagle" went
into the water July 10. Eighteen
ships are under way now. In a
few days there will be 81 on the
ahipwaya-the capacity Of the plant.
Before long a ship a day will 20
into the water.
Laid Out systematically
These boats should not be con.
fused with the ii-footers--th the origi-
nal submarine chasers. These are
far larger and more powerful yes.
sels. They are, in fact, halfway
between the chaser" and the de
str0yer" type. zoo feet long and of
800 tons displacement.
The plant IL laid out systemati.
cally. so that the steel Is fed into
one end while at the other com
pleted boats. with naval crews
SthtF HAFAFR ffh bARBN'-n AbRAi ~
sail away TO the Atlantic Across
from It is the Navy Department.
cantonment, where the naval crews
70 mgn the ships are being trained
5000 Are Employed
More than 5000 men are at work
now. The Vista Of ships on tho
platforms. with the three nearly
completed hulis far away at the
lower doors. and the three lines
tsperlng down until at the upper
end OF the line only the keel and
skeleton ribs represent the ships.
conveys a clear idea OF the plan Of
the whole thing. One can actually
see these boats creeping forward
day by day 20 their places in the
fleet that IL hunting the C.boats.