Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-18
HOUSTON YARDS
TOBUlDSHlPS
FOR GOVERNMENT
Boats Will be Constructed
On Waterway that Former
~ Was insignificant.

Houston. Texas, Oct. 18.-Forty-
one vessels, including ten barges, nave
been contracted for with the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation by W COM
panies of Houston and all are TO De
built on a water way that only a few
years ago would not accommodate an
ocean-going vessel. u
Seven ships have already been
launched, -four by the Universal Ship
building company and three by the
Midland Bridge company; eight more
are under construction at the yards or
each of the two concerns, and n
Universal holds contracts for eight
more ships, while the Midland COM
pany has contracted for ten barges.
Within one year after the program
OF the Emergency Fleet Corporation
went into effect, Houston, located IN a
section where former efforts along
this line were confined to a few small
pleasure craft n an occasional
barge, began launching ships.
1t was in April of this year that the
first vessel built of southern yellow
pine under government contract
slipped down the ways to the Houston
ship channel. 1t was chrlstened
.sNacogdoches." Since that time the
splendid progress made has been the
subject of favorable comment by Of
1icials of the fleet corporation.
Ships launched at the Houston
yards are towed to Beaumont to re-
ceive their machinery after h finish
ing touches are given h hulls here.
A central assembling yard is located
at that point and. under the direction
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation,
stores of all kinds of material are as
sembled there to be distributed to the
yards. In place of moving machinery
to the boats, the boats are moved to
the machinery.
The infant industry of shipbuilding
in Houston demanded the services OF
some 5000 men within a few weeks
after ground was broken, n the
payroll now amounts to more thar
half a million dollars each month
Special trains carry the army OF
workers to the %shipyards. which are
situated on the channel a few miles
below the turning basis. The ship
builders live in Houston, which is
credited with being n Of the few
cities where. with war work, extensive
housing facilities have not ausee
alarm. Comfortable quarters have
been provided for all.
L. The Universal Shipbuilding com
pany, a local corporation, was organ
lied subsequent to the Fleet Corpora
ton. The Midland Bridge company
a Missouri corporation with head
quarters\ at Kansas City was, prior t.
the present shipbuilding activities, en-
gagged in bridge construction and tn
distribution of structural steel. An
other company is now being organ
lied to establish a concrete plant here
The International Marine Irol
Works is another unit in the ship
building program at Houston. Thi
company manufactures marine en-
gines, boilers; p%ropellers and othe
appliances used in ships, and i
equipped to produce heavy castings
It has contracts for propellers TO,
most of the ships constructed in tn
districe.
Houston, as a lumber center, ha
shared literally in the prosperit
which has resulted in that industr
. from the use of southern yellow pin
in shipbuilding. Approximately 2
per cent of the total production o
southern saw mills is handled through
Houston.