Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-14
.f0RD'S DESTROYERS ' SOON To BE IN WAR
2H.F0Ot U.BOat ChaSerS Are Expect. ed to Help Sweep Seas
 Clear.

| Detroit. August 13-With the laun- ching of Eagle-1, the first of the l fleet of submarine dcstroyers being
 Ibnilt by Henry Ford for the United l States Navy, detailed information con- corning the construction, purposes 1 and possibilities of the newest weapon became public for the first time. The general belief that the boats were lit- tie more than exaggerated launches. equipped with light guns, was dispell- ed when the vessel, 204 feet long,
 larger than the old type of United States destroyers, was dropped into the waters of River Rouge by great
 mechanism operated by hydraulic pressure. Tabulated by dates the story of the Eagle is this: December 22, 1s17-Henry Ford of- fers to 'biuld boats for the navy. December 27. 1917-iscussed plans with Washington officials. January 15' 191S-Navy department awarder Ford Company contract for Eagles.
 ! January 1S-Work on design of Ea- gles completed.
 was completed.
 ECUl t-NCtl IOI lIISJ f.dSlG was laid.
 February 2O-Construction of the 1shipEllilding plant began.
 March Hull of the first Eagle was completed.
 May 10.-Work on the construction of Eagles was begun in shipbuilding plant.
 June 15-Several boats were assem- bled.
 July 11-First completed boat launched.
 The Eagles arewithin thirty feet of approximately the length of the stand l ard $500 ton wooden ships being built !! for the Eemegency Fleet Corpora ton. Viewed from above deck, the Eagle is much omre like a founder than a l mackerel. It's midship crcss-section bears a strong likeness to the lines | of canal barge. It's stern is square and blunt. The remainedr of the ship | is built generally in straight lines and l plane surfaces. The bow, however, 1 tapers to a knifelike edge, seemingly 1 sharp enough and strong enough lit | erally to cut a submarine intwo.
 Except for the high deck house and | the bridge little forward amidships, | the deck of the Eagle is unbroken Utility has been the ruling considera- tion, with low cost production second 1 in importance, and with beauty and l comfort only indidentals.
 The Eagles are built to pass cas- fly through the Welland Canal and the l boats draught and beam are also l small enough to permit the boats passing through the New York state 1 barge canal. tThe f,oats will have a draw of eight feet when fully equip ped and ready for sea. A steam tur bine, geared to the lpropellor shaft on which is mounted single three blade screw of rather deep pitch. fur nishes the motive power. Crude oil 1 will ibeused as fuel. hTe tank is cas- lily suicient for steaming radius equal tothe distance across the At lantic.
 There is not forging or rolled 1 beam in the entire ship. Everything ] is pressed from sheet metal, cold, by means of automatic machinery that l cuts every piece to an axact pattern. then punches the rivet holes and 1 blends every part to its required shape.
 After launching the first Eagle Mir. Ford said: ''I am, of course delighted at this initial success, but I knew it would be all right When you have a task like tthis, entrusted to men who know their business, it can't go 1 wrong. left them alone-but watch el all of thetime.
 "There's no use making unneces- sary fuss over little launching. We've got lot more hack in the 1 shops nearly ready to follow Eagle l."