The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-08
204-F0Ot Vessels Began to Drop Into
Water With Regularity July IL
Powerful Little Craft

Water With Regularity July ii
Powerful Little Craft
Detroit, Aug. with the launch
ling of Eagle-1, the first of the feet of
submarine destroyers being built by
Henry Ford for the United States
Navy, detailed information concern
ing the construction, purposes and
possibilities of this newest naval
weapon became public for the first
time. The general belief that the
boats were little more than exagger-
ated launches, equipped with light
guns, was dispelled when the vessel,
2O4 feet long, larger than the old type
of United States destroyers, was
dropped into the waters of River
Rouge by great mechanism operat-
ed by hydraulic pressure. Tabulated
J by dates the story Of the Eagle is
this:
Dec. %, 1917-Henry Ford offered
to build boats for the navy.
Dec. Discussed plans with
Washington officials.
Jan. Is, 191S-Navy department
awarded Ford Company contract for
Eagles.
Jan. 1S-Work on design of Eagles
completed.
Jan. 26-First piece for poat was
completed.
Feb. Keel for first Eagle was
laid.
Feb. Reconstruction of the ship
building plant began.
March Hull of the first Eagle
was completed.
May 10-Work on the construction
Of Eagles was begun in shipbuildine
plant.
June 15-Several boats were assem-.
bled.
July 1.-THE first completed boa!
was launched.
The Eagles are within thirty fee
OF approximating the length Of the
standard $500 ton wooden ships be-
ing built for the Emergency Flee
corporation.
Viewed from above deck the Eagle
is much more like founder than {
, mackerel. It's midship cross-sectior
bears strong likeness to the lines
of canal barge It's stern is square
J and brunt. The remainder of TIL
|ship is built generally in straigh
lines and plain surfaces. The bow
however, tapers to knife-like edge
seemingly sharp enough and, stronl
\ enough literally to cut a submarine
D in two.
Except for the high deck hous
and the bridge a little forward amid
ships, the deck of the Eagle is un
broken. Utility has been the ruin,
consideration, with low cost produc
Ltion second in importance, and witt
: beauty and comfort only incidentals
The Eagles are built to pass easil.
through the Welland canal and tn
boats draught and beam are als'
small enough to permit the boats
passing through the New York stat
barge canal. The boats will have {
draw of eight feet when full.
Equipped and ready for sea. A steam
turbine, geared to the propeller shat
on which is mounted a single three
blade screw of rather deep pitch, fur
nishes the motive power. Crude OF
:. will be used as fuel. The tank ca
: pacity is easily sufficient for a steam
ing radius equal to the distanc
: across the Atlantic.
i There is not forging or role
beam in the entire ship. Eyerythin
| is pressed from sheet metal cold, b
| means of automatic machinery tina
| cuts every piece to an exact patterf
then punches the rivet holes an
| bends every part to its require
| shape.
| After the launching of the frs
| Eagle, Mr.. Ford said: II am, G
| course delighted at this initial sue
| cess, but | knew 1t would be all RICH
| When you have task like this. en-
trusted to men who know their bus
| ness, It can't go wrong. left ther
| alone-but watched all of the time
| "There's no use making unneces
| sary fuss over little launching
| We've got lot more back in tn
| cbons nearlv ready to follow Eagle l.