The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-01-24
OVER $4oo, 100000 FOR SHIPS.
Whole-hearted Response to Natlons
Call for An Emergency Fleet.

A summary of the main ship
building activities along the Soutn
Atlantic Coast from Maryland to
Texas shows the vast aggregate value
of over s400,0OO,OOo in ships now
building or under contract. About
s175,00O,00O is represented by WorK
in hand at shipyards at Baltimore
and Hampton Roads, or nearly one
half Of the total, leaving S225,OOO-
900 as the amazing sum representing
practically new shipbuilding actlvl-
ties that have sprung up in the South
since the war began, because but a
very limited amount of shipbuildlng
was carried on prior to the war at
any Southern ports but Baltimore
and Newport News.
Now there is not port from
Baltimore to Port Arkansas, Texas
that has not one or more shlpyards
speedily turning out wooden or steel
vessels of varying sizes. At some OF
the main ports enormous expansions
are planned at the older established
wards. while several new plants that
will rank with the country's other
big shipyards are rapidly being
created.
At Baltimore ships are under way
or planned that will cost approxi-
mately 100000, with an indica-
ton for a much wider expansion at
an early date, as some of the large
shipyards have big contracts pending
which are likely to be closed at any
moment. and which will require con-
siderable extension in plant equip
ment to take care of them.
In Hampton Roads, where the
great Newport News shipyard and
the Portsmouth Navy-Yard are
located, and new yards are being
established at Norfolk and Hampton,
work in hand will aggregate over
500, 100000 in value, making this
section what has been aptly termed
the Clyde of America.
At Wilmington, North Carolina 8
main seaport, vessels valued at ST.
100000 are under way. Charleston,
South Carolina, comes quickly to the
front with cnlargements Of its pre-
sent shipyards, the construction OF
a dry dock, and establishment of a new
plant of large size that has contract
for steel fabricated ships valued at
s20,Ooo,OOo.
Georgia furnishes it's quota at the
ports of Brunswick and Savannah,
the former having three plants with
contracts for 80 ships valued at $780,
100000. and the latter six yards,
five Of which have been established
during the past year. In Florida
both Jacksonville and Tampa have
made wonderful strides in shipbulld-
ing from the small yards they had,
and now they have an aggregate OF
work building or under contract that
will total in value over s50,0OO,O0O.
Alabama presents Mobile, which,
with the big plant of the United
States Steel Corporation, promises
to- become one of the greatest ship
building centers in the country, ii
not in the world Here are five
plants already in operation with con-
tracts for over s15,Ooo,ooo worth of
vessels. These will be backed up
by the great shipyards of the Steel
Corporation, which secured 10000
acres for it's plant, and is spending
over s12,00O,0o0 at this point and
over $4,000, 900 at Fairfield to pro-
vide the necessary equipment and
materials to make this one of the
nations greatest shipyards.
Mississippi gives Gulfport, Pasca-
goula and Biloxi, all of which have
made great strides, especially Pasca-
goula, which has contracts for As
ships-30 wooden and Is steel. In
Louisiana there is an important de-
velopment in the New Orleans dis
trict, while all along the Texas coast
great activities are being shown, con-
spicuously at Orange, Beaumont and
Houston, where .shipbuilding has
become an industry of first magni-
tude, with work under way or in
hand which will aggregate many
millions of dollars.
Thus it will be seen practically
every Southern port from the Chesa-
peake Bay to the Rio Grande River
is busily engaged in meeting the de-
mands of the Government for ships
to help win the war; and this con
dition is fulfilling every sense o1