The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-02

new OK, Mar. w nile congress
was getting under way its inquiry into
charges bout extravaganza at the HOG
island shipbuilding yard near Phila-
delphis. and while all the country was
hearing of the governments money be
ing wasted by millions in making the
vast plant ready for turning out part
Of our new merchant marine for COM
batting the submarine menace. a visit
was made to the yard a few days ago
for the purpose of gathering flrst-hand
Information about the place.
The one keel that has been laid ia
not imposing II is. after all, only some
steel bars and plates fastened togeth-
er, in which workmen are putting riv-
cts. But on the platform between the
first and second way one can climb
up on a pile of lumber and look down
the riverside The second way is ready
for its keel, and the third. apd the
fourth. on and on into the distance
rise derricks and towers and cranes
until far away they seem to fuse to-
gether like the far-off skyline OF a city.
Standing there on an elevation between
the first and second ways of the Hog
island shipyard, one sees nothing but
the towering instruments of shIpbuild
lDE 1T WIN DC b6AOtt tHb
fifty ways are ready for shipbunding
all along the line TO begin The
dredges are still working on the deep
wet basin" where the ships will be
completed after they are launched But
already the sight of the great unF1n-
ished thing is tremendous
Hog island is a 700-acre tract of
land just south OF League island. be
tween Philadelphia and Chester, with
a two-mtle frontage on the Delaware
river. The land--for which, accord
ing to the disclosures before the senate
committee on commerce, the govern
mcnt paid $4,000 an acre to an owner
who had held an option at $1,000
year before--was swampy in some
places, high and sandy in others, but
for the most part ii WAS soft. muddy
ground, covered with grasses land
scrubby bush. A photograph dated
October 3o-shows beginning made on
barracks and adplinl&trative buildings,
but not much Clearing of the land, or
noticeable preparation for thorough
trackage and building. The place is
'yeritable beehive now. In his testi-
mony before the senate committee.
George j. Baldwin, vice president of
the holding corporation, complained
that the 5ioethals- Denman controversy
last summer. which had held up the
contract from duly to September, had
greatly delayed the Hog island work
by pushing 1t into the winter months.
Through all of this Is no sign OF
shin building. There is no sound of
steel work or hammer of rivets. There
Is no sight of the Delaware. Far off
looks as If 1t must be half way back
Ito Philadelphia---one catches sight of
the towers OF derricks standing up
out of all this chaos-for chaotic Il
ar is 1t Is chaotic because 1t Is not
finished and because SO many things
are being done at once. II looks
cha otto too, because it is so big, and
so busy. and because the roads and
railways seem to run every way at
once.
1t il a long distance from the en-
trance of the workmen's town TO the
second wire-topped board fence di-
vlding this half OF the plant from the
shipyard itself. Another inspection or
passes must be made at the inner gate.
One enters the inner yard. passes
great warehouses, others in course of
construction, one finished building AL
most all of glass, where the ship tenn
plates are made, and the sites for
other similar buildings, brick strpc-
ture that is the bank" great many
buildings going up for various pur-
poses. a few others completed There
are more railroad tracks now, some
of ordinary width and some narrow
gauge. There is the poise OF steel
work. the shifting OF engines. One
comes down TO the ways Every
where are lights and refiectors for