Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-12

pairs too technical to be done by tho
ships crew. ....
The machinery division made repairs,
big and little, to thlrty-eieht transports
and auxiliaries. They manufactured
boilers, installed propelling machinery
fitted ships with the standard oil-burn-
ing equipment. They overhauled ma
chinery, rewound motors, put in bear
ings and batteries on about fifteen sub
marines. They tuned up and generally
made shipshape mechanically twenty-six
submarine chasers and performed similar
services for various scout patrolboats
|. All the work was rush-order work. es-
pecially that on the transports. The big
ships that ferried troops across the sea
could spend little time at the repair
docks. So it was a matter of three
shifts day, and In n pinch these shifts
overlapped, men working from twelve to
sixteen hours. .-
The great shops of the division took
care of every need that arose. Patterns
we're made In the yards own pattern
shops; castings came from a foundry
that was part of the plant; new parts
we're machined and finished at still other
shops and sent direct to the mechanics
waiting TO install them. Coppersmith 8
shops, electrical shops, factories. big ana
little, served the experts who set UP the
machinery. The new foundry makes
practically all the propellers used In the
navy
Not the least important work or the
division had to do with radio installa-
ton Most Of the navy's radio work was
done at League Island. In addition. raoio
gangs were sent to other ports to install
radio sets on merchant vessels.
Men for the Oil Burners
Under the machinery division comes
also the fuel oil testing plant, directed
by Commander A. NJ. Penn. Testing
fuel for our oil burners Is only part OF
their job OF equal Importance Is the
school conducted there to train experts
o serve on oil-burning craft Thou
sands of men were sent out during the
war after six weeks of intensive train
ing, to serve on our oil-burning Destroy
ers and battleships. So important was
this phase of the work that Rear Ad-
miral Palmer, chief of the Bureau OF
Navigation. wrote to Commander Penn
that "the bureau considers that your
efficient efforts have materially con-
tributed TO Che results which have
brought such high praise to the Navy
Department" The praise was from Sir
| Eric Geddes, First Lord Of the British
| Admiralty.
And word about the spirit of the
thousands of workmen who made pos
sible the yards fine performance in thu
war. When the I. W. W. agitation was
at it's height they signed pledge oi
allegiance and sent 1t with a committee
Of thirty of their fellows to Secretary
| Daniels. He took the committee to NEE
| President Wilson, and the President wat
80 impressed with the loyalty of the mer
at the yard that he referred to thei
patriotic pledge in his next communica
ton to Congress. A fine type of work
men. these at the yard, many of then
the sons and grandsons of old Philadel
phia shpbuiiders.
No Interruption Expected
The Philadelphia Navy Yard looks fol
no interruption Of its activities becaus
| oS the cessation Of the war. The air
craft factory, Of course. has put tn
brakes on production. But the grea
building program outlined by the Nav.
Department promises to keep every maj
now employed at the yard busy indef
initely. 1t is even possible that mex
spring the working force will have to b.
augmented.
Rear admiral Hughes, commandan
of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, look
for prosperous times ahead, and new