The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-08
SUB CHASER NOT
 4 MOTOR BOAT

Detroit, Jan. S.---A long. narrow wedge, with a steel-encased nose of solid concrete tapered to a knife-like edge, forming a considerable part of it's total length of 204 feet. and de- clared to be capable of crushing any submarine---such is the Eagle, built by Henry Ford and designed originally to help rid the seas of the menace of the German U-boats.
 Contrary to popular belief the Eagle is not a motor boat, but an oil-burn- ing, steam turbine-driren craft, with q cruising radius of 5000 miles. The Eagle is not thing of beauty; beau ty was not contemplated in it's con structfon. It is a long, gaunt weapon of war, of all-steel construction with the exception of the concrete nose. Another popular impression that has been shattered is an idea that the Eagle Is equipped with torpedo tubes. The submarine chaser was not intend ed to combat the major instrument of German ruthlessness with it's own weapons. It was designed to depend rather upon the manoeuvering quail ties, it's powerful light guns, and a new American invention for directing llS lire dC unseen GDJcCtS. 1 It's crew including operating and fighting complement numbers approx imately 80 men.
 To the observer. the first impres- sion of the Eagle boat is one of won der that a craft SC narrow can pos sess buoyancy sufficient to keep it up- right in heavy seas. Despite it's lengtf of more than an average city block the craft has a beam Of only % feet and draws when fully equipped less than ten feet Of water.
 It's seaworthiness has been demon. strated in the official trials, accord. ing to reports to the Navy Depart. mont.
 While it is admitted the Eagle doe! not make the speed of the average destroyer. it is claimed that it car outdistance most submarines and tht razor-like edge of the bow, silently but eloquently tells what would have happened had 1t come in contact witt the German undersea pirate.
 Built with utility as it's prime pur pose, seemingly not an inch of spac, Is wasted in the fitting of the vessel and not an ounce of superfuou weight enters it's construction. Wheg dropped into the water ready for tn, installation of its engines, guns, etc. less than 200 tons of material hay, been riyeted together to shape tn, Eagle boat
 The plates that form the shell o the submarine-chasers vary in thick ness from IA to 3-S inch, and not : single. forging or rolled beam enter their makeup. Everything Is pressed from sheet steel metal, cold, by mean of machinery that cuts every piece t. an exact pattern, punches rivet holes and bends the interior part to requires shape.
 Amidshjps rises the deck-hous
 topped by the pflot-house. with radi
 quarters. and above all the connin
 tower with the crows. nest at tn
 highest point, Except for this super
 structure, the deck of the Eagle car
 ries always the stripped for Action
 appearance.
 The first Eagle boat was launche,
 July Il, 1918. and when the armistic
 ended hostilities, early in November
 eight had been completed and 21 oth
 CTS were under construction in vari
 ous stages of completion. Some O these have arrived at Atlantic csas ports.
 Although the sudden cessation o hostiiities deprived the Eagle boats o
 an opportunity to test their proves against the German undersea terrol they are nevertheless to become . part of the American Navy, the gov ernment having announced it's inten ton to use them as gun7boats in coas
 patrol work, and possibly in insula waters.
 The contract for the construction c : the Eagle boats, which the govern : ment has announced vii be carrie
 out, calls for 100 of the vessels for tn 5 United States government, and 1 } for the French navy.
 : American Red Cross is completin . its activities in Italy and will 500 l l transfer it's operations to Austria |