The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-27
FAR FROM PRETTY
But ON THE JOB
EAGLE BOATS KNOW BUSINESS
WE'LL.
Work of Henry Ford
Not Motor Craft as Popularity Be-
ieved for Some Time i'm United
States.

Detroit, Feb. pa long, mar
row wedge, with a steel encased
nose of solid concrete tapered to
knife-like edge, forming considera-
BILE part of it's total length of 204
feet, and declared to be capable Of
crushing any submarine--such is the
Eagle, built by Henry Ford and de-
signed originally to help rid the seas
of the menace of the German u
boats.
Contrary to pupular belief the
Eagle is not a motor boat, but an oil
| burning, steam turbine driven
craft, with cruising radius
of 5000 miles. The Eagle is
not a thing of beauty; beau.
ty was not contemplated in it's con-
struction. 1t is a long, giant weap-
on 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 boat is equipped with tor
pedo tubes. The submarine chaser
was not intended to combat the ma
jor instrument of German ruthless
ness with it's own weapons. 1t was
designed to depend rather upon it's
maneouvering qualities, it's power
full light guns, and a new American
invention for directing it's fire at un-
seen objects.
It's crew including operating and
fighting complement numbers ap-
proximately 80 men.
To the observer, the first impres.
sion of the Eagle boat is one Of WON
] der that a craft so narrow can pos
sess buoyancy sufficient to keep it
upright in heavy seas. Despite its
| length of more than an average city
block, the craft has beam Of only
25 feet, and draws when fully equip
ped less than ten feet Of water.
It's sea worthiness has been dem
onstrated in the official trials, ac-
cording to reports to the navy de-
partment.
( While it is admitted the Eagle
does not make the speed of the aver
age destroyer, it is claimed that it
can outdistance most submarines
and the razor-like edge of the bow,
silently, but eloquently tells what
would have happened had it come in
contact with the German undersea
pirate.
Built with utility as it's prime pur-
pose. seemingly not an inch OF
space is wasted in the fitting Of the
vessel, and not an ounce Of superdu-
Gus weight enters it's construction.
! When dropped into the water ready
for the installation of it's engines,
guns, etc., less than 200 tons Of ma
terial have been riveted together to
shape the Eagle boat.
The plates that form the she'll Of
the submarine chasers vary in thick
ness from 4 to as inch, and not a
single forging or rolled beam en-
t ters their make up. Everything is
pressed from sheet metal, cold, by
means of machinery that cuts every
piece to an exact pattern, punches
rivet holes and bends the interior
part to required shape.
Amidships rises the deck house,
topped by the pilot house, with radio
quarters and above all the coming
tower with the crows nest at the
highest point. Except for this su-
perstructure, the deck of the Eagle
carries always the stripped for ac-
tion" appearance.
The first Eagle boat was launched
July II, 1918, and when the armis-
tice ended hostilities, early in No
vember, eight had been completed
and % others were under construc-
ton in various stages Of completion.
Some of these have arrived at Allan
tic coast ports.
Although the sudden cessation Of
hostilities deprived the Eagle boats
of an opportunity to test their Prov
ess against the German undersea ter
ror, they are nevertheless to become
a part of the American navy, the
government having announced its in
tention to use them as gun boats in
coast patrol work and possibly in in
sular waters.
The contract for the construction
Of the Eagle boats, which the gov
ernment has announced will be car
ried out, calls for 100 of the vessels
: for the United States government,