The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-23
RIDE HIGH AND DRY
Boats Lashed In Groups Seven
Freighters With Mother Ship
In Each Unit.
AWAIT MARINE PROGRAM
Costing Government Hundreds
Thousand Monthly For Main
tainence and Upkeep.
AWAIT MARINE PROGRAM
BY HARRY 3. HUNT.
NJ. {. A. Staff Correspondent.

Claremont. Va, Aug. 22.-Pve just
seen the biggest white elephant in
Uncle Sans zoo That is, I've seen
the head and trunk; the body, hind
quarters and tail haven't arrived yet.
But even the forefront stretches across
more than a mile of the northern
horizon of this town.
We first sighted the monster as we
rounded a bend in the James River,
at Claremont, so miles above Nor.
folk.
Skipper Henry Morecock released
the tiller of the little fsh;ng boat in
which we were beating up the river
from jamestown, and clambered care
fully forward.
'Iookee there" he said, pointing to
a strange, blurred mass stretching out
into the river two miles further up.
Some elephant, Ell? She's CROWN
every day. She'll durn near fill the
whole river when they gft her up
here"
As we approached the mass began to
dissolve itself into a forest of spars
and smokestacks rising above row up
on row of closely -moored black hulks.
Still nearer, the mass broke up into
groups, in each unit of which was dis
tinguishable five or seven big freight
steamers lashed closely side by side.
placed alternately bow to stern and
stern to bow. Empty of cargoes, all
rode light and high.
Except for an occasional wisp Of
smoke from the center boat in each
unit, there were no signs Of life
aboard.
These boats, the vanguard of 1913
wooden steamers now assigned by the
shipping board for berth in the river
at Claremont, are a part of the emer-
gency fleet built by the government
during the war. Unable to find them
either cargoes or purchasers, the board
is now laying them up in the river
here awaiting the success or failure
OF Americas merchant marine pro-
gram.
II the program succeeds, the boats
may ultimately move into service.
They may be sold to private interests,
either American or foreign, for coastal
or tramp freight service, or be stripped
of their engines and machinery and
converted into barges.
But if some field for their service
not now existing, or utilized, is not
developed, they will remain indefinite
ly at Claremont, a charge on the gov
ernment for protection and upkeep.
slowly rusting and rotting and be-
coming yearly more obsolete and use
less.
In which case, Claremont MAY be
remembered in history as the worlds
greatest marine boneyard.
The cost OF this white elephant
may be pictured by comparison with
the investment in those two other ele-
phants' owned by the shipping board
the Leviathan and the Hog Island
shipyard.
The Leviathan, greatest OF all car
so liners, has cost the United States
some $2O.00o.000. Hog Island took
more than three times as much, or
S70,O00,00O.
But Uncle Sans wooden merchant
fleet-that part of it alone for which
no use can now be found-represent
san expenditure of more than $150.000,-
900, and the total of wooden vessels in
the hands of the board involves costs
Of approximately S25o.O00,000.
That all of these wooden steamers,
sexcept such as may be sold to foreign
buyers, viii shortly find themselves
scheduled for anchorage at Claremont
or some other ''boneyard" is indicated
by the rate at which they are being
displaced from service.
The board now owns 255 wooden
freighters. on July l, according to
Admiral Benson, chairman of the
board. 1S2 were in active service and
73 laid up in charge of caretakers.
on August 5, however, Benson stat
ed that only so wooden ships We're in
service. At the same rate of with
drawal. another month viii see the
whole of our wooden fleet out of COM
mission.
OF the It's wooden boats thus shown
withdrawn from service, 1SS have been
assigned for anchorage at Clarement.
Boast now laid up at Atlantic and
Gulf saltwater ports will be moved
10 anchorage here. Their assembling
win. in the long run, save the govern
ment large sums.
Wooden vessels last longer IN fresn
water and are free from the teredo, or
ship-worm, an enemy to salt water
going boats.
lAlso, being on fresh and not salt
water the rates for seamen, engineers
and helpers are lower
These boats have been costing the
government from $4,000 TO $4,000
month for upkeep even while lylng
idle, or about S275.0O0 for the 1SS
boats assigned TO this harbor. by
mo. i-Continued on Page Three)