Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-23
Shipping Board
Decides to Sell
Wooden Vessels
Entirer Fleet of 285 Steamers
to Go for Virtually Cost of
Onc-Only One
Bid.

Washington, Aug. 22,-For the
price virtually OF what one OF them
cost to build, the United States ship
ping board has decided to sell the
fleet of wooden ships, which have
been white elephant in the gov
ernments hands ever since the close
of the war, for about 100000.
There are 2S5 vessels in the fleet
OF this number 205 are to be sold
to the Ship Construction and Trad
ing company of New York City for
$3.50, 500, or at the rate OF $2,l00
each
This is ridiculously low figure
and the members of the shipping
board recognize fully that it is low
figure, but the vessels are being sold
at the price, members OF the board
assert, because the new and old
boards have advertised three times
tor bids and have received only one
bid for the entire fleet.
1t cost close to 100000 each to
build these ships during the war.
The government is, under the price
at which it has been informally
agreed to sell them, barely able to
get that amount for the whole raft
OF them.
Bids Opened July so.
Bids Tor the sale OF the wooden
fleet" were opened for the third time
on July 80. There was only one bid
der for the entire heet--the Ship Con-
struction and Tfading company of
New York. 1t offered to take the
ships at $2,l00 each. "as is" that is,
as the vessels stood, where they ride
at anchor, most OF them in a secluded
part Of the James river between Old
Point Comfort and Richmond Chair
man Lasker said recently it was cost
ing the government nearly $4,000 a |
month to take care of the ships. Two |
tugs i'll the James river have to be
used to pump water out of them and i
keep them from sinking.
While no other firm bid for the |
whole fleet there were bids for the |
purchase OF about 20 of the ships
which were in best condition. These |
scattering bids were little better
than those for the whole fleet. The |
bidder for the whole fleet assented to |
the elimination OF 20 ships to be sold !
at higher prices and the board has |
also conditionally reserved from the |
sale 70 other vessels, for use as pom
toons in building the proposed new |
bridge across the Hudson river.
Aside from the fleet of 205 to 60 |
to the main bidder and the SO to go |
to the pontoon bridge company, 10 |
wooden ships abroad are to 60 to
the Clinchheld Navigation company
Tor $4,000 (or $1,000 apiece)). Eve
that are in best condition go to Pat
terson Brothers OF New York for
$1,000 each, one goes to the Union
Sulphur company of New York for
$1,000, and two go to another firm
for $500 each. I
Drawing Up Contract.
While the board has informally
decided to accept the bid, the legal
department of the shipping board is
now drawing up the contract to be
considered Tuesday and if found
satisfactory the deal with them will
be consummated. The bidder has
put up IS per cent of the purchase
price. Half of the balance is to be
paid in 90 days. and the rest of the
morey, when the ship arc moved
out of the James river. The con-
tract calls for the payment OF all
inside OF 10 months, and no ship IS
to be delivered until fully paid for.
According to the terms of the bid,
half OF the 205 vessels are to be
junked. while the rest are to be put
into service, mainly in the Carib-
beam These ships were built to
carry $500 tons each. Before conf
pletion. the original plans were al
tered, zoo tons of extra bracing was
placed in each vessel, cutting the
carrying load down to about $50
tons each. -.
1t takes 40 men to run each ship
The sar,e number of men can run a
steel ship of 600 tous.