The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-04-29
Problem Of Disposal Probably
VIII Reach Congress Early
in the Session.
HAVE VALUABLE MACHINERY
Marine Men Say Engines Could Be
Taken Out and Installed in Other
vessels-skeieton Crews
Have Little 10 Do.


Norfolk. Va.-What To do with
about 600 wooden aud steel ships ~
ing idle In James river Is a question
that will probably reach the iloor of
congress within short time.
The wooden ships are mostly an.
chored in the vicinity of Claremont
There are as many as six moOrel to-
gether, side by side 50 close that IL
Is possible TO step from the deck of
Que ship TO another without any dan
ger of falling overheard. Skeleton
crews are employed and the only work
they are required to do Is 10 keep the
decks aud fixtures clean and stand
watches. They are called upon some
times to daub little paint on the
sides of the ships, but five hours out
Of the day they have nothing to do
but play checkers, cards or indulge
In any other pastlme they see fit,
There is valuable machinery In the
ships that marine men say could be
taken our and put to use In other yes
sells. Most of the ships are equipped
with the best of engines, and the gov
ernment II Is claimed, could realize
considerable money out of their sale
Shipbuilders say the engines could be
Installed In barges that could be used
TO transport freight between Balti
more and Philadelphia and Norfolk
via the inland waterway, or In freight
carriers operating between New York.
Providence, Boston and Norfolk.
Constructive Plan Offered.
One shipbuilder makes this sugges.
tion
strip the machinery from the
wooden ships, then organize cor
poration, or several corporations to
build steel hulls or barges on COM
paratively inexpensive plan and in
stall the engines In them. These
barges would be invaluable for coast
wise trade or even for trade with Cuba
and could be operated at cost much
less than the present steamships.
"Of course 1t will take money to put
such plan In operation, but 1t does
not require large financial outlay.
The steel hulls can be built In any
one of half dozen shlpyards on
Hampton Roads and with the pros
pective reduction In the cost Of labor
and the decrease In the cost of ma
terial, competition would be keen for
the building of these craft"
There Is little chance of any of the
wooden ships ever being of any ma
rerial service again, because only
few of them would be worth the ex-
pense Of repairing of sea trade. A
good many of the ships are already
beginning to show decay and II would
not be surprising II several OF them
we're abandoned altogether within
year or so. 1t is the opinion of
marine men that when the govern
ment begins to discard the wooden
ships completely they will be blown
up with dynamite, as II they were
menace to navigation.
The people of Claremont are divided
on the benefit the town has derived
BIS the location of the fleet near that
town. The anchorage occupied by the
ships Is referred to as the "boneyard."
MANY so in but none come out" Is
the way Robert Mnter, veteran river
man who has resided near Caremont
since few days after the Civil war,
refers to the "boneyard."
Last Days 81 the Monitors.
Winters opinion is shared by 9TH
ers, because all the old Inhabitants
Of Claremont, City Point and other
Jrmes river landings remember the