Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-21
THE DELAWARE LEADS
IN SCRAPP|NG SHIPS
River Once Cradle Of lnnumer-
able Vessels, is Now Their
Grave.
Dy Associated Press to Every Evening.

Dy Associated Press to Every Evening.
Philadelphia. April 2ts-A new in
1ustry-scrapping OF old warships--
has sprung up along tho Delaware
river where, not 30 long ago. more
than one hundred thousand men
were working feverishly TO help build
Q bridge OF ships" across the At
lantic TO check tho progress OF Ger
many In the world war.
Philadelphia. tho birthplace OF many
Of tho vessels. also is to be- tho grave
yard OF n number OF tho navy's once
great lighting craft. discarded because
they have become obsolete. Later
when the scrapping program of the
arms conference becomes effective
many moro ships will be added to the
list. Hundreds OF men ate engaged
In turning the steel from the dis
carded ships into billets that can be
worked into materials for the con-
struction OF buildings. tools. locomo-
uvcs, automobiles and other peace
time uses.
In one Delaware river shipyard.
alone. there are awaiting dismuntl-
Ing the battleships Maine, Missouri
and Wisconsin. the once-proud first
class cruiser Columbia. the monitors
oArk. Monterey and Tonopah. and
countless destroyers, eagle boats and
smaller craft.
Powerful ory-acetylene torches,
welded by masked workmen are be
ing used TO cut through the el jen-
inch steel turret armor of the Maine,
while 125-ton crane was used To
take out Its 1s-inch guns.
Further along the yard the little
obsolete submarine, with It's paper
thickness shell is being ripped apart
with prosaic chisels to the accompani-
ment OF the gattling gun-like staccato
OF compressed air hammers. The
monitor Monterey. and improved e1l-
ton OF Ericson's gallant monitor of
Civil War fame. with It's surface
Hush deck. rapidly is being converted
into billets. Its ten and twelve-inCh
rifles. however, still appear menac-
inGly through the turrets Of It's squat
Is superstructure as they did In the
early nineties when the Monterey was
one of the most powerful battle CRAFT
afioat.
A little submarine Al Plunger
grandfather of the modern sub
marine cruiser S-4l. is awaiting
scrappins. Creature OF the brain Of
j. Il. Holland. the early trials of the
Al were the subject OF almost as
much ridicule and scoffing AS marked
the first efforts of Robert Fulton and
his steamboat on the Hudson river
The most precious Junk" obtained
nom the ships in the copper gun
metal, navy brass. manganese bronze
lead and zinc. Complete destruction
y not necessary in the case of ell the
crnft. The hulls of some OF the tor
pedo boats will undergo a transfer
nation TO adapt them to peaceful
pursuits. This already has been done
With tho destroyers Truxtion, wor-
den, and Whipple, which will PLY be-
tween the United States and Central
America carrying carRoee of fruit.
Eug1ned with kerosene oil burner.
they are large cargo carriers and of
such light draft that they can navi.
Gste shallow rivers on hish tide am,
lay on Plantations for loading, there.
by eliminating lighterage cost. Their
clean lines give them great speed
which makes unnecessary the expen.
sive refrigerating system used ir
slower fruit boats.