Evening star., 1922-06-25

Marine history Is >being made on
the Potomac river between Washing
ton barracks and Fort Washington.
in the operation of the motorship
Cen. George H. Rucker, said to be
the first successful concrete ship ever
to be operated since efforts were
started along these lines when the,
United States was clamoring for ships
during the war. The vessel has sue
cessfully withstood the tests of time,
elements and economy, as well as de-
tendency for service.
Her concrete construction Is de-
clared to be a result of observations
and corrections of failures of other
efforts to build such ships. In fact,
Col. P. NJ. Anderson, her designer and
builder, before he undertook the task,
at the beheSt of the War Department,
visited the various shipyards of the
country where concrete ships were
being attempted and found out
what not to do.
Aside from her concrete hull con-
struction. which is declared to mark
new era in ship construction. her
Diesel engines, it is asserted. mark
the beginning Of new era of ship
propulsion. numbering the days of
the steam reciprocating engine. And
of her economy, for, it is declared.
they can be operated more economi-
cally, than the oil or coal burning
steam engines. n
Two Trips Daily.
The Gen. George H. Rucker makes
two trips daily between the Wash
ington barracks wharf and Fort
Washington. The hull of solid con-
crete is $50 feet long. the total dis
cent heavier than steel ship of like
size. The Rucker has a passenger
carrying capacity of $50, a cargo
capacity of twenty-five tons. and
carries a crew of about fourteen Off
GERS and men.
Aside from the concrete hull the fea-
ture Of the ship Is its power plant.
Two Deisel oil-burning engines. with
two auxiliary engines, give the boat a
maximum speed of about fifteen miles
an hour. and likewise furnish the
electricity for use on the boat. The
propulsion is demonstrated to be one
third the cost of fuel in the operation
Of smaller ships having oil-fred boilers
and triple expansion steam engines.
This increased efficiency reduces the
amount Of fuel necessary to be carried
cargo-carrying capacity;
According to Col Anderson and Capt.
Paul D. eau of the Rucker, the boat
was tied up at dock for one week. when
orders were suddenly received to pro,
ceed down the river. The officers and
crew boarded the boat and within six
minutes the Rucker. was travelling at
full speed ahead. The rapidNy with
which the ship can get under way also
was demonstrated to the party FRIDAY.
NM v.
ing the propeller shafts only few rev.
olutions per minute, and when they
were opened again the shafts acceler-
ated to full speed in few seconds.
Paint Sticks WELL.
The hull, Col Anderson said. is two
and threc-quarter inches thick, while
the deck was two and one-half, inches:
paint that was placed on 1t the day the
vessel was launched at Wilmington,
N. c., May 20, 1921, and the fact that 1t
had not peeled showed. according to
the colonel. that there was no damp
ness whatever in the ship.
The forecastle, with the exception OF
about a pint Of water that had seeped
through the trap door from the scrub
bing Of the floor, was entirely dry. II
! never had any water IN It. COL Anasr-
had never been. called into use:
Col. Anderson, who has built forty
three concrete ships and more than
100 steel ships. said that II con.
ship. the former would fracture at
the point 1t was hit, while the latter,
he said, would in all probability rip
down the seams and at places other
than the point hit. Therefore, he
said, he would cast his lot with the
concrete ship in the matter Of coli
with the exception Of the Nor
folk and Washington steamers. the
Rucker was the only boat to ap-
crate on the Potomac last winter
during the ice season. The vessel
has plowed through five and 3 halt
inches OF ice, the colonel said. and
! once IT locked -broaiiside into q large