The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-08

dSH1HsSou, u.
/ ing the five years Just passed the
United States did the biggest job
of shipbuilding in the history-of the
world. The exact period OF this
! accomplishment ranges from May
q, 1917, to May 9, 1922. On the
former date the wood cargo CARRIER
called the North Bend, in honor of
the Oregon city where she was con-
structed, was turned over 10 the
government as the first vessel pro-
duced under the emergency war
program On the latter date, the
cargo and passenger steamer West
ern World, which is to be operated
in the South American trade, was
delivered TO the emergency feet
corporation at Sparrows Point,
Maryland
In all, 2.313 vessels of various
types. with a gross dead weight
tonnage of 13,635,711. were con-
structed in establishing this record
in shipbuilding. Originally the
program called for 3,270 bottoms Of
S,407 ,276- tons, but the armistice
came in time to eliminate 958 ships,
work on which had net been start
S=s VI Eso4 4oE CGCC0
ly far to make their completion ad
Eisable
Just how much all this cost the
people of the United States has not
been, computed and authoritatively
announced as yet. Probab bly, it will
not be known for many years, for
claims and adjustments are pend
ing that may still be unsettled when
the original claimants have long
since been gathered to their faith
ers 1t was one of the big items
in Unncle Sans war bill What it
lacked n economy is made up in
size. II was one of the most gi-
gantic accomplishment in mari
time history.
While there were waste and ex-
travagance. and possibly some
graft, the well informed say that il
made possible the winning of the
war and hence was worth all that
it cost.
Stretched stem to stern in a
straight line. these 2.313 vessels
would extend a distance of 15S
miles, and if they were steaming a
mile and quarter apart they
would make what might be likened
to a great pontoon bridge reaching
from New York to Southampton.
England. Their total capacity
equals that Of 3SS.363 freight cars
OF 35 tons each. They include the
types of requisitiQned and
contract steel cargo carriers, tank /
ers, refrigerators, Transport. col /
lie and combined passenger and [
sells OF various kinds and sailing /
ships; contract composite cargo /!
carriers, contract concrete cargo !
carriers and tankers: steel and !
wood ocean-going tugs and steel .
and wood tarbor tugs
Atlantic Coast Leads.
Shipyards on the Atlsntic coast I
earned the distinction of turning
out both the greatest number of /
ships and the largest tonnage
total OF 84s vessels Of 5,625, I8S
ions. The Pacific coast was a close
second with 759 ships of 5,254.150
IONS. The Great Lakes district
came next with 40 ships of 1926
BOO tons, while the Gulf district
produced 1872 bottoms with a ton
mage of $40 100. At the height Of
he shipbuilding program keels
eere being laid in 218 shipyards, i
90 of which were building steel /
-essels, 131 were turning out wood
and composite ships, and seven
we're given over to work on con
:rete steamers.
The record OF the shipping board /
Turing the five years that mark the
beginning and completion OF its
program stands out more clearly
when comparisons are made with
past accomplishments Prior TO the
var. the maximum yearly output Of
hips in the United States was at
aimed in 1905. In that year ,457
-essels of all kinds. including all
hips of five net tons and over.
we're built, the total tonnage being
l2f,324. In the first 10 months of Il
919 the maximum pre-war con
truction for an entire year was
7reatly exceeded In September of
hat year $50 ocean-going steam Il
'essels were delivered TO the gov
rnment