The New York herald., 1922-02-18
FIGHTING. INVASION
OF TEREDO NAVALIS
Scientists Organize TO Keep
Dread Marine Insect Away
From Port.

The teredo navalis, which multiplies
by millions and while multiplying does
millions Of dollars of damage 10 wooden
piers and ships, has arrived in these
parts.
| This is the first time the ship worm
has gained entrance to New York har-
bor being checked hitherto by the pollu-
ton of the port waters.
Announcement OF the discovery Of
the worm on a partly submerged raft in
Barnegat Bay was made by the Ma
| tional Research Council and the Eng-
neering Foundation which have decided
by joint action to start nationwide
campaign against II, and TO retain the
services OF the best scientists in the
| fight.
| The report from Barnegat Bay was
| followed by others stating that the
teredo navalis was found at Bayside,
Queens, and at the near Atlantic coast
ports.
On the Pacific coast where the ship
worm has been persistent the loss has
been huge. Its damage to property in
, San Francisco Is estimated at from $15.-
100000 to s20,cc0O00 Many methods of
determination have been tried, and they
| have checked the spread OF the des-
tructive opera tons, but the shipworm
has returned to renew the attack.
/ Serving on the national committee ap-
I pointed by the two organizations to d.
rect the fight are r. T. Belts. chief
engineer of the Robbins-Ripley Com
pany; George J. Ray chief engineer of
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad DIR. A. L. Barrows. assistant
! secretary of the National Research
/ Council George NJ. Hunt, United States
! Forest Service Prof. c. A. Kofoid Uni
versity OF California, and DR.. Herman
Won Schrenk, consulting engineer of the
! New York Central Railroad w. C. At
wood OF this city has been chosen direc-
tor Of the campaign.
The menace of the worm Is indicated
by its rapid reproduction.
"The particular borer which has ap-
Feared at san Francisco and which has
been discovered along the Long Island
and New Jersey coasts" said the an
nouncement issued yesterday, repro
duces with incredible rapidity There
may be as many as $4,000 to 100. 900
females in one pile and each female may
! give birth to 900 to 100000 live
young shipworrns. These are free swim
ming and attach themselves freely to
! unprotected wood. Marine piles twenty
to twenty-four inches in diameter have
been practically riddled in six months"
Other common species of marine
borers. it was explained, are of the
genil xylotria and limnoria. These occur
with greatest frequency In warmer
seas, but on the Atlantic coast have
extended as far north as Maine and on
| the Pacific coast to Seattle and Alaska.
On the Atlantic the attacks have been
chiefly south OF Delaware Bay.
The committee will be charged with
obtaining general cooperation in a plan
of determination. The usual treatment
| Is with creosote or corrosive sublimate.
but new methods will be studied. The
teredo navalis attaches itself readily
to vessels and thus may be carried from
pier to pier. It's work Is done on wood
under water. In making its boring.
where there may be several worms at
work on the same piece of wood. each
borer operates along separate grooves.
with the result that only thin layer OF
wood may be left between. The de-
structive process is therefore very swift.