Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-15

WY ASHINGTON, June 10.-During the
wv five years just passed the United
States did the biggest job OF ship
building in the history of the world. The
exact period of this accomplishment ranges
from May "a, 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 constructed, was turned over
to the COVER nent as the first vessel produced
under the emergency war program. On the
latter date, the cargo and passenger steamer
Western World, which is to be operated in
the South American trade, was delivered to
the Emergency Fleet corporation at Sparrows
Point, Md.
In all 2,313 vessels of various types, with
gross dead weight tonnage of 13,636,711
were constructed in establishing this record
in shipbuilding. Originally the program
called for 1920 bottoms of Is, 407,27 tons,
but the armistice came in time to eliminate
958 ships, work on which had not been
started, or had not progressed sufficiently
far to make their completion advisable.
Just how much all this cost the people of
the United States has not been computed and
authoritatively announced yet Probably
it will not be known for many years, for
claims and adjustments are pending that may
still be unsettled when the original claim
| ants have long since been gathered to their
fathers. 1t was one Of the big items in I'm
Gle Sans war bill. What it lacked in
economy it made up in size. 1t was one of
the most gigantic accomplishments in mari
time history.
While there were waste and extravaganza,
and possibly some graft, the we'll informed
say that it 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 1853 miles, and if they were steaming
mile and a quarter apart they would make
what might be likened to great pontoon
bridge reaching from New York to Southamp-
ton. England. Their total capacity equals
that of 38S,363 freight cars of thirty-five tons
each. They include the various types or
requisitioned and contract steel cargo car
riers, tankers, refrigerators, transport, col
ler and combined passenger and cargo car
riers; contract wood vessels 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 harbor tugs.
Atlantic Coast Leads
Ship yards on the Atlantic coast earned the
distinction of turning out both the greatest
number of ships and the largest tonnage
total of 848 vessels of 5,625,1S8 tons. The
Pacific coast was a close second with 10y
ships of 5,254,150 tons. The Great Lakes
district came next with 479 ships of 1926
| 600 tons, while the gulf district produced 1872
| bottoms with tonnage of 849,1O AT the
| height of the shipbuiIding program keels
were building steel vessels, 131 were turning
| out wood and composite ships, and seven
were given over to work on concrete steam
ers.
| The record of the shipping board during
the five years that mark the beginning and
the completion of it's program stands out
more clearly when comparisons are made
with past accomplishments Prior to the
war, the maximum yearly output OF ships in
the United States was attained in 1908. In
that year 1,457 vessels of all kinds, including
all ships of five net tons and over, were
built, the total tonnage being 921,324 In
the first ten months of 1919 the maximum
prewar construction for an entire year was
greatly exceeded. In September of that year,
| $50 ocean-going steam vessels were delivered
| to the govern lent.
| Building ships was only one of the activi-
| ties of the shipping board in carrying through
! it's great plans. The board and its various
| agencies contracted for the purchase of ships
under various kinds of purchase contracts.
| In some jobs it became co-Worker in the
| construction of ships 1t undertook the duties
| and responsibilities of banker, and assisted
| in the financing of some shlpyards 1t be-
came a general contractor and provided
greater shipbuiding facilities. 1t became
manufacturer and increased the production of
ship equipment. It became lumber mer
chant. 1t became an insurance company and
sold protection against insurable losses. 1t
entered the TRANSFORMATION field and built and
operated street railways. 1t constructed and
conducted hotels to house its workmen. 1t
built towns, with all the necessities and con-
| veniences of municipal life, such as paved