Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1917 — Twelve Big Ones Growing. [ARTICLE]

Twelve Big Ones Growing.

Twelve 10,000-ton ships are now on the ways of a single company in Seattle. Under the stress of necessity methods of construction have, been developed that promise to r«|f»lutionlze the ship building methods of the world. To begin with, the vessels are all standardized. Parts are fabricated for a dozen ships on the same plans. The material Is carried from the shops to the ship on aerial tramways.. The work Is done largely by machinery. The old method was to rivet the sides together plate by plate. The new method puts the plates together in the shops in large sections which are swung into place by heavy cranes. This wholesale way of throwing material together makes it possible to launch a large ship in 90 days Instead of six months or a year. If the Eastern shipyards are able to keep up wfth the Pacific coast in the race for quick building, the American merchant marine will be something for the world to reckon with in a very few years.— Nebraska State Journal.