Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1918 — U-BOAT CHASERS TO BE BUILT NEAR THE NEW SMELTER [ARTICLE]

U-BOAT CHASERS TO BE BUILT NEAR THE NEW SMELTER

The Ford Motor Co., started work on the Rouge Friday on a shipbuilding plant for “submarine killers.” The buildings covering an area of five acres will be completed before May 10—a period of 75 days. The plant will be made up of five structures —the fabricating shop, 150 by 450 feet; three “bays’ ’or assembling plants, 100 by 1700 feet, and a fit-up shop, 100 by 1500 feet. Building and equipment will cost in approximate figures $2,000,000. The building alone will represent an outlay of $1,000,000. A canal, or slip, from the Rouge river to the plant is now being dredged. The “killers,” when finished, will be manned and sailed down the lakes to the Atlantic ocean. “I’m for peace—if I have to fight for it; mat is why I’m undertaking this work fo‘ America,” declared Henry Ford Friday afternoon. “The shipbuilders plant, which is just north of the blast furnaces, is going to be as complete as energy and science can make it. We will spare nothing in getting out a fleet of “killers” which will, in my belief, drive the submarine from the seas. “See—there’s the boat!, Isn’t she a beauty,” exclaimed Mr. Ford, with boyish enthusiam, as he exhibited the full-size pattern boat under construction.

“He patted its steel ribs, crying: “She’s going to do the work. “And, better yet, down in River Rouge we are going to have a plant that will turn them out in large numbers. “The plant will cover an area of five acres, and it will be efficient—a combination of the efficiency of the United States navy and the efficiency of the Ford organization. “Since the beginning of the war, almost, the real problem of the allies was the submarine question. When America went into the struggle it was looked to as the most likely place where the submarine problem would be solved. In my opinion America will deliver. Tars To Train at Rouge. “This “killer” will, in my estimation rid the seas of the U-boat, if sufficient numbers are put out. We are going to see to that end of the argument. “The “killer” with the exception of a few motor parts, which the Ford organization is perfecting, is the result of the genius of the navy engineers. “All of the work at the shipyard will be inspected by naval heads. Sailors will be trained and instructed at the Rouge and will go into the shipbuilding plant as a part of their course of training and follow the mlan of construction of the boat they are going to man. “In this way the “killer” will have crews that know their boat from stem to stern. They will get their orders direct from Washington and when they man the craft arid leave the Rouge river, they are on their way to the Atlantic and the enemy.” The fabrication shop will be completed first, the plans calling for its finish before March 30th. It is the smallest bf the structures and in it the parts for the hulls are manufactured.

From the fabrication plant the hulls come out on tracks, to each “bay” of the assembling stations. Inasmuch as there are three “bays” there will be a large number constantly in the process of construction. The last operation in the assembling room will complete the boat so it can be moved into the transfer table with its coat of paint. After this, each craft will be shunted out into position for launching. Instead of releasing the boats from cradles, the “killers” will be dropped into the water from hydraulic lifts. This is a new way of launching and combines the drydock with the ways. Now they are ready for the installation of the motor parts and boilers. The armament will also be placed. All of the power parts and the mechanical parts will ’be made at Ford plant in Highland Park The Ford plant was selected as the only plant in the country with the necessary equipment and efficient manufacturing organization to do the work. The navy came to the Ford Motor Comoany and asked for aid, all shipbuilding yards being taxed to capacity. Conferring with Mr. Ford during the past few weeks have been: Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels; Admiral D. W. Taylor, of bureau of construction and repairs; Admiral R.S. Griffin and C. W.Dyson of the bureau of steam engineering; Paymaster Sain McGowan and Capr. R. Stocker of the bureau of naval construction. In comiant attendance at the plant will be: Commander Carlos Bean, inspector of -machinery; Ensign Henry Eisman, superintendent of construction ; Chas. C. West, member of the tiaval commission and a member of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., and Lieut. H. A. Thayer, coast inspector. Dearborn Independent, Mar. 1, 1918.,