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in no way influenced the vote taken by American Ship Building stockholders, but this is difficult to imagine.17 American Ship Building pressed its interests vigorously. In October 1905, construction of a new 700-foot dry dock was begun at Lorain. It was finished in 1907, taking sixteen months to build. A building berth was constructed on either side of the dock. It was built diagonally across one of the old launching slips. The original dry dock was lengthened about the time that the merger took place in 1899. On September 19, 1906, American Ship Building signed a contract with Pickands, Mather and Company, Kean Van Cortlandt and Company, and Robert J. Dunham for the construction of eight steamers for the Lackawanna Steamship Company. This steamship company was to be organized as an Ohio corporation and would assume control of the steamers for $2,250,000.18 As part of the transaction, American Ship Building would purchase 4,400 shares of capital stock in the steamship company. In return they would acquire all of the stock in the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company in Chicago of which Dunham was general manager.19 In 1908 the executive committee of American Ship Building recommended that this property be disposed of "for not less than $400,000."20 However, the machinery was not removed until 1915, and it was still in existence as the North Branch Shipyard in the 1930's. In 1908 the Bay City, Michigan, yard was closed and declared available "for not less them $40,000," with most of the machinery being moved to the Detroit yard.21 In 1910, more machinery was moved to Port Arthur, Ontario, where American Ship Building leased property and operated a yard, called the Western Ship Building and Dry Dock Company, through World War I, In 1914, James C. Wallace retired and was succeeded by Edward N. Smith of Buffalo, as president of the concern. Mr. Smith died the following year and his place was taken by Merton E. Farr of Detroit. Mr. Farr carried the company through World War I. During the First World War, all of the shipyards in the nation were put under the control of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, a government agency. Shipbuilding was restricted by this agency for the duration of the war effort. Great Lakes shipyards built one basic design of freighter, and except for minor differences, they all looked alike. They were standard canal length, 252 feet, with houses and machinery amidships. A few vessels were built for the Atlantic coal trade, with houses and machinery 103