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174 canal and as the boilers weighed 20 tons each and the turbo-generator 16 tons, considerable skill had to be exer- cised as the handling equipment was of light construction. The Mexoit was not built on regular ways, but on skids. These dipped at a sharp angle from the keel into the canal. On these skids the hull was shored up as the plates rose on the frames. Then the bow and the stern was made fast to the shore by means of heavy cables. The shoring was knocked away a few moments before launching and the cables cut. vessel slipped easily into the water. Then the THE MARINE REVIEW Will Build 36 Vessels at Savannah The French government has awarded the Foundation Co., New York, a con- tract for constructing 36 mine sweepers. To handle this contract, the company recently started the erection of a yard at Savannah, Ga. According to speci- fications, the sweepers will be 150 feet over all, 25-foot beam. They will be capable of making 11 knots with a 2000-mile radius of action. Triple-ex- pansion engines will be installed. The company expects to have the vessels ready for delivery by Jan. 15, 1919. FIG. 2--THE MEXOIL TAKING THE WATER AT LAKE BORGNE CANAL NEAR NEW ORLEANS Marine Machinery Marine machinery, pneumatic hoists, steam and air motors and contractor's equipment are described in a 64-page catalog recently issued by the Dake En- gine Co., Grand Haven, Mich. The catalog is well illustrated and contains descriptions of each article, including air engines, boilers, blowers, capstans, centrifugal pumps, hoists of various kinds, steering gears, winches, fans, etc. The company's square-piston engine, 'which operates either by air or steam, is described fully and several illustra- tions are included to show its adapt- ability for various purposes. This en- gine has two square pistons, one operat- ing within the other. It is said that these engines operate with equal efficiency in any position; vertical, horizontal or at an angle. It is also claimed that they give satisfac- tion in isolated service as they can be operated by ordinary laborers. 'It is pointed out that these engines have no dead centers and_ that they can be Started, stopped and reversed instantly. This is the second contract received by the Foundation Co. from the French government. The first one called for the construction of 40 five-mast auxil- lary schooners of 3000 tons deadweight capacity. The work was allotted to the company's yards along the Pacific coast. The Foundation Co., through its subsi- diary, the Foundation Co, Ltd; of British Columbia, also received a con- tract from the British some time ago, for building cargo steamers of 2800 tons deadweight capacity. The Savannah yard is the fifth to be established by the Foundation Co. since April, 1917. The other plants are 'lo- cated at Newark, N. J., Portland, Oreg., Tacoma, Wash., and Vigtoria, .B, C. The yard at Savannah occupies 550 acres, and has a waterfront of 3000 feet and a depth of 1800 feet. The yard will have nine ways. The com- pany plans to construct simultaneously two sweepers on each way. This gives the yard a capacity of 18 vessels. Ac- cording to the operating schedule, the first three ships will be launched on - government,: wooden . April, 191g July 15 and will be ready to put to sea two months later. Galveston to Have New Drydock By the terms of a contract which was recently awarded for the construc. tion of a 10,000-ton floating drydock on Pelican island, adjacent to Galveston, Tex., the United States government will advance to the, Galveston Dry Dock & Construction Co. 80 per cent of the cost of the plant, exclusive of the site, dredging and the building of the necessary machine and _ repair shops. The drydock will cost approximately $850,000, and the government, it is said, will advance about $600,000. In the contract, it is provided that the drydock shall be completed within seven months. The loan of $600,000 by the government is on terms that are in- tended to enable the drydock company to purchase the drydock at a substantial discount within four and one-half years after peace has been declared. The discount is allowed on account of pre- vailing abnormal conditions. Estimating the difference between the cost now and what the cost would have been before the beginning of the European war, officials of the Emer- gency Fleet corporation have agreed to allow a discount of 331/3 per cent on the. amount advanced if the war ends within one year after the dock is com- pleted. The amount of the 'discount in- creases as the duration of the war in- _creases, three years being the maximum. If the war ends in two years a dis- count of 381/3 per cent will be allowed and if in three years the discount will be 431/3 per cent. In other words, if peace is declared during the first year, the government having advanced $600,- 000, the principal to be returned will be $400,000. If hostilities continue longer, the amount to be paid back will de- crease by = per cent each year up to three years. All work done for the government will be credited to the dock company's account. If a sufficient number of ships are docked and repaired for the government to aggregate $100,000 dur- ing one year of war, this amount would be deducted from the principal, leaving only $300,000 to be refunded. It is pos- sible that the government may _ utilize the dock and repair facilities of the plant to the extent that all of the principal would be paid before the ex- piration of the four and a half years after peace is declared. The dock was designed by William T. Donnelly, New York. Plans call for a dock of 10,000 tons, built in two sec- tions, one of 6000 tons and one of 4000 tons. The two sections are to be bolted © together to form a dock of 10,000 tons.