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December, 1920 some authority 'over his own property and when the costs of ship construc- tion will be stabilized. The reputed slump in building throughout the country has been largely conducive to this and the lack of new contracts from shipowners is not giving the concern it otherwise would. The Staten Island Shipbuilding Co. has secured several large contracts. It will install eight compound engines in four ships of the Mexican Petrole- um Co., which were propelled former- ly by electricity, Two new boilers will go aboard one of these ships. The yard now is proceeding with the conversion of two bulk freighters be- longing to the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, by installing two longi- tudinal bulkheads and five athwart bulkheads in each ship. The Stand- ard Oil Co. of New York has placed a contract with the Staten Island Shipbuilding Co. for constructing three bulk oil barges of carfloat type, making contracts for 13 barges con- cluded between these principals during the past year. The plant of the Maryland Ship- building Co., at Sparrows Point, Md., has been purchased by the National Ship Supply Machinery Co., of New York. The purchase included all the ship machinery stored at the plant by the Emergency Fleet corporation. The New York Shipbuilding Co. has launched the tanker Nora for the William R. Grace Steamship Co. This yard has completed the Oxtp NortH STATE, the second of the combination passenger and freight steamers built for the Emergency Fleet corporation. The first of the four bulk oil steam- ers to be constructed for the Standard Transportation Co., New York, at the Fore River plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., is called the CH1na Arrow. The Acwisea, the first of three 12,600-ton tankers being built for the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship lines, has been launched at the Spar- rows Point plant of the Bethlehem corporation. This plant, it is reported, is making a record in progress on two tankers being built for the Lux Naviga- tion Co., of London. The Moore plant of the same shipbuilding company has launched the Itorore, the first of two steel refrigerating ships building for the International Products Steamship Co., a subsidiary of the International Prod- ucts Co. The 8800-ton standard steamer Joun Stevens built by the Merchant Ship- building Corp. for the Emergency Fleet Corporation has been delivered. A Similar ship called the Grorce E. WeEerp has been launched at the Chester yard of this company. Pusey & Jones have completed the Steamship NorwaLk, which was built . Gorp, THE MARINE REVIEW for the Eastern Steamship Lines, Inc. The Witt1amM PENn, built at this yard, has been sent to the yard of the William Cramp & Sons Ship & En- gine Building Co. to be equipped with two diesel engines. The Ex Estero built for the Southern Pacific Atlantic Coast Steamship lines has been com- pleted "by the Downey Shipbuilding The Ex Laco is nearing~ com- pletion in the same yard. Delivers Modern Freighter The Fore River plant of the Beth- lehem Shipbuilding *Corp., Quincy, Mass., has just completed and deliy- ered to the Standard Transportation Co. the single-screw tank steamer CHINA ARROW. This ship is 485 feet long, 62 feet 6 inches beam, 39 feet 6 inches depth and about 26 feet 6 inches draft. She 653 $85,000. The Eastern Sworp was con- verted from a coal to an oil burner and also had other interior changes nade. The' same yard _ has contract on the steel THOMSON since sold to Peruvian interests. This craft also was changed to an oil burner and extensively overhauled. The shipping board steainer Ettston was in drydock for nearly two weeks having a new stern frame installed and other repairs made. 'The Westwarv Ho was equipped with new turbine engines at the Todd completed its steamer ELiHu yards. In addition to these larger con- tracts, repair work on small 'craft is keeping the Todd docks and yards busily occupied. Marine insurance interests have been hard hit by the mishap to the express coasting steamer Prince Rupert, which was beached in British Columbia waters TANKER CHINA ARROW. Se : Néw oil carrier built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Hee trial trip in October has a 4-cylinder, quadruple expansion, reciprocating engine equipped with -sur- face condenser. She has cylinders of 24, 35, 51. and 75. inches. diameter, with a common stroke of 51 inches. There are three Scotch boilers, 15 feet 3 inches in diameter and 11 feet 6 inches in length with a 220-pound pressure. The ship is of the shelter type built on the Isherwood system with straight stem and elliptical stern with bridge houses amidships and aft around the engine and boiler casings. There are three steel pole masts and 10 double main cargo tanks with a combined ca- pacity of 3,665,700 gallons are provided. The Cuina Arrow is the first of the four bulk oil steamers to be constructed for the Standard Transportation Co., New York, at the Fore River plant. Coast Shipyard Is Busy The last Japanese-built steel steamer delivered: on the Pacific coast, the Eastern -Sworpd, has just come from Todd Dry Docks, Inc. yard ready for service. The Seattle yard was awarded the contract for this vessel on a bid of after striking an unknown obstruction. It was possible to beach the vessel but she lies in such a position that salvage operations will be difficult and expen- sive. It is estimated the work will re- auire three months and will cost at least $300,000. Union Shipyard Improved The Union plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., at San Francisco, known for 35 years as the Union Iron Works, is making waterfront improve- ments and has acquired recently a new 12,000-ton floating drydock. 'The additions will increase materially the company's construction and_ repair facilities. The new drydock was purchased the Ames Shipbuilding Co., just prior to its completion by that company. It was towed down to the Union plant on San Francisco bay and now is in opera- tion. It consists of four sections of 3000-ton capacity each; each section from Seattle, being 90 feet long and 126 feet wide, both end sections having an apron renamed Rosita and for the Standard Transportation Co. " pa had . »