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Western terminal for the transatlantic lane when at the request of the United States shipping board he agreed tc go to Europe again, where he remained for a year reorganizing the European department, before returning again to the Montauk company. Serving with the shipping board as head of opera- tions at home and abroad, Mr. Sheedy became particular- ly familiar with the operations of the United States lines and the American Merchant lines, which logically fits him for his present role as operator. On Feb. 15, 1929, the United States shipping board accepted the Chapman-Sheedy bid of $16,000,000 for 11 transatlantic liners and Mr. Sheedy became executive vice president of the newly formed company starting work on the great task of taking over this fleet and organizing the personnel to operate it. By the end of 1988 Mr. Sheedy hopes to have in operation two addi- tional ships, larger and faster than the LEVIATHAN, to operate with her on a weekly sailing schedule between New York, Cherbourg and Southampton. Recondition Vessel for New Service HE passenger steamer AMERI- | CANA, formerly owned by the : Crystal Amusement Co. of Buf- falo, was recently bought by Capt. John A. Meseck of New York to run between Rye Beach and Battery Park. In Buffalo on Lake Erie, where the AMERICANA put in her first years of service, she earned for herself the name, “show boat of America.” The vessel can accommodate upwards of 8500 people, which means she is a boat of no small proportions. The boat is now at the Tebo plant of the Todd Shipyards Corp., where her old coal burners will be taken out and supplanted by the Todd oil burn- ing system, which will give her a speed of 20 miles an hour. The inte- rior will be redecorated, her bottom scraped and a new coat of paint will grace her sides. When the AMERI- CANA starts on her initial run from the Battery in New York to Rye Beach she will look like new. In bringing the AMERICANA to New York from Buffalo many difficulties and obstacles had to be overcome. It was necessary to take her through the Welland and St. Lawrence canals. The locks in these canals have an overall width of 45 feet. The hull width of the AMERICANA is also 45 feet and her sponson decks reach out 6% feet fur- ther on either side. In order to get her through the locks it was necessary to cut the three decks off at the hull Great Lakes Passenger Vessel America to Let Vessel Pass Th 60 na Being Converted for Oil Burning. line and fold them inboard, making them fast with wires running from port to starboard side. This also meant ripping out the captain’s state- room and bath on the top deck. The hull of the AMERICANA was still a bit too wide and 120 feet of its length at the widest part had to be bent in 4% inches to allow a free passage. This was done by removing the hull brackets and heating the plates until flexible enough for turn- buckles to pull the sides in to the proper width. There are 25 locks in the Welland canal with an ultimate drop of 330 feet and while passing through lock No. 15, the fit was so close that the angle bar was broken off. After arriving at Montreal the decks were put back in their former positions and the hull jacked out to her regular proportions. The AMERICANA left for the Tebo yacht basin under her own power down the Atlantic coast and arrived a few days later after an uneventful trip. Buys Ship Repair Plant Joseph W. Powell, president of the United Dry Docks Ine., recently announced the purchase by that company of the busines and plants of the Briggs Engineering Co., Brooklyn, N. Y. This property includes a ma- chine shop at 227 Twenty-fourth street fumes AY te ice a aes bees rough Welland and St. Lawrence C. MARINE REVIEW—June, 1930 and a yacht basin at Flatbush avenue and Avenue U, Brooklyn, N. Y. It will be taken over July 1, and William E. Yandell, president of the Briggs company, will assume charge of the United Dry Docks yacht services un- der the name of Briggs Yacht Basin at the company’s Shewan plant at the foot of Twenty-seventh street, Brook- lyn, N. Y. The Briggs Mill Basin plant will be maintained under the present name, Flatbush Avenue Yacht Basin. “The purchase of the Briggs Engi- neering Co. property,” Mr. Powell said, “will enable the United to give to the yacht owner the same complete build- ing and repair service now accorded all other classes of ships. We have done considerable yacht repairs at our Shewan plant in the past and we in- tend to feature this class of work now that we have acquired the facili- ties of the Briggs company.” Board Sells Tug Bayport Sale of the ocean-going tug Bay- PORT to W. G. Coyle & Co., Inc., of New Orleans, for the sum of $56,398 was authorized by the shipping board May 21. The vessel has been oper- ated by the purchaser under a bare- boat charter from the board. The BAYPORT is a 150 foot steel, oil-burn- ing ocean tug and is the last of her type in the possession of the Board. View on Left Shows How S anals from Buffalo to Naw Work 2