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Latest Data on New Marine Work Information on New Ships Ordered—Building and Repair Con- tracts Let—Shipping Board Loans Made, Authorized or Pending rine equipment are facing a period of activity unparalleled in recent years. Under the terms of the bill for the control and revival of industry which became law with the signature of the President on June 16, a total of $238,000,000 is now available for a naval building program calling for the construction of 32 vessels within a period of three years. Utmost speed in beginning work is the aim of the administration. In a statement issued by the President on June 16, after he had signed the bill, he said in referring to the naval pro- gram: “I have also just made avail- able over $230,000,000 for the navy to start building ships under the London treaty.” On June 19 the acting secre- tary of the navy, announced that the department would open bids for the construction of 17 war vessels on July 26. Vessels on which bids are to be taken include two aircraft carriers, not to exceed 20,000 tons; one heavy cruiser of 10,000 tons with 6-inch guns; one light cruiser; four torpedo boats not over 1850 tons; seven tor- pedo boat destroyers of the 1500-ton type and two submarines. S HIPYARDS and builders of ma- Work for Private Yards The announcement as reported also definitely stated that all of these 17 vessels are to be constructed in private yards. Every indication now points to a large volume of work just as soon as the necessary details in connection with asking and receiv- ing bids can be worked out. The dis- position of the government, taking its cue from the President, is not to delay one minute longer than is ab- solutely necessary the beginning of actual work. Secretary Swanson, has been re- ported, as hopeful that the program will be under way by Aug. 1. He be- lieves that the navy can build to the fullest capacity of both private yards and navy yards for two years. Present plans call for completing the entire program within three years, beginning with an expenditure of about $48,000,000 the first year, $105,000.000 the second year, and $85,000,000 during the third year. The following vessels are to be built Number Type Displacement 2 Aircraft carriers 30,000 4 Cruisers 40,000 4 Destroyers 7,400 16 Destroyers 24.000 4 Submarines 5,600 2 Gunboats 4,000 Total 32 111,000 The secretary of the navy made it clear that the 32 vessels listed above, to be built under the authority of the national industrial recovery act, do not include vessels now under con- struction at private shipyards and navy yards covered by the appropria- tions for the fiscal year 1934. He also pointed out that there is a total of 17 vessels now under construc- tion, 11 of these at navy yards and 6 at private shipyards. Also outside of this program are the four de- stroyer leaders on which bids are to be taken July 6. Building in Navy Yards In recent years it has been the policy of the navy department to di- vide construction of new naval ves- sels evenly as between private ship- yards and navy yards. The fact that bids on 17 vessels of this new pro- gram will be requested from private shipyards seems to indicate that a similar policy is to be followed. This will mean that all of the navy yards equipped to build new vessels are likely to receive orders for some part of the new program. The navy yards that come to mind in this con- nection are: those at New York, Philadelphia Boston and _ Ports- mouth N. H., all on the Atlantic sea- board, and Mare Island, Vallejo, .Calif., and Puget Sound, Bremerton, Wash. The Washington navy yard, Washington, D. C. will be very ac- tive in building armament. The additional new naval vesseis called for in the new program falls far short of bringing the United States vp to treaty limit. A recent authoritative estimates of naval re- quirements indicates that the United States is authorized under the Lon- don treaty to lay down 185 ships be- fore December, 31, 1936, in order to bring the navy up to treaty strength. In these 135 vessels are included 3 aircraft carriers, 9 cruisers, 89 destroyers, and 34 sub- marines, with a total tonnage of 316,530. Order Bull Line Vessels In the June issue of MARINE REVIEW it was reported that Gibbs & Cox Ince., naval architects, New York, had taken bids on the construction of one or two freight vessels for A. H. Bull & Co. Inc., New York. It is now reported that a contract has been awarded by the Bull com- pany to the Newport News Shipbuild- MARINE REVIEW—July, 1933 ing & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va., for the construction of two freighters with a speed of 13 knots, each having a deadweight of about 7500 tons. An alternate design was submit- ted to the owner by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. The contract is based on this de- sign with certain features of the Gibbs & Cox proposal added. Gen- eral particulars of the vessels call for a length overall of 408 feet; length between perpendiculars, 390 feet; beam, 54 feet; depth molded to upper deck, 30 feet, 6 inches. The gross tonnage will be about 5200. The total shaft horsepower of the propelling machinery will be about 3200 in a single reduction geared turbine. Watertube boilers will sup- ply steam at a pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. Though designed with particular attention to efficiency as freighters, both in machinery and in cargo han- dling layout, each vessel will accom- modate twelve passengers. Delivery will be made in from ten months to one year. It is interesting to note that these are the first freight ships for which contract has been awarded in American shipyards in 12 years, with the possible exception of the Ciry oF NEw YorRK. Gibbs & Cox Inc., New York naval architects, will act in a consulting capacity for the owner in the con- struction of these two freighters. To Open Bids on July 5 The Northland Transportation Co.,. Seattle, has requested bids from six Pacific coast and four Atlantic coast shipyards for the construction of a steel passenger and freight motorship for service in southeastern Alaska. Plans prepared by M. H. Keil, naval architect, Seattle, call for a vessel of the following characteristics: length 231 feet; beam, 40 feet, 10 inches; depth, 23 feet. The propelling power is to be two diese] engines each de: veloping 1000 horsepower. The speed of the vessel is to be 1214 knots. As this is written, the make of the en- gines had not been decided upon. Bun- ker capacity will provide for a cruis- ing radius of 9000 miles. Accommodations are to be provided for 100 first class passengers, in two- berth staterooms, and 22 passengers in second class. The cargo capacity will be 1500 tons, part of which will be refrigerated to handle fish. .