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Launch Destroyer Farragut at Fore River Yard The United States destroyer FARRA- GUT was launched at the Fore River plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd., Quincy, Mass., on March 15. The sponsor was Mrs. James Roose- velt, daughter-in-law of the President. A bottle of champagne was used in the launching of this latest of destroyers. The new vessel is one of the first group of destroyers built for the United States navy since the completion of the war-time program in 1920, and her building was authorized under acts of congress Aug. 29, 1916, July 1, 1918, and July 11, 1919. Contract was placed on Dec. 11, 1931. She is of 1500 tons standard displacement and sister ships are now building at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me., and at several navy yards. These destroyers have a length of about 340 feet and a beam of about 34 feet. They are powered with geared turbines and watertube boilers of Bethlehem design. Great advances have been made in désign since the previous classes of destroyers, making it possible to obtain higher speeds at more economical rates and at less weight. The vessels are designed for long cruising radius and are fitted with a battery which will make them particularly useful for both attack and defense. Launching conditions at the Fore River plant are ideal, as there is con- siderable depth of water and ample area for the full run of the ship with- out checking. The FARRAGUT was ap- proximately 90 per cent complete when she was launched and it is expected that the trials will take place some time in April. The ground ways upon which the FARRAGUT was launched are about 445 feet long, and have a slope of +é-inch per foot, as against a keel slope of 5g-inch per foot. The cradle has an effective length of 276 feet and an effective width of 16%, inches, giving a bearing of 772 square feet and an average pressure of about 9% tons per square foot. The distance from center to center of the ground ways was 11 feet. The vessel was held in place, after keel blocks, shores and bilge cribs were removed, by steel plates, perforated with small holes. These plates were burned through at the proper time to release the vessel. Hydraulic jacks of about 100 tons capacity were provided in way of the fore poppets to assist in starting the vessel, but were not needed. The sponsor was accompanied by her husband and his brother, Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. and by a group of naval officers. A large crowd gathered for the ceremony. The present FArraGcuT is the third vessel of the United States navy to bear the name of the famous American naval hero, Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The first was torpedo boat No. 11, built in 1896 at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, now one of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.’s plants; the second, built at the same plant in 1917, was destroyer No. 300. Two Dredges are Ordered The United States engineer Office, Kansas City, Mo., which received bids Feb. 24 for building two self-propelled, 34-inch pipe line dredges, has awarded contract to the Marietta Mfg. Co., Point Pleasant, W. Va., on its bid of $1,016,508 for the two; with delivery of the first in 180 days and the second in 210 days. McClintic-Marshall Corp., Pittsburgh, on a bid of $61,202 will furnish 1000 feet of pontoon discharge pipe, with 20 pontoons. These dredges, which are generally similar to the JADWIN and BURGESS described elsewhere in this issue, are to be of the transverse frame, steel construction and will be equipped with steam power. The general dimensions are: Length overall, 277 feet %-inch; length molded, 270 feet; beam molded, 50 feet; and depth amidships, 9 feet 3 inches. InpIAN ARROW, Standard Vacuum Transportation Co. tanker, 8328 gross tons, entered the Robins plant of Todd Shipyards Corp., New York, on March 7 for extensive repairs, which will re- quire about 30 days. Vinson Naval Bill Passes Calls for 102 Ships On March 22 the United States sen- ate and the house of representatives adopted the conference report on the Vinson-Trammell naval building bill. It became law on receiving the Presi- dent’s signature March 27. It gives the authorization for building 102 ves- sels and 1184 planes. The total esti- mated cost of the program is from $750,000,000 to $1,000,000,000. The navy department, under the authority of this act, is making plans to begin an initial building program, including 20 vessels, for which an appropriation of $30,000,000 will be asked. The ap- propriation bill provides for begin- ning construction on this new pro- gram by July 1. The initial construction called for by the navy department includes two destroyer leaders of 1850 tons each, six submarines and twelve 1500-ton destroyers. It also provides for an increasing airplane construction. This is the first part of a five-year program to carry out the provisions of the Vinson-Trammel bill. Under this bill the President is per- mitted, if an arms limitation agree- ment is made, to suspend work on all vessels which were not under construc- tion at the time the bill was approved. It is understood, however, that the administration is ready to proceed with the full program unless a reduc- tion in armament agreement. is reached. One provision of the bill specifies that ships of each type shall be built alternately in government and private shipyards year by year. It also pro- vides that contractors must agree to accept a figure which will give them not more than a profit of 10 per cent. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Bos- ton, was low bidder on repairs to the S. S. NorTHERN Sworp, damaged re- cently in a grounding off Winthrop, Mass., with a bid of $48,900, 17 days. United Dry Docks Inc., New York, submitted a bid of $52,900 and 18 days. Robins plant of Todd Shipyards Corp., New York, submitted a bid of $54,000 and 18 days. an 85/0 006w[w—«mnmnasmqmm_—. a —oora-eee Owe : Bunker Prices At New York At Philadelphia Other Ports Coal Fuel oil Diesel engine _ Coal Fuel oil Diese engine Mar. 19, 1934 F. o. b. alongside oil alongside trimin bunk alongside oil alongside Boston, coal, per ton.$ 8.00 per ton per barrel per gallon per ton. per vee aut gallon Boston, oil, ip ten tie pet ; 125 4.79 Mar. 19, 1934...4.65@4.50 22 .76 barrelscs tesa eke core $1.1 ee 19° bas ae ee 0 125 4.79 Rebs 19 as 65@4.50 1.25 4.76 Hampton Roads, coal, per aa bee ee 5.35@5.20 1.25 4.79 Jams L8s ccs meee 4.65@4.50 1.25 4.76 ton, f.o.b. pibTe a H4se 7 ae Boo 5.35@5.20 1.25 4,79 Dee, tS) es as 4.65@4.50 1.15 4.76 Cardiff, coal, per ton....148 Od Nov 48 pes O50. 4.70% Noe iBome .s 4.65@4.50 1.15 4.76 London, coal, per ton...—s —d Oct 185235 ss 5.00@5.75 1.15 4.70% Oct eens ak 5.00@5.75 1.15 4.76 Antwerp, coal, per ton. .17s Od Sept. 18.....3..4.4504.75 (2.13 4.70 Sept. 18 ee eS ea es 4,88 Antwerp, Fuel oil, per ton67s 6d Aue. 18... .6. 4. 448 @4.75.. 290 4.32 Rue 18060762) 4.45@4.75 .90 4.28 Antwerp, Diesel oil, per: PLY UO sw scicce es peel .90 4.32 July 18 ........4.30@4.60 90 CR Ee eaaenttentiy fol Pm ere se aC s 6d 18. .4.30@4.60 . 80 4.08 hd TR oe. 4.30@4.60 .80 4.04 British ports, Fuel oil. B78 6d Vay 18, 1933. ..4.30@4.60 80 4.08 ay 18, 1933...4.30@4.60 . 80 4.04 British ports, Diesel oil. 1028 6d Note: eines given for coal at New Yor k and Philadelphia are for Classes A and B according to the Code; Class C is slightly less. f= MARINE REeview—April, 1934 ; 45