HOG ISLAND, THE GREATEST SHIPYARD IN THE WORLD. 

 By W. H. Blood, Jr., Esq., Visitor. 



[Read at the twenty-sixth general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, held in 



Philadelpliia, November 14 and IS, 1918.] 



To fully comprehend the development, plan and scope of the Hog Island ship- 

 yard, one must know the conditions which called for it and the steps which led up 

 to its creation. 



On May 7, 191 5, the Lusitania was torpedoed and shortly after, during the 

 same year, other British steamers, the Arabic, Ancona and the Persia, to say noth- 

 ing of numerous smaller vessels, belonging to the allied nations, were sent to the 

 bottom. Many neutral steamers, regardless of nationality or destination, were also 

 sunk, until the total tonnage destroyed in 191 5, according to British Admiralty re- 

 ports, ran up to 1,800,000 deadweight tons. The record of sinkings for 1916 was 

 over 2,500,000 deadweight tons, and it looked at that time as if Germany might 

 continue to keep up, or possibly increase, this ratio. It was evident that the world's 

 supply of ships was fast diminishing and there arose an urgent demand that the 

 United States start at once the building of a merchant marine, a thing long talked 

 of but never realized. 



Congress, recognizing that such a condition existed, on September 7, 191 6, 

 passed an act "To establish a United States Shipping Board for the purpose of 

 encouraging, developing, and creating a naval auxiliary and naval reserve and a 

 merchant marine to meet the requirements of the commerce of the United States 

 with its Territories and possessions and with foreign countries; to regulate car- 

 riers by water engaged in the foreign and interstate commerce of the United States ; 

 and for other purposes." 



Under the Emergency Shipping Fund Provision of the Urgent Deficiencies 

 Appropriation Act, approved June 30, 19 17, the President was, among other things, 

 empowered "to place an order with any person for such ships or material as the 

 necessities of the Government, * * * may require during the period of the 

 war and which are of the nature, kind, and quantity usually produced or capable 

 of being produced by such person." The President was also authorized to exer- 

 cise the power granted to him and to expend the money appropriated, through 

 such agencies as he might determine. This power was delegated to the United 

 States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation by executive order and thus 

 a national organization for building merchant ships was established and the ex- 

 penditure of $500,000,000 for this purpose was authorized. 



On April 6, 19 17, the Declaration of War against the Imperial German Gov- 

 ernment was signed by President Wilson. 



