40 NEW 20,000 TON TANKERS. 
to note in this paper that Mr. Norton refers to the Gatewood patented system of longi- 
tudinal framing, and cites as the feature of the same an odd spacing of transverses, 
making the wide spaces next to the bulkheads and fitting larger brackets to the bulk- 
heads, so as to reduce the bending moment on the longitudinals. 
I would like to say, as a matter of record, that this is not a new idea at all. While 
with the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (Sparrow’s Point Plant), we constructed 
the first Isherwood ship built in this country. This wasin 1909. It was a ship for A. H. 
Bull & Company, known as the Millinocket. Shortly after this we built two colliers, 
each 536 feet long, for the United States Navy, named the Orion and Jason. On these 
designs, which were furnished us by Mr. Isherwood, we used the odd spacing of trans- 
verses and the large brackets at bulkheads exactly as described in this paper, with the 
same idea in view. In fact, if my memory serves me right, this same feature was used 
in every ship built on the Isherwood system that we constructed at Sparrow’s Point. 
The data for scantlings were furnished by Mr. Isherwood, so that it would appear that 
Mr. Isherwood antedated Mr. Gatewood by a number of years. 
THE SECRETARY:—Just at this point, I would like to ask Mr. Norton in his 
rejoinder to give me some information based on his practical experience, on a phase which 
I think is interesting. These tankers, as I understand, are built on the straight shear 
principle, practically throughout the whole cargo space, which is a large proportion of 
the ship’s length. That has a distinct effect on the freeboard permitted by the classifica- 
tion society which means, on vessels of given dimensions and given hold depth, there is 
a certain lesser deadweight which the ship can carry, which may or may not be impor- 
tant in this particular case. 
The arguments for this form of construction, as I understand them, are that it 
permits an actual uniform section of ship throughout the length of the parallel 
middle body, because there is no shear, and therefore all the transverses and bulkheads, 
as well as many shell plates and other items, are identical throughout this length; and 
it is claimed that there is a certain simplicity of construction secured in that manner, 
and therefore the accuracy of the work may be supposed to be greater than in a vessel 
of constantly varying depth. I wonder if the yards which have been building on that 
principle have really found that there is any material saving in cost in loft work, template 
work, and construction and building generally, following that method. I would like to 
know what the company thinks of it, irrespective of the demands of the particular owner 
for whom it may be building, whether or not that particular type of construction is 
or is not superior, whether from the owner’s point of view or the builder’s point of view. 
Mr. ALBERT E. SAUNDERS, Member:—I may help Mr. Cox a little on the subject 
of how much gain there is in the flat shear, etc. The first tankers which the Sun Company 
built were designed with 40 per cent of middle body with flat shear for the same extent. 
All the midship shell plates were kept the same length and width and large enough to 
take three longitudinals. They were so arranged that there were about 100 shell plates 
in each ship exactly the same and which could be used end for end or side for side. 
The pump-room length was the same as the spacing of the transverses, so that the 
same could be placed to suit the requirements of the owners. One advantage was that 
it has been possible to adopt a design of vessel which is more or less a standard, and as 
owners demand different distribution of the bulkheads, the same are moved to suit the 
