At Philadelphia two ways are being built for large battleships and
battle-cruisers. Norfolk, in addition to her one way for destroyers,
will soon have a way for battleships. Charleston will have five ways for
destroyers. The navy-yard at Puget Sound will soon have a way for one
battleship.
The building plans include not only the construction of ways, but also
machine, electrical, structural, forge, and pattern shops in addition to
foundries, storehouses, railroad-tracks, and power-plants. This increase
in building capacity will enable the government through enhanced repair
facilities to handle all repair and building work for the fleet as well
as such for the new merchant marine. Three naval docks which will be
capable of handling the largest ships in the world are approaching
completion while private companies are building similar docks under
encouragement of the government in the shape of annual guarantees of
dockage.
An idea of what has been accomplished with respect to ship-building is
gained through the statement of Secretary Daniels, June 2, that his
department had established a new world's record for rapid ship
construction by the launching of the torpedo-boat destroyer _Ward_, at
the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, seventeen and a half days after
the keel was laid. The previous record was established shortly before
that date at Camden, New Jersey, where the freighter _Tuckahoe_ was
launched twenty-seven days and three hours after the laying of the keel.
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