CONCRETE VESSELS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3114, 19 June 1917, Page 8

CONCRETE VESSELS

PROPOSAL TO. FEDERAL MINISTRY. , r ( Melbourne, June 8. o- ii Stone, of Messrs. Stone and OKliloley, engiueors and contractors, has put; before tho Federal Primo Minister iMr. Hughes) a proposal to construct a ■1000-ton concrete vessel within ee'veu inontlis, and after that, if the work i$ organised, on a large enough scale, to maintain aiuoutput oif one similar vessel a week. Mr. Stone stated last night that me Primo Minister had received the nroiposal very favourably, and was fully alivo to. the situation. "This is the one kind of vessel for which we have all the materials avail--able in Australia," said Mr. Stone last night, "and the question of labour will offer no difficulties. The vessels would bo built of concrete, with a framework of steel bars, which caii easily be obtained. Messrs. Thompson Brothers, of Cnstlcmainv, and other engineering firms have offered to supply thu' necessary 'engines within the spociiied time. They will be internal combustion engines, of "the semi- ' Diesel type, and the vessels will be capable of a speed of 10 knots an hour. A greater speed could be attained, but it would not justify) the c.tponse. The, vessels will be purely cargo-carriers, of course. My firm has offered to back my opinion that the vessels will be seaworthy and satisfactory, by a guarantee o'f .£IO,OOO, and Messrs. Thompson Brothers will bacfc their engines. Private shipping companies have approached me With regard to designing 8000-ton vessels. I think that,, these larger vessels cau be built without difficulty, and with equal safety. Our suggestion is to build the vessels at Geelong and Adelaide. Both places have an. ample supply of materials and the necessary facilities, and lit both special terms nave been offered which would enable ,the vessels to be very cheaply constructed.

"Wβ built the biggest concrete barge in the world/' continued Mr. Stone. "Jt is 180 ft. lons, with a beam- of 80ft., ami is now in use in Sydney Harbour, whore it sorvus its purpose well, aud has stood many heavy shocks. Wo have gone very carefully into the matter of the seaworthiness of concrete vessels, and studied M the various strains and stresses, including Hie 'hogging , and 'sagging' strains to which they, would be subjected. Wo have had our calculations aud darn cheeked by University professors and other experts, and are satisfied that, when properly designed and constructed, concrete vessels will have an elasticity equal to steel ships, and bo quite as seaworthy. Concrete vessels aro being built in Norway, and a recant cable message- btuted that the Norwegian Government hnd ordered 50,090 tons of shipping built of concrete. Wo have been in touch by cable with, the builders of theso vessels in Norway, and are absolutely certain that we are on the track. 1 may say that wo believe that with properlyconstnicted compartments these concrete vessels would bo proof agninst subnmrino attacks; that ie to say, that they would not sink if torpedoed;"