4 minute read
Oll to tlo. Uaat, Ucnlr* Boofu
By R. T. Titus Director ol Trcde Extension West Cocrst Lumberuren's Association
When a retail lumber dealer can't get flooring for a customer it may be due to the fact that the portion of the log from which flooring comes is going into ship decking for the smallest patrol boat or the mightiest aircraft carrier of our fleet. Lumber that might have been drop siding is norv serving as barge planking, and logs once cut into strrrctural timbers for engineered construction now are converted at sawmills throughout the Pacific Northwest into 136foot long keels, for these long ship timbers are available only from Douglas Fir trees of great height. Douglas Fir is also used for keelsons, stern and rudder posts, shaft logs, garboards, planking, decking, stanchions, deck and hold beams, bulkheads. hatch covers and all other parts of wood boats.
Today the wooden boat building program of our govemment includes a vast fleet of craft from tightly built life boats to the grim, business-like subchasers, minesweepers, mine-layers and submarine net tenders; from small scows to ship-size cargo barges, built to carry 4,00O tons. For U. S. Navy, for Coast Guard, for Army and for Jrfaritime Commission, shipyards are launching these wooden craft by the dozens every day. For instance, in one day recently there were launched in the Pacific Northwest six wooden barges costing a million and a half dollars and requiring approximately 4,500,000 feet of lumber to construct.
On July 3 there slid down the ways at Anacortes, Washington the largest all-wood vessel constructed in the United States since World War I. This 274-f.oot barge, one ol Z2 under construction on the Pacific Coast for the U. S. Maritime Commission, contains approximately 1,700,000 feet of Douglas Fir. These barges are complete ships in every respect except that they lack propelling machinery. They are designed to be towed by an ocean tug which can handle two barges. The hulls are similar to the wooden ships constructed during the last war and to them are added 2-story deckhouses and pilot houses with crew's quarters, galleys, carpenter shops and power for operating winches, pumps and anchors. Such wood hulls when properly serviced out-
Offiicicl U. S. Nwy Photogroph last those of,steel; and they have the added advantage of being less vulnerable to damage by metallic mines.
While Douglas Fir is the principal West Coast wood which goes into the boat building program, large quantities of Port Orford Cedar, Western Red Cedar and Alaska Cedar are used for trim and for small boats; Sitka Spruce and West Coast Hemlock go into hatch covers, bulkheads and the like. Although not a part of the vessel, large quantities of lumber are required also for dunnage.
One of the reasons for the tremendous number of wooden vessels in this war is the need for a variety of boats rnany of them designed to operate in particular waters and along specific shore lines. Among the modern craft in action ancl a-building from wood for Uncle Sam's forces are patrol craft, lighters, power scows, mine layers and sweepers, subchasers, crash boats, powered and non-powered barges, motor torpedo boats, tugs and all sorts of life boats. One of the largest wooden fighting vessels being built today is the 196-foot AMC type mine-srveeper carrying small guns, Y-guns and depth charges.
Lumber which once went into homes, farm buildings and commercial structures is now found in ships wherever our men are fighting. When pearl Harbor was bombed there were 187 wooden patrol craft of various sizes in service and 247 building. Since then the increase in construction has been alrnost incredible. How much is still a military secret. These wooden boats slip into shallow bays and along dangerous shorelines every day of this war doing a noble work. They lay the mines to protect our harbors, and in turn srveep up enemy mine fields so our boats can go through. They patrol our shores, occasionally getting some real sport when they do battle with a submarine. Thousands of wooden barges, the draft horses of the fleet, daily endure bombing and gunning to get cargo to its destination.
It may seem tough on civilians today wheh they can,t get the lumber they need for ordinary use, but when they understand where this lumber is going they are mighty glad that Paul Bunyan has joined the Navy.
lfestern Pine Semi-Annual Meeting
The semi-annual meeting of the board of directors of the Western Pine Association was held at the Palace Hotel. San Francisco, August 19. The various standing committees met on the previous day.
President A. J. Voye, Big Lakes Box Co., Klamath Falls, presided at the meeting and made his report.
Treasurer C. L. Isted, The Shevlin-Hixon Co.. Bend. Ore., followed vvith his recommendations.
Secretary-Manager S. V. Fullaway, Jr., gave a review of the period since the annual meeting, and Assistant Manager W. E. Griffee reported on the industry's statistical position.
The reports of the standing committees were made by the following: Executive, A. J. Voye; Forest Conservation, J. F. Daggett; Grading, .W. G. Kahman; Promotion, W. J. Glassow; The Ponderosa Pine Millwork. Program, R. M. Bodkin; Research, W. P. Marsh; Statistics, H. F. Root; Traffic, W. M. Leuthold.
How Lumber Looks
(Continued from Page 4)
The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended August 7 reported orders as 121,218,000 feet, shipments 123,683,000 feet, and production 12t,377,NA f.eet. ' For the week ended August 14 orders are reported as ll 5,17 2,W feet, .shipme nts 124,377,00O feet, and production 119,068,000 feet.
The Southern Pine Association for the week ended August 7, 169 mills reporting, gave orders as 26,154,000 feet, shipments 22,373,W feet, and production 22,453,W f.eet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled I32,779,W feet.
wrrH w. B. JoNEs LUMBER CO.
Clint Crane has joined the W. B. Jones Lumber Co. organization, wholesale lumber distributors at Los Angeles. Clint was connected with the lumber business in Los Angeles for about twenty years and is well known to the trade. For the past year and a half he has been ranching in Oregon.
Ot'N DNATT BOAND CAIIED I'S WTIEN TTIE 'APS BOMBED US.
WE ARE STIIJ. IN TIIERE PITCHING WITTI EVERYTIIING WE IIA\|E, SO BEAR WITII US UIINL vlc. TORY ISi OUNSI
AMTRICAII
HARDWOOD CO.
1900 E. l5th St., Lros Angeles PRospect 4235
"Buy War Bottds" To,,Kep ,Em Flying,'
L. t. CARR & CO.
&Iifqnio Sugor and Porlldlerorn pine
Scrles Agents For SACRAMENTO BOX & TUMBER CO.
MOUNT HOUGH LUMBER CO.
SACNAMENIO LOS TNGEIES
P. O. Eor 1282 \l[f. !. prrnnrrg Telctype 9c-13 {38 Chqrnbcr ol Conn-orcc Bldg.
ARGATA RDDWOOD GO.
ANCATA, CALIFONNIA
Mqnulqcturers Quqlity Redwood Lumber (Bcmd€cnrn)
"BA nil lunbr From u lirile niil,, SALES OTFICE SO. CALITOBNIA BEPBESENTAIIVE
Ttldon Scler 8ldg. l. t Bca
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