Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-12-31
Launching the Leviathan

third attempt was made to launch the
Leviathan, and during the day she was
gradually lowered down the ways near
y % feet.
The cause of previous failures was to
great extent the marshy nature of the
ground and consequent yielding OF
the piles, against which the hydraulic
machines rested. Since the day of the
second attempt large force of work
men had been constructing series of
ponderous timber networks, formed OF
rows of piles 40 feet long; and IA inch
es square, driven into the ground to a
depth of from 80 to 80 feet. Each row
consisted of about IL of these timbers,
and there were FIVE and six rows, one
behind another, at intervals of 20 feet
distance. Between these, on a level
with the ground, were a series of stays
of timber of the same size, fastened hor-
izontally, and the parts above ground
were supported by a complete system of
beams crossing and re-crossing, so that
the pressure was distributed over an
immense surface and provided against
at every point. The whole mass was
screwed and bolted together, and be-
hind the last row of each piles was
crowded mass of iron ballast of enor-
nous weight, so as not only to support
the timbers, but compress the earth
around them. Four of these gigantic
fllcra were erected. These preparations
were completed on the 26th ult., but as
the next day was Friday, superstition
forbade an attempt of launching, and
the day was spent in experiments. On
Saturday at 10 O'clock the pumps were
started. In 40 minutes it was announc-
ed that she had moved 9 inches down
the forward launch way, and that the
stem had returned Z inches up the after
most way. This shift brought her near
ly straight upon the ways again, and
the pumping was continued, the vessel
moving downward about an inch per
minute.
At minutes to IL she had progress
sed Is inches forward and 9 inches aft,
and all was going on smoothly as could
be wished for when loud shouts from
the stern announced that the last of the
dock yard mooring chains-a monstrous
cable, with links almost as thick as a
mans arm--had parted. There was no
immediate remedy at hand for this evil,
so the strain had to be discontinued forth
with. Almost at the same instant one
of the two mooring chains which hauled
upon her bows came in so rapidly as to
be useless, while the second anchor that
held the other chain on the opposite
side of the river also began to drag
Such mishaps occurring at the same mo-
ment occasioned slight delay, but the
stoppage was only temporary, and by
II o'clock the forward cradle had gone
down the ways "a inches and the after
most II inches. From this time on her
progress continued slow, but sure, aver
aging about one inch to every 20 sec
onds. Her progress was noiseiess In
the strict st sence of the word, the most
strained attention falling to detect by a
sound that there was any motion going
forward, mrch less that an iron suburb
of such monstrous proportions was be-
ing forced towards the water. BY mark
ing the railway metals over which the
cradles slid, her exact progress could be
noted and timed, but without such a
guide for the eye, it was very difficult to
perceive that she was making any way
at all. Under such circumstances,
one can easily imagine how soon the
public outside the yard, exposed on
house-tops to an easterly wind, lost in
terest in the whole proceeding, and I'M
derwent complete reaction. They a
bandoned their elevated position in dis
gust, intimating pretty plainly that as
the launch was likely to last some
months, they proposed coming again to
see it when the warm weather had set
in next year.
AT o'clock the men went to dinner,
and the vessel was allowed to bed her
self to the debth of an inch or so, by
the compression of the timbers, and
which necessiated nearly twice the a.
mount of pressure required to move her,
to start her again. An hour was spent
in starting her, and two out of the four
mooring chains were broken in the at
tempt. The delay showed the necessity
of working on Sunday. Mr.. Brunei
and his assistants could not bear the IA
tigue of iaboring through the night of
Saturday, and at dark the vessel was
allowed to stop. During the night the
mooring chains were repaired, and one
at the stern secured to block Of stone
weighing fifteen tuns, and buried seven
feet in the earth. On Sunday morning
every expedient was tried to move the
vessel. The hydraulic machines splin-
tered the beams like reeds, against which
they were pushed. Two of the moor
ing chains were broken, and the fifteen
tun block of granite was drawn sheer
out of the earth. Three extemporane-
Gus battering-rams were rugged, each
worked by 80 men and driven with pro
digious force against the cradle, and all
the screw jacks that could be got togeth-
er were put in operation. Seven hours
were consumed in starting her, which
left less than two hours for actual ad-
vance.
The whole progress of the day was
only 100 inches On Monday, all these
forces were combined in the outset, and
she got in motion on the first pressure,
making about an inch per 40 seconds,
till the fatal l O'clock bell rang for din
ner. The hours pause for dinner caus-
ed delay of another hour in starting
her, when she slid in an instant five in
ches forward and nine inches aft. This
jerk and sudden stoppage fixed her with
such solidity that in the attempt to start
her the cylinder of one of the 10 inch
hydraulic rams burst from top to bot
tom. The thickness of the cylindar
was II inches, and yielded only I'M
der the stupendous pressure of 10000
poudds to the square inch. This finish
cd Mnndar's work and was exceeding