Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1858-03-27
THE LEVIATII.AN.

has the annexed interesting notice Of
the fitting out of the steamship Leviathan
for sea
Though nothing worth speaking of,
in the way of work, had been done about
the Leviathan, a very great deal has
been perfected, and we believe the
arrangements are being made for her
final completion and fitting for sea. The
total cost of completing her fittings, put
ting on board stores, &c, and making
her in all respects ready for sea walk not
exceed gl2O, 600, and the time required
to do this will certainly not extend be-
yond the month of July.
No less than ten anchors are now
required to hold the monster vessel at
her present mornings, FIVE. at the stem
andfVs, at the stern. and each with
lengths of cable attached varying from
40 to 160 tathoms. When first anchored
in the river, eight sui1iced to hold her,
but during half a gale which blew
shortly after her launch she dragged at
the starn in such a manner as to swing
more into the tide way, and require two
Of Trotman's largest patent anchors in
addition to the others, since which she
has been brought up effectually, and
now apparently nothing short Of a
hurricane would be sufficient to move
her. As.the fittings of the ship progress,
a pair of powerful shears will be fitted
on deck for the purpose of lifting in the
iron of the masts, the intermediate
shaft, heavy boats, standing rigging,
and other portions of her, equipment
which are too ponderous to raise by
ordinary means.
The masts are at present being made
at Millwall, in pieces, and a good deal
of the mainmasts, has already been COM
pleted, though. of course they will not
be put together until they are actually
on board. There are to be- six masts in
all, three square-rigged and three rugged
with fore and aft sails. All these masts
will be composed of plates of wrought
iron an inch in thickness, and riveted.
together in the same manner as the sides
of ships, or a steam boiler of the
strongest description. They will vary
in height from 100 to ITO feet from the
keel to the truck, each will be three feet
four inches diameter at the deck, and
each will weigh from 80 to 40 tons,
exclusive of yards Or rigging. Each
mast rests in a square column of plate
iron, which reaches direct from the keel
to the upper deck, and is riveted and
built INTO all of the successive decks
through which it passes. In case Of its
ever becoming necessary to cut away
the masts, at the base of them all, at
about three feet above the deck, will be
fixed a peculiar apparatus, which, work
by means of 81 powerful screw, is
made to compress two sides OF the masts
together in such a n as to COM
crush them in, and let the masts
over the sides Immediately.
As, however, all the masts will be
by the usual standing rigging,
which in the CASE of the Leviathan will
be all of wire rope and of the most
massive kind, other precautions have to
be taken in order to get rid Of the masts
when necessary. To effect this, then,
all the shrouds and stays are fastened
at the end through iron rings in such a
manner that as far as any exertion of
strength or skill is concerned a single
would be sufficient to cast loose all
the fastenings of each mast in five
though until the rings are
opened the sides might be torn from the
before they would yield an inch.
All the main and topmast yards of the
square rugged masts will be also of iron
plates. The main yard will be 1870 feet
|ong, or about 40 feet longer than the
mainyard of our largest line of-battle
about four times the strength of any
nainyard yet constructed, and several
tons lighter than if it was made of wood,
is usually the case.
With regard to the future Of the
~Leviathan, there is perhaps no question
more frequently asked by the public than
that or where she is to be locked in
case Of her wanting repairs or her
requiring cleaning. This ques-
ton has, however, we are glad to say,
been satisfactorily decided, though not
quite as regards docking her. There
are some docks, we believe, in Liverpool,
which are long enough to take in the
if their entrances were only
wide in proportion but as they all fail
this latter important particular, the
great vessel when she wants cleaning
will have to be gridironed, as the screw
are-that is, run around on rows
If piles laid along the rivers side for
he purpose, and the tide of course will
cave her dry at each low water.
A spot has been chosen for this pur-
bose in the Mersey, between Woodside
ind Birkenhead, and to this place the
will be taken as often as she
leeds repairs Of cleaning.