San Andreas independent., 1858-02-06
Launching the Leviathan.

VI hiiohdPS, uuIlHS WHICH Que part aIleT
another of the apparatus broke down in
the most lgnominious manner; the work
was discontinued and further proceedings
postponed sine die. The causes which led
to this fifth signal failure may be told in
the few words that it was almost impossi-
BILE to make the vessel move at all, and
that in the efforts to do so hydraulic rams.
windlasses and chains, though of the most
ponderous and massive construction, were
all broken irregular succession, till scarce
ly anything of the apparatus was left to
continue work. Under such circumstan-
ces, therefore, not even hope was enter
tanned of effecting anything, and by ppm.
theattempts were abandoned. What makes
the matter worse is that nearly every por-
tion of the powerful gear was broken with
out producing the slightest effect in the
way of movement upon the monstrous
vessel. 1t is quite true that when the
efforts were discontinued the signal board
showed that the entire bulk had been
moved 38 inches, but of this distance 50
inches were made at one slip early in the
day, and with comparatively easy or at
least reasonable pressure from the launch
ing apparatus. After this, with immense
difficulty, and at the cost of some parts
of the machinery, another triAing move
ment OF three inches more was got out of
her, when heappeared to wedge herself in
such manner that though the most tre-
mendous efforts were subsequently made
she remained as firm as a mountain
Some idea of the extent to which the
pressure was applied may be gathered
from the fact that no less than three hy.
draulic rams, one powerful crab op wind
lass, and the doubled chains which drag
her toward the river, both at the stem and
stern, were all burst and broken. The
manner in which each of these gave way
showed that the strain they were subiec-
ted to was something almost unheard-of
in the history of mechanics fact, the
accident which occurred to the windlass.
when side of its massive iron drum round
which the chain was coiled was crushed in
like nut, was not only, we believe, never
known to occur before, but until yester-
day such breakagc was considered al
most impossible. The men, as usual,
under the direction of Mr. Brunei, were
all early at their work, but some loss of
time was necessarily occasioned in getting
such extensive gear into working order,
and then at the very commencement it
was seen that the vessel was sticking fast
upon the ways, and that, if moved at ALL
the days work was likely to be severe
one. This was partly attributed to the
Leviathan having got completely off the
one foot in 10 incline into one in ~, and
no doubt the reduced gradient must to
some extent have exercised retarding
influence. But the real reason, we fear,
will be found in the fact that the iron bars
of the cradles and the railway metals of
the ways arc both considerably rusted, and
that this resistance, added to the immense
friction always caused by running iron on
iron, offers such a bar to the further pro-
gress OF the vessel as will require half the
hydraulic presses in the kingdom to over
come. The first slip was not effected till
the pressure applied upon the cradlesa and
the strain from the river exceeded 1000
tuns, and then, as we have said, she slip
ped, or rather jerked down 80 inches, the
last few inches being gained apparently
more from the vibratory motion commu-
nicated throughout her entire length than
from her own momentum. From series
of calculations which have been made
throughout the launch, as far as it has
yet gone, it has been ascertained that the
strain required to keep her in motion when
once started was only 100 tuns. Yester-
day, however, the calculations based on
the rapidity with which her momentum
diminished showed that the strain required
was more than $50 tuns, or one and
half greater than it has been at any time
since the efforts first commenced.
After this 35-inch slip, the greatest ex-
ertions were made to move her, but for
long time without success. During this,
all the hydraulic rams were taxed to the
very utmost, and through the sides of one
OF ten inches in diameter the water was
forced through the pores of the solid iron
like thin dew, until the whole cylinder
ripped from top to bottom with a noise
like dull underground explosion. The
iron of this cylinder averaged six inches
In thickness, and stood pressure of up
ward of 1900 lbs to the square inch
before it gave way. At the same time |
also the drum of the windlass was crushed
in the way we have mentioned The strain |
on this was about 100 tuns, and the most
singular part of the circumstance is, how
the chain, with which it was dragging the |
stem Of the vessel toward the river moor
ings, withstood the tension At leugth, |
after some delay and immense exertions,
a movement of three inches distance was
gained, but more than this it was impos-
sible to effect. The men continued at
work, till the chains dragging the stem
and stern of the vessel to the river, and
which were secured to anchors among the
piles on the opposite bank of the Thames
were both broken away Two more hy- |
draulic rams were also broken, and the |
usual average of expensive casualties hav
ing thus been reached at the early hour
of two o'clock, the yard was cleared of
workmen and the launching" susnan-