Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-25
The Leviathan.
(From the London Times, Feb. a.

GHaH u very great ueal uaS ueeu ptrlecteu, duu
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, will not exceed gl20,-
600. and the time required to do this will GER
tainly not extend beyond the month of July
| -Four months is estimated as being the utmost
time necessary to fit her. but circumstances
have arisen, such as the company being oblig-
ed to give up possession of the yard at Mill
wall which may occasion hndrances that will
| probably delay her completion to the time we
have stated In order to insure the work be-
ing done in the shortest space of time and at
| the lowest rate consistent with good workman
ship, it has been decided to subdivide what re-
mains to be done about the vessel among sew
eral contractors
No less than ten anchors are now required
to hold the monster vessel at her present moor
ings-ive at the stem and five at the stern,
and each with lengths of cable attached vary
ing from 40 to 100 fathomS. When first an
chored in the river, eight sutficed to hold her,
but during half gale which blew shortly af-
ter her launch, she dragged at the stern in such
a manner as to swing more into the tide-way,
and required two of Trotmans largest patent
anchors in addition to the others, since which
she has been brought up effectually and now ap-
parently nothing short of hurricane would be
sufficient to remove her. As the fittings of the
ship progress, pair of powerful shears will be
fitted on the deck for the purpose of hosting in
! the iron Of the masts, the intermediate shaft,
heavy boats, standing rigging, and other por-
tions of her equipment which are too ponder
Gus TO raise by ordinary means.
The masts are, at present, being made at
Millwall in pieces, and q good deal of the main
masts has already been completed, though of
course, they will not be put together until
they are actually on board. There are to be
six maSts in ail-three square-rgged. and three
with fore-and-aft sails. All these masts will
be composed of plates of wrought iron one
inch in thickness and riveted together in the
same manner as the sides of the ship, or
steam boiler of the strongest description They
will vary in height from l30 to 10 feet from
the keel to the truck, each will be three feet
four inches in diameter at the deck, and each
will weigh from thirty to forty tons, exclusive
of yards or rigging Each mast rests in
square column of plate iron, which reaches d.
rect from the keel to the upper deck, and is
rveted and built into all of the successive decks
through which it passes. In case of it 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, working by means of powerful screw,
is made to compress two sides of the mastS to-
gether in such a manner as to completely crush
them in, and let the masts fall over the sides
Immediately.
As, however, all the masts will be stayed 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 he taken in order 10 get rid of the
masts when necessary. To effect this, then,
all the Shrouds and stays are fastened at the
ends through iron rings in such manner that,
as far any exertion of strength or skill is con-
cerned, a single man would be sufficient to cast
loose all the faStenings of each mast in five
minutes, though until the rings are opened the
sides might be torn from the ship before they
would yield an inch All the main and top
mast yards of the square rugged masts will be
| also of iron plates The main yard will be 80
feet long, or about 4S feet longer than the
main-yard of our argcst-line-of-battle ships,
about four times the strength of any main-yard
yet constructed, and several tons lighter than
The Company are about to remove their
plans and materials to another yard on the
Surrey side of the river, and all the works at
MiIlwall are in the chaotic state which usually
| portends change of location. We believe no
attempt will be made to draw out any of the
many hundred piles driven into the earth for
one purpose or another during the conrse of
the launch. More with view of satisfying
scruples on this subject than with any other OBJ
iects, some one or two have been extracted"
but the efforts required to draw them involv-
ed such heavy labor that the wages of the
| workmen employed amounted to more than
double the value of the piles themseles. They
will therefore be suffered to remain where they
are only saving off the uppermoSt parts level
with the earth.
In one POI ton of the yard the men are en-
ployed night and day in turning the monStrouS
Immediate shaft for the paddle-engines. This
shaft is probably, for its size, the finest spec-
men of forged iron that has ever been produc-
ed at any works. 1t was made at Glasgow,
and in the rough weighed some thirty-four tons.
| This is the third that has been forged for the
padde-engines of the Leviathan. In both the
| former ones, when the manufacture was almost
COMPLETED. such flaws was discovered in their
substance as made them worthless and from
the immense size of the shaft, and the necessi-
ty for its being of the most perfect strength
and solidity throughout, considerable anxiety
was at one time entertained as to the possibil-
ity of getting one made at all in time for the
starting of the vessel next Autumn. All
doubts, have, however, been set at rest by the
arrival of the present shaft, which is now be-
ing completed in the turning lathe.
With regard to the future of the Leviathan,
there is, perhaps no question more frequentlyask-
ed by the public than that of where she is
to be docked in case of her wanting repairs, or
her bottom requiring cleaning. This question
! has, however, we are glad to say. been salts