The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-24
A HUGE STEAMER.
The Steamship City Of Berlin, The Latest Ad-
dillon TO the Inman Fleet.
Special Description of the New Palace
of the Ocean.
TIE SCIENCE OF NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.

magnificent structures are brought into exist
ence. and there are some who know nothing or
the uxuries that may be obtained on board or q
wen appointed ship; for that reason the writer
VII give brief description OF how they COM
menced and dnsned. Also the great precautions
that are taken Tor the safety ana comfort OF pas
sengers who travel in vessels such as belong to
the above mentioned firm company. When
passing along the coast OF England in an iron
steamer, but Few persons would think that but q
short time ago the hull they were floating was
mass OF hard stone that composed part OF the
land they were looking at. Perhaps SIX months
ago men were quarryng 1t out OF the side OF hill,
from there dragged higher up and put INTO blast
furnace or white hot Gre, wneIe 1t is made TO
crack, pop ana burst into pieces, making reports
like hundreds OF guns, and as 1t does so sin ks
lower and lower into the furnace, until t gets
quite TO the bottom OF IL. When it comes out into
daylight again and before it is cold IL is put
into iron barrows and nosted up, still
higher than be ore, and when at the top is once
more turned into another Naming furnace, mixed
up with other stun when IL gradually sinks lower
down, and, as 1t sinks, 1t becomes hotter and
hotter until 1t is white as snow, then it melts,
ana IL does SO iJ runs into vessel ut the bot
tom. and there is kept in that state until there
is enough oft collected then the vessel is tapped
and the molten iron is allowed 10 run out on TO
it TO run; IL passes along them until It arrives
where a number or holes have been made for It TO
iii, it fills them, stops running. gets cold and
Is then what is known as pig iron.
now THE IRON Is TREATED
When these pigs OF iron are required they are
taken away TO another furnace and are thrown
into It. and this time they are made white hot, so
that number or the pigs OF iron get into one
mass an as white as a mass or snow. In that
state it is pulled OF the furnace and placed on
large shovel the pan part OF which is on wheels.
The mass Is then wheeled 10 an enormous steam
hammer ana is placed under it. With ter
rife smash 1t falls on to the white lump. sending
the sparks flying far ana wide as II 1t were going
70 blind everybody and set everything on IRE
around t. Then the heavy hammer IS lifted
again, ana, when high enough, Is allowed 70 taI
down again with another tremendous crushing
blow, which sends the still white mass into nat,
oval. rough-edgeu lump OF solid iron.
AGAIN UNDER THE HAMMER.
At this stage 1t Is again put on the shovel with
wheels and is put under another steam hammer
and there it is hammered edgeways and ham.
mered until it becomes 0 square lump and fiat
tened; tins being done it IS then taken 10
Weighing machine, aud its weight being deter
mined the square lump OF st white hot iron y
taken TO where there are placed two enormous
IRON rollers. One side Of the square piece Is then
placed against these tWo rollers, which are re-
volving quickly round, when the upper roller
takes q grip or the edge OF the iron above, the
lower roller takes hold OF tie lower edge and
with their united grips they force the
heavy lump between them, and between
them the iron must go, ana IL
passes through IL nattens considerably the nrst
time; then 1t is picked up the other side and
D ssed through back again; and again aud again
1t has TO 60 through until II Is thin enough 10 be
a sheet or iron 70 form piece OF a snip. And
now you see Il lying on the door or the rolling
shed q large oyatshaped sheet or iron, OF the
thickness required for the snip. or course IL has
rough edges.
PIT FOR USE
At this stage 3 wooden frame mould is brought
and Is laid down on the sheet OF IRON; then
clean chalk marx Is mace all round the frame.
Tnis being done tue snees Is lifted BY several men,
by means Of loDg-nanaled nippers. II Is then
placed under pair OF shears or scissors and the
edges are all cut OF BY the chalk mark, aud u -
then a sheet OF iron, clean, ana piece Of snip.
TUE KEEL And OTHER PARTS OF TIKI NAVAL
STRUCTURE.
Just IN the same manner the keel or the ship is
rolled out length after length, tae exact breadth
and thickness required, until there are Sufficient
lengths 70 make up the whole length OF the Keel,
which would De Tor this large vessel the enormous
length OF as feet. With respect 10 the ribs or
frames OF the vessel, which are OF angle ana T.
shaped iron. these parts are rolled or squeezed
through place made the exact shape and size
that the iron Is Intended to be and are cut TO the
exact lengths required. In this manner piece
after piece IL formed, or all sorts ana ali shapes
and sizes o. course there are parts OF ship that
have to be forged, and as a rule they are tue most
particular parts, but the special and perhaps the
most particular part Is the screw snaIt, especially
short description or the way the screw SHAFT -
made may b interesting to some, a. On It de-
ponds almost everything.
now IT Is DoSE.
In order 10 understand wei tue care that Ia
necessary for the manufacture OF screw shan
the reader must picture TO himself large bundle
OF scrap iron bolts about three feet in length.
These bundles are fastened together 40 that tney
will not get loose when In the furnace they have
through the middle Of them or otherwise fastened
to them long handles, the ends OF which form
part OF the bundle. They are then put into a
furnace and while there are attended Dy Two or
three men, who watch Il until II IS quite white
hot; it is made 50 hot the scrap falls into mass.
ana fall a. It were, one into the other. When a.
nearly a melting heat the bundle Is taken
out OF the Are and placed under a
heavy steam hammer which Is made 70
fan heavy or hgnt on IL At tue VIII OF
the forger. one or two men hold the ends or
the bars and turn and TWIST the now solid mass
about 50 that the hammer may fall on the pieces
exactly wnere IL is wanted. In tnis way the scrap
is knocked one piece into the other, and in TINS
way they make solid pieces out OF the tens Of
thousands OF scrap pieces. BY means OF the same
machinery they starf one short piece on ~ another
until tney have one length, perhaps twelve or nj
teen feet long. ihese lengths a then Jointed to-
gether, ana the joints are even stronger than the
RBait ITSELF Wnen these lengths are placed ia the
ship arrangements are made at the same time Tor
lifting any one Of the lengths without any extra
gear, without disturbing any part " the ships
Internal arrangements The screw alley Ia this
vessel As a grand sight OF itself.
TIE WORK or BUILDING.
Having described the manner in which the ma
terlai or the vessel IL produced, IL may be well Tor
the Information OF some 10 notice how the build
idg OF the vessel progresses from one stage to
nnntnnr untLL she Lecnmna tuat ncamtIlnl sLrnn-