Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-15
ANCHORS AND CHAINS.
A Heavy Load in Themselves, and WI
Secondhand Ones Are Preferred.

A Heavy Load in Themselves, and Why
Secondhand Ones Are Preferred.
Several large piles of rusty iron
anchor-chains filling the sidewalk in
front of a shipsmithing shop caused a
reporter to step within the building
and ask how many pounds of iron a
vessel usually carries as a part of its
outfit.
"Many vessels" said the proprietor,
whose shop is one of the Oldest in the
city, carry as much as forty-eight
thousand pounds each. To landsman
this naturally seems a pretty big load
in itself, but it forms an essential part
of a ships makeup. OF this thirty-six
thousand pounds are usually in chains
and twelve thousand pounds in an
II'chors. The Henry B. Hyde, a large
ship built in Maine, carries two anchors,
n of which weighs seven thousand
pounds and the other six thousand
pounds. Every vessel, as we'll as
steamship, is obliged to carry five
anchors, a spare one and two stream
anchors besides the one in regular use.
Our largest anchors weigh eight thou
sand pounds each, while we have them
as light as twenty-five pounds. Some
OF the largest chains are. composed Of
links the iron of which is two and a
half inches in diameter.
eyes, we only deal in secondhand
materials, but we have fitted up some
handsome vessels all the same. The
George w. Curtis, a new clipper ship
of eighteen hundred tons, has our
anchors, as also has the Albert G..
Ropes, twenty-five hundred tons, and
the Henry B. Hyde. We make a spec
ialty of secondhand material of this
kind because we find that there is a
big demand for it. One reason is that
freights are low and ship-owners are
obliged to economic like other people,
and another and more important
one is that a captain prefers second
hand anchors and chains because they
have been fully tested. 1t wouldn't do
? on ship-board to have a defective rig
| ging of this kind, and there is no real
way to test anchors except by use.
Consequently we find it q rule that
thoroughly tested secondhand anchors
and chains find a ready sale.
"New Workers would open their
eyes in surprise were they to know to
what extent the business has grown.
Why, we alone have on hand at this
time one hundred tons Of one and one
quarter inch chains and between six
hundred and seven hundred tons in
anchors, besides tons of other second
hand iron material used on ship-board.
The stuff you see in here and out on
the walk, large as it SEEMS, does not
comprise but a small part of the stock,
for over in Brooklyn we have a lot one
hundred feet square filled with it.
"Do insurance men have anything to
do with a ships outfit? I should say
they did. Why, no anchor can be put
aboard ships nowadays unless it suits
the requirements of the Inspector of in
surance They are very particular
about this, and a ship or steamer must
have just so many shots of chain and
just SO many anchors, of weight and
size to compare with the size of the
vessel, or things won't go. A number
of vessels have lately taken to the use Of
a patent anchor which the insurance
companies allow. This is one-thirG
the weight of the ordinary
anchor, and has more power, fol
the crown is movable. being on 8
swivel. The reason an anchors chain
is always in sections of ninety feet is
to enable the captain to know Just how
much of it he has,,cast out. IN. Y. Maj
and Express.