The Indianapolis journal., 1891-01-12
THE LAUNCHING OF A SHIP.
What Happens When One Is Dropped
Broadside On.
Kansas City star

Broadside On.
Kansas City Star
Ships are launched after two fashions
bows and broadside Oh. Bow first is pre-
ferable as method. but only possible
ship-yards facing large bodies of water. "A
ship so launched on finding her joyous feet,
for the first time In water will make run
from an eighth to a quarter of a mile be-
fore coming TO halt. This. of course. is
sheer momentum gathered as she glides
from the stocks. Launched broadsde.
your ship is no wise exclusive, but drop
ping placidly from the stocks into the wa
ter. indulges herself in several very deep
and, to the inexperienced ones, very terri
flying rolls, almost dipping her rail in the
element; after which she settles to final
peace right where she went in.
was present at the launch of one of the
largest of the lake steamers which was
managed after the latter fashion. It is
probable that 10000 people. men, womeo
and children, witnessed this launching. L
had never seen anything of the sort my self,
and. as matters progressed. it required no
peculiar sapiency to conclude / was not
alone In my ignorence. Being an invited
guest. l was given a position on deck with
some hundreds of Others. Looking square
across the narrow river, on the bank di-
rectly opposite 10 where we lay on the
stocks, | beheld some 1900 or 5000 of my
fellow-creatures of all ages, sexes and
sizes, who in their untutored innocence had
come to see the launch. l was benevolently
informed by one of experience as to Just
what the probable motion of the boat
would be when she struck the water and
my teacher also invoked q strict eye on the
people opposite.
"No matter how she tips" said he, don't
be bit alarmed. She'll come down to her
lines all right and no danger But if you
want to see some fun just keep your eye on
those poor people across the water and see
what happens to them"
Then my counselor went briskly to the
top of the pilot-house. the better to view
the scene.
mers made mighty patter on the wedges of
wood which locked us to the skids. A
half moment of this, and, with a slow and
steady motion. we started for the water.
No splash followed, but the whole great
structure heeled over until the
deck seemed almost perpendicular.
and then we began to right. AS the
vessel took the water wave ten times
larger than any had ever seen began to
rise and grow at the vessels side. Slowly
it gathered. higher and higher il came, un-
til it seemed as If all the water in the river
had been taken to make this mighty billow.
Full formed and on its watery feet, il sud
denly started for he little army of onlook-
ers over the way, as if it had Just espied
and regarded them as prey. Looking from
the tall deck i could see over the top of the
wave the devoted thousands in their best
clothes. as they stood rooted IN astonished
horror. There was no use in running. The
wave, as if to cut off escape. the
moment it started threw out a mi
nor wave. curling and foaming, and big
enough TO Overturn a block, 10 each side.
and these seemed to act as fiankers- For
the half of twenty seconds everything was
silent. Women stood with children in their
arms, staring at fate: others of their prog
eny clung to their skirts, while men
looked at the awful phenomenon. unable to
move, think or speak. Thus It was when
the wave rolled over them. There was no
danger bur the wetting. The day was Au-
gust the water warm. TO their rear was q
wide, sandy stretch. and here. from five to
ten rods inland. spluttering and bedraggled.
they were Uttered about by the wave like
playthings. There were q sorry looking
multitude. and no doubt long remembered
their first launching.