New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-03
HOW THE SHAFT WAS REPAIRED.
c,,,rrr-xcIYrFR TOMI1NsoN TELLS TIE STORY

u,FFFSGINEER TOMLiNSON TELLS I'M "i'"-
OF A MECHANICAL TRIUMPH.
arbss. room,srs OF the press have Just beeh iFIe'
rressible and I've had 10 Xeroi'e inc u'n'o'' wa
and ingenuity not 10 be interviewed ny mem 1
Lawrence Tomlnson, the chief engineer VI '"e O..
br,a to couple Of friends as he vas aoou' GUNS ~
hoa-a his vessel yesterday morning. 10 see '"e
man 10 hear him speak 10 listen 20 DIS r1','o"
,,o occ,dent 10 the Tmbrl. with carciu aNUiu'h
>, so,fnroise no one could help being convinced
Tho, he was the right man in the right place ~
stands over six feet IN Neigh. weisus aI'"'
mounds. has a frank, open count'nanoe d h,",'
i,rht.brown mustache and has tic muscle ana t'v
brain that are required Of competent m't''aii'',
.,oneer It WAS interesting 10 listen TO the carer
nnciree,,s story OF the accident. which was bri"hf
as follows: -,
when The thrust began to heat made has;>
survey and noticed thar the shaft was not ruhh4'
trnc and then stopped the engines 10 MAXI a 'A''-
ourb examination then discovered the tNo
cracks or breaks in the shaft. Immediately re
ported 10 the captain the state Of things ana toid
him that It would be unsafe 10 run the engines any
longer ,. .,,~e
q .,yla. m, Won dor asked the captain. i've
an idea bu. mus give It little consideration ava
"a, Won know further I replied. Then called u!
,acons third and fourth engineers and asked 'Ie'
20 rive nc their ideas. In few minutes 'he' AN"
mo whit thought best to do SAID li"a " my
plan.' and took a piece Of chalk and drew o. az
s;dc OF the shaftalley plan OF the shaiu u"'i nv
ne. ~ rcualry. They said they could not improve
&c : ,hon told the captain what my plan Was.
,b,t n would take a couple Of days at least To bahe
,onairs and at the best it would only re ah eA-
pertinent. - ., ,,o
arbon We went 10 work. and II was nearly three
DAYS NJ drilin. and cutting, ana WITHOUT WIN" -
s,ooD Gov me For each Of the three Ginch steel
~, 600 had IN driu five holes with lo-inch dTlls
,bro,cb oac, NJ ,be two Gnch steel collars on cher
,A ., ,ho cracks OF the thrustsSaft. Then whch
that was done we lad to cut about an ihcn vi Wv
length of the bolts 10 fit them In the Hh''u go,
and TO na;tcn the sides OF cach 50 10 " e' ~
. GOD hoor,rc ON the shafts. Not only that, but
the nut Of one OF the bolts was 100 tniuA anu =,
hail N split II In two and this did by drilhe s"i'
bolcs from side 10 side, and then prying u ap"'"
for we had 10 lathe into which u might nave ""
nut and cut in two By regular tool for that pun
pose. , -,
.Flnally we got the bolts In place ana scf'"'u up
and r.por,ed TO the captain that We wer" FeahS 10
test our work There was heavy sea run,'''', '''
os IN. engines started the pressure az st the oaucS
NJ tho screw was 80 great that the tendepcy VAS WIN
the engine cunning ahead and Che foroe ago"'s. 20.
screw blades In tho opposite dirccuoh' 10 '"'"' y"
n. ho,,e We bod been running this way 10: Il lew
minutes when II was found that the head OF one oi
IN. bolts WIS twisting of There was nothhie 10 w
I'm, 10 stop the engines and III H. mother foIt' Il
too ius, sixteen hours to fl another bolt ana thd'
sixteen hours worked TO our advantage ioF inc o."
moderated: and when were ready to start asaih
ws went ahead brought the ship up on her co'ir9e
and came ~ New.YorH. OF course YOU can see ior
Yourself how helpless the captain ana his dec" oce''
were without the machinery in woFAihe o'''''
And what NAV bc said OF The merchant Vessels may
also be said OF those OF the Navy-thcy ar" u'1csH
without the engineer. and thc engineer Is thc mos
necessary officer on board OF them. simply uiu ny
duty and would II again under sinliar 'rcih
stances especially with several hundred hunnl "ine,
On board dependent upon such professional r. 'cS
Is an engineer Possesses. They tel me tiit w ~
Is great deal OF glory for me In ms put prefer
10 gel no glory ~ 1t must be oarHrd pv si'n ~
periences An engineer does not work lor glory h'
umply does his duty to the best OF MS hllisE." 80,
SDo you think the ship will he detained mere uhn'
she get "A shaft ~ A., ,..
al do not know that depends upoi' toe hs'ruc
tons we are waiting for from lone. 80 iar as am
personally interested. could with the ;a'iUl"s wa
l can have here I'm New York, repair me SlHlt
sufficiently to take back 10 LiverP"oi III p,rIft
safety and he ready TO start before SlturnHy' can
not describe to you The nature OF tn" iftHN letter
than II was Illustrated In the lspeTs yes'cruN
were nearly all OF them GOOD bat the picture IN me
Tribune was the best, the most comprehensive oi
them all , ,
What do you think Of the action OF the captain o.
the Galliaf' ,,, g.,
snow You must excuse me from any criticism IN
that direction That has DOtling TO do VITA the en-.
nnccr's department. have nothing 10 o." Win NY
other signals than those connecting vita tho engine
tD0m.S