Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-03
THE BROKEN SHAFT.
Chief Engineer Tor linsOn Tells How 1t
Was Repaired.


Chief Engineer ToIhlinsOn Tells DO" IL
Was Repaired.
New YORK, January 2.-Soon after
the accident to the UmbriaIs shaft 1t
was ascertained that the fracture was
in an awkward ylace, viz, in the thrust
block-where the shaft is not plain, out
corrugated. The cap Of the block nav
been taken off the nature OF the acci-
dent was revealed. In the thrust'olocKs
the shaft, which is % inches in diameter
and of solid steel, weighing 70 tons II
hundred weight and 20 feet in length,
is further strengthened by numerous
collars. between two Of which the break
occurred. The shaft was practlcally
severed.
1t must be borne in mind that she
shaft is under a strain Of $4,000 horse
power. Fortunately, Chief Engineer
Tomlinson is a man Of great resource.
He had to meet the difficulty OF TACK
ling at sea, in rolling, pitching steam
er, Job which would be declined oy
many an engineering establishment on
land, and he had, so to say. nothing TO
work with. He met the difficulty oy
appropriating some spare bolts and nuts,
some of them actually taken out OF
place from other parts OF his running
gear. The bolts, which were i've inches
in diameter, and of steel, had TO De
shortened, and the nuts at the end had
to be reduced, so as not to interfere
with the structural part OF the snip
A better job was never done at sea.
A start was made at four o'clock on
Wednesday morning. After four hours
work in a heavy sea one OF the con-
Meeting bolts gave way. The head was
wrenched off under the strain. En-
gineer Tomlinson, prepared for such an
emergency, had bolt ready, which
was fitted into place, from which time
the engine worked continuously. The
steamer made ten knots an hour. How
the shaft was repaired is best told by
Chief Engineer Tomlinson. He said:
HOW THE SHAFT WAS REPAIRED.
'Tt was blowing a gale on Friday.
The engines were racing and our speed
was only moderate. The engineer on
duty first noticed an unusual movement
in the rings of the thrust block. de
carefully noted the effects and tried to
locate the trouble. Gradually it grew
worse, and as l had already been noti-
fed considered it best at 500 that
evening TO stop in order to make an ex-
animation. l lifted the cover of the
shaft and was almost dumbfounded
when 1 gazed en- that fracture IL
meant that the ship was helpless until
repairs could be effected.
sit was the most laborious task OF
nv life, but my staff willingly under
took it. To us all it was the only meth
cd that expert knowledge OF engineer
ing suggested. / frstScalled my men
together and explained by diagram my
views. They agreed with me that shaft
of that kind had never been repaired by
the method proposed. Remember that
the shaft had no support at the break
for twenty-six feet. That was one OF
the worst features, and lost no time
in having a chain hung around the shalt
and suspended from the ceiling. we
then started to cut gaps or holes in the
steel Aanges surrounding the shaft.
They were five inches wide, six deep and
three-quarters thick.
"The steel was of the toughest kind.
All that l could find was number OF
tunnel-shaft coupling bolts. They
seemed just the things to suit the
emergency. My plan was to insert
bolts in the gap. The next thing to do
was to bore out those gaps. My stan
went at it with the heartiest kind OF
good will, and for seventy.two hours
the work with drills never ceased
surrounding the shaft are a number
NJ fIanges, between which are placed
the thrust blocks, and they in turn are
fastened to the thrust bearing. Be-
tween two of these fanges is where the
accident occurred. Apparently fully
two-thirds of the metal is destroyed or
broken apart, leaving one-third to do
the work. The fracture may have been
due to the vibration or It's age.
Large holes were drilled into two
NJ the Ganges, which were opposite to
each other. These flanges were on
either side Of the fracture. The bolts
inserted were six inches in diameter
and. twenty inches long. When set In
the holes in the two ianges they were
screwed together, thereby keeping the
shaft from parting longitudinally. In
setting the bolts into these holes II was
necessary to cut the upper part OF the
fiange down into the hole. which formed
a U-shaped opening. Now, 70 keep the
bolts from working out the engineer
placed clamp strap around the SHAFT
between the fanges and around the
bolts. This kept them firmly in posi-
ton.
"The engineering staff was divided
into relays of five men each, and they
worked six hour tricks. The break was
made at a place of confined nature,
and the men could only get two drills
working at one time. There was heavy
sea running, and there was the danger
of the shaft moving at any moment.
The fracture occurred $50 feet from the
propeller. and twelve feet from the en-
gines. On the morning OF the 9th we
were ready to start, and the captain
went ahead cautiously so we could see
how it would stand.
1.-The heavy sea was running, and
after two hours steaming the head OF
one of the bolts in the fianges broke,
and we stopped again. This time we
Law to for sixteen hours, and time was
well spent, for it gave US good ex-
pertence by pointing out Improvements
on the plan. At $40 a. N. on the 9Th
we were ready for another start, and
from. that time on we drove the ship a
good 500 mil es, and tell you we could
bring her that much further if IL were
necessary"
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