The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-06

interfering with the work of the other.
One man was scanning with red lead the
| edges of plates that were TO be brought to-
! gether; others were securing to the frame
! new pieces to replace those removed
again others were working blast furB aces
/ 10 prepare the plates that were TO be
Strengthened, while others were putting in
rivets, ana another was on a ladder. far up
! above the water line, giving the vessel a
coat of paint.
The work of putting on plate is an in
teresting one. The plate comes from the
foundry on tug, is swung ever and low
cred TO the bottom Of the dock rs near as
POSSIBLE to the place in which it is to fit.
When it leaves the foundry it is bent and
shaped with the exact nicely that 3 re-
quired to make it fit in the place from
which the damaged one has been re-
moved.
This has to be done with great deal
of care" said Mr. Brindle. lat our foun-
dry, for as at the dock there is no work
shop. Everything has to be brought here
in perfect condition from a distance"
The plate is brought into position
against the side or bottom OF the ship, and
when adjusted where it belongs it is held
temporarily by bolts which are screwed
up. These bolts with heavy nuts are
located in such manner that between
every two there is rlvet-hole. After 1t
has been thus secured then comes the
work of the riveterS. Within the ship at
the point where the plate is being put on
to stay there is a boy at small furnace
whose duty it is to heat the rivets, which
are "a inches in length, until they attain
certain degree of glow that the workmen
know makes them tit for Use.
The seams are fastened together by two
rows of rivets, each hole being directly
abover the lower one. One man on the
inside of the ship. whose duty il is to pass
the heated pieces OF iron through the rlvet-
holes so they NAV be cllncbed from the
outside, gives notice to two men on plat
form, if on the side, or sQuatted on the
floor of the dock II working on the bottom
of the shin, that he Is ready to pass rivet
by pushing an iron rod through the lower
hole aud then through the upper one. The
moment the riveters observe this signal
they make ready with hammer in hand TO
strike the rivet. A moment alter there
appears at the lower hole a little mass
that is almost cherry red it is so hot that
it sets fire to the old paint around the
riyei-hOle. the men toward which this Is
showed listen for a signal, which they
recognize 1t is that the workman on the
inside has his heavy sledge against the
head of the riyet.
Then the two men strike the glowing
iron regular and equal-weigh ted blows un-
til the rivet is spread ana clinched; then
one holds against the clinching sharp
edged cold chisel which has been dipped
in oil while the other strikes the chisel a
few light blows, and In that way removes
the rough edges This done the next rlvet
appears through the upper hole and is
clinched as the one before 1t, after which
the two men deal a succession OF heavy
blows on the rlvet previously clinched.
| first using one face of the hammer and then
the Other, and when the last blow has
been struck the rjvet has become so firmly
united TO the plate that it requires a sharp
eye to detect that it is not part of the origl-
nal. This process goes on until every rivet
has been fixed IN Its place
/ the repair of the vessel is that by which
original condition without removal from
the ships side or bottom. This is per-
formed by two men outside ana one in
side. In the first place small movable
blast furnace is put in position directly
under the indentation in the plate or
alongside of it in such manner that the
flame will reach the spot u be heated.
This is done by building platform OF
blocks until The desired height is reached.
For work on the side a sheet of iron is
placed at the back Of the furnace. so that
when the flame is forced 1t will be thrown
against the place at which it is desired 1t
should be most effective. One OF the two
men on the outside works crank that
creates the blast, and in the course of half
an hour that portion of the plate at which
the flame has been driven becomes red hot.
Previous to the heating process hole is
bored through the plate on each side OF