The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-01
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
How che Fractured shaft Was Repaired
Working Under Great Difficulties

How che Fractured shaft Was Repaired
Working Under Great Difficulties.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3l.-Lawrence Tomlin-
son. the chief engineer of the Umbria. was
seen after the steamer was docked. ana
said: ut was Friday noon. The weather
was heavy. and it was blowing a gale of
the worst kind. The engines were rae
ing" and our speed was only moderate.
The engineer on duty was the first TO OBJ
serve an unusual movement in the rings of
the thrust block. He carefully noted the
effects and tried TO locate the cause. Grad
ually the trouble grew worse. and. as had
already been notified. considered 10 pru-
dent at $40 that evening to stop in order TO
make an examination. Thereupon lifted
the covers of the shaft and was almost um-
founded when gazed upon that fracture.
IL meant that the ship waa helpless until
repairs could be effected. Without the loss
of any time and dong some mighty hard
thinking formulated the idea We success
fully carried out for repairing the shalt IL
was the most iaborIous task OF my life. but
my staff willingly undertook IL To Us all
II was the only method that pert knowl-
edge of engineering suggested l first
called my staff together aud explained by
diagram my views They agreed with me
that shaft of that kind bad never been
repaired by the method proposed before;
that Is. understand, under similar cIrcum-
stances Remember nat the shaft hau no
support ct the break for twenty elk feet
That was of the worst features and
lost no time in bavlng a chain hung around
the shaft and suspended from the ceiling.
We then started TO cutting gaps or
A.I. t.kf - al b..
shaft They were five inches wide. six
deep. and three-qusrters of an inch IN
thickness. The steel was Of the toughest
and all that could discover was . nun Der
OF tunnel shaft coupling bolts. They
seemed lust the things To suit tho emer-
gepcy. My plan was TO insert those bolts
In the gap. The next thing TO do was TO
bore out these gaps. o work that vas peees-
sirat.d As the only resource Ny stan went
at 10 with the heartiest kind OF good will. and
Tor seventy-two hours the work with drills
end cniscis never ceased The engineering
stat was divided into relays OF i've men
each and they worked six-hour tricks. or
six hours On and six hours oil. Personally.
hours sleep night
The break was made at place of snch
q confined nature that the men could only
get two drills working at one time. bat
with boring on opposite rinss. Two men cut
simultaneously. There Was q very heavy
sea running aud there was the danger Of
the shaftlng moving At any moment The
repai rs with Ne had become chiefly ques-
fion OF time. The fracture occurred 80
feet from the propeller and twelve feet
from tho engines The supports on tho
shaft were more than twenty feet apart
On the morning OF the 2sfh we were ready
TO start. aud the captain moved ahead eau
tously go We eould sec how 10 would stand.
A heavy sea VAS running. and after Two
hours' steaming the head OF one Of the
bolts In the hsnges broke snd We stopped
again. THIS time we lay To for sixteen hours.
and the time was we'll spent. for it gave ns
good experience ~ pointing ous I'm mprove-
ments on the plsna A. $40 A. ~. on the
9Th wc were ready for another start aud
from that time on We drove the chip good
eight hundred miles. and Nc could have
bronsht her shat much farther ~ ~ lad
been necessary
Captain Mckay says AT ESQ p. NJ.
Dee. g. We sispaisd the Oailia. boaDd
eastward. We sIsnslsd hsf to ley BY and
| lCsa,isaea On s~eosd fsxs-l