The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-31
LAUNCHING A eATTLEsHIP.
1t Is a Complex Problem and q slight
Mistake Would Cost Millions

Albert Franklin Matthews tells an
| interesting story of The Evolution Of
| a Battleship," IN the Century. This is
| a history of the construction Of the In
| diana, so far the only vessel Of this
| class we have in our navy. After de-
/ scribing the wonderful power Of this
/ monster, the most formidable engine
of war in the world, and the manner
/ of its construction, Mr.. Matthews says:
/ So the building goes on until the
/ launching day comes. and two broad
ways are built up against the bottom
OF the vessel, and the keel-blccks on
which II has been resting are knocked
away. In the launch Of the Indiana
Mr.. Nixon ran row of electric lights
! beneath the bottom Of the vessel. add
ing another innovation 70 the details
of American ship-building. Each
launching way consists of upper and
lower planking, between which is
spread thousands of pounds of tho bast
tallow. At the bow Of the boat these
/ upper and lower planks are clamped
together, and when all is ready they
are sawed apart, and the vessel starts
The upper part of the ways slides into
the water with the vessel, and the low
er part with the smoking hot tallow
remains stationary.
A launch in these days is so smooth,
and so soon ended, rarely occupying
more than twelve seconds from start 10
finish, that one scarcely realizes its
difficulties. Three things are absolute
~ necessary; il must be on time, when
the tidal water is highest; il must
be of smart speed, SO as not 10 stick on
its downward journey to the water:
and it must be accomplished without
straining. So complex a thing is
launch that the careful engineer-in-
charge is able TO estimate the strain
on every part of the vessel for every
position it occupies, ut intervals of one
foot, on its way down the incline.
There is one supreme moment. II Is
when the vessel Is nearly two-thirds In
the water. The buoyancy of the water
raises the vessel and throws its weight
on its shoulders. Here is where the
greatest danger of straining comes,
and should the ways break down the
vessel would be ruined. q matter Of
nearly two million dollars in a ship
like the Indiana when it was launched.
The launch over, the machinery is
lifted in and fitted, and then comes
the board of government experts. who
look the vessel over inch by inch, the
fires are started and the trial trip fol-
lows. For four hours, amid suppressed
excitement that answers nervOusly TO
every CULVER of the vessel, the engines
are run at full speed. A premium or a
penalty is at stake now. The breakage
of a bolt or the disarrangement of a
valve may mean thousands Of dollars
of loss TO the contractors. Trained
workmen are locked in the frerooms,
not TO be released until the test is over.
Cooled drinking water with oatmeal
sprinlkled upon IL is run down 10 them
in a rubber tube from barrel on the
deck. A hose is played on the costly
machinery in places where there IS
danger from overhesting, as though 10
were on fire. Almost every pound Of
coal used on the trip is carefully Sc
lected.
When the four hours are passed and
the strain is over q sigh of relief from
everyone on board, and even from the /
vessel herself, goes up, and the ship
passes from the contractor 70 the gov /
eminent, and day after day while she I
IS in commission the flag viii be sa-
luted and the score or more Of other .
ceremonies and formalities observed on I
a man-of-war viii follow.