Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-08-04
LAUNCHING A eArrLe.sH,k
Il IL . Compiler Problem and . yiiehp
Mistake Would Cost Millions.

II fs . Compiler Problem and . siiehs
Mistake Would Cost Millions.
Albert Franklin Matthews tells %
interesting story Of 1.-THE EvOlutiou
of q Battle.ship" in the Century.
This is history Of the construction
Of the Indiana, so far the only vessel
Of this class we have In our navy.
After describing 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.blocks on
which It has been resting are knocked
away. In the launch Ut the Indiana
Mr.. Nixon ran row Of electric liRhN
beneath the bottom Of the vessel,
adding another Innovation to the de-.
tails OF American ship. building.
Each launching way consists Of upper
and lower plankin0, between which
is spread thousands OF pounds of the
best tallOw. At the bow Of the boat
these upper aud lower planks are
clamped together, and when all 10
reaoy they are sawed apart and the
vessel starts The upper part of the
ways slides into the water with the
vessel, and the lower part with tho
smoking hot tallow remains station.
ary.
A launch in these days Is 80 smooth,
and 80 soon ended, rarely occupying
more than twelve seconds from start
to finish, that one scarcely realizes
its difficulties Three things are ab.
sOlutely necessary: 1t must be on
time, when the tidal water Is high.
est; II must be OF smart speed, 90 40
not to stick on It's downward journey
to the water; and IL must be &C.
complished without straining. $50
complex o thing Is q launch that the
careful engineer.in. charge Is able to
estimate the strain on every part1 Of
the vessel for every position II occu.
pies, ut intervals Of one foot, on ita
way down the incline.
There Is one supreme moment Il
IL when the vessel 10 nearly two-thirds
Ia the water Tho buoyancy Of the
water raises the vessel. ana thro w
its weight on It's shoulderA Here
Is where the greatest danger Of
straining comes, aud should the ways
break down, the vessel would b
ruined, Q matter OF nearly ~, 600, O0O
In u ship like the Ind lana when II
was launched.
The launch over, the machinery ID
lifted In and lifted. and then comes
the board Of government experts,
who Look the vessel over inch by inch.
the ores arc started, and the trial
trip follows. For four hours, amid
suppressed excitement that answers
nervously to every culver Of the YES.
sci, the engines are run at full speed.
A premium or penalty 10 at stake
now. The breakage Of o bolt or the
disarranHemen OF valve may mean
thousands Of dollars of loss to the
contractors Trained wOrkmen arc
locked In the tire.rooms, not to be re.
leased until the test IL over. Cooled
drinking.water with oatmeal sprink.
led upon 1t Is run down to them In o
rubber tube from o barrel on the
deck. A hose Is played on the costly
machinery In places where there ID
danger from overheating, AZ though
II we're on fire. Almost every pound
Of coal Used on the trip 10 carefully
selected.
When the four hours arc passed
and the strain Is over. q sigh OF relief
from every one on board, and even
from the vessel herself, goes up. and
the ship passes from the CONTRACTORS
to the Government and day after
day while she Is In commiss on the
fiag will be saluted. and the score OF
moro OF other ceremonies aud formal.
tiles observed on U man.of.war will
follow.