The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-29
GETTING READYFoRALAUNcH.
The First Preparations Are Made When
the Keel Blocks Are Laid.

The First Preparations Are Made Whel
the Keel Blocks Are Laid.
1t has often been said that man be
gins to die the moment that he begin
to live. 1t might also be said that |
ship begins to be launched the mo
ment she begins to be built. The first
thing in the actual construction is tc
arrange the keel-blocks on which the
ship is to rest while she is building
They must be placed at certain dis
tances apart, and each must be little
higher than its neighbor nearer the
water. These blocks are usually OF
the stoutest oak, and are placed from
two to three feet apart They must
have regular inclination, or the ship
can not be launched. In vessels like
the ST. Louis the incline is about one
half an inch in height to a foot in
length. In smaller vessels it is often
more than one inch to the foot. Larger
vessels have SO much weight that
sharp incline is not as necessary as
with smaller ones. The keel of the
ship is laid on these blocks, and as fast
as the sides of the vessel are built up
great props are placed against them
to make sure that by no accident will
the vessel topple over
At length the hull of the ship is COM
pleted. Then it is that the launching
apparatus is prepared. This consists
of two parts one that remains fixed
GA the ground and one that glides into
the water with the ship The part that
goes in the water is the cradle. 1t is
that part in which the hull of the YES
sci rests snugly, and probably that is
why it is called cradle. When the
time comes for the launch long row
of blocks is built under each side of
the ship at an equal distance from the
keel blocks, and of the same inclina-
ton. On these blocks rest first the sta
tionary ways" These consist of
broad planks of oak from three to four
feet wide, capable of sustaining a
weight of from two to two and one
half tons to the square foot On
top of these ways are the sliding
ways" of nearly the same breadth,
and between the two the tallow
placed A narrow cleat runs along the
edge of the stationary ways SO that the
sliding ways shall not slip off as they
carry the ship along. Above the slid
ing ways is what is called the pack
ing" This consists of pieces of tim
Der packed close against the curving
sides of the vessel to hold it firm to the
sliding ways beneath. The curves in
the hull vary SO much that it would
be impossible to Fit the sliding ways to
them. and so, by means of packing,
the ship is fitted to the ways instead.
The packing and the sliding ways con-
stitute the cradle. and it is fastened to
the ship by stout ropes. Along it's
length, at intervals of about eighteen
inches, are big wedges, the points of
which are inserted between the slid I
ing ways and the packing. A rope
about the thickness of a clothes
line runs from wedge to wedge, so that S
none may be lost when they float into !
the water. ,
We are now ready for the launch. ,
Tallow to the thickness of about an
inch has been spread between the WAYS I
rs they were put in position, nearly 9
sixty barrels being necessary for {
ship like the st. Louis. The cradle
'ets snugly against the ships bottom. y
The vessel, however, is still resting on :,
The keel blocks. The task now is to
transfer the ship from these keel =
blocks to the launching supports. and
o take away the keel blocks. Than,
when the weight of the ship rests on I"
he launching ways alone, all that is
necessary is to saw away the sole 4
'iece" at the bow, where the station c
.ry and sliding ways are fastened to- "
ether, and the ship by her own weight c
will probably slide into the water. If II
he needs start several Jacks" using ]
ydraulic power are ready beneath the G
EEL to lift her trife and give her a Il
ush.-Franklin Matthews, in St. A
n