River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-11-21
GETTING READY ron LAUNCH.
The First Preparations Are Made When
the KesI- Rlock "a Are Iaid

The First Preparations Are Made When
the Kesi-Biocks Are laid.
IL has often been said that man be-
gins to die the moment that he begins
10 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 to
arrange the keel-blociSs 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 a 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 a
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. II is
that part in which the hull of the YES
sci rests snugly, and probably that is
why il 10 called a 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-
tion. On these blocks rest first the sta
tionary ways" These consist of
bread planks of oak from three TO four
feet wide. capable of sustaining
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 is
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 il 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
ing ways ana the packing. A rope
about the thickness of clothes
line runs from wedge to wedge, so that
none may be lost when they float into
the water.
We are now ready for the la nch.
Tallow to the thickness of about an
inch has been spread between the WAYS
as they were put in position, nearly
sixty barrels being necessary for
ship like the st. Louis The cradle
sets snugly against the ships bottom.
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
10 take away the keel blocks. Then,
when the weight of the ship rests on
the launching ways alone, all that is
necessary is to saw away the sole
piece" at the bow, where the station
airy and sliding ways are fastened to-
gether, and the ship by her own weight
will probably slide into the water. II
she needs start, several Jacks" using
hydraulic power are ready beneath the
keel to lift her a trihe and give her a
nnSh