San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-12-16
GETTING READY FORalAUNS,
The First Preparations Are Made Whes
the Keel Blocks Are Laid,

The First Preparations Ara Made whes
the Keel Blocks Are Lsid'
Il has often been said that man be-
gins TO die the moment that ne begins
to live, 1t might also be said that a
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-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 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. 1t is
that part in whSch the hull of the ves-
sci rests snugay, and probably that is
| why it is called a cradle. When the
| time comes for the launch a 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 taGoov 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. Aoove the slid
| ting 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,
| che ship is fitted to the ways instead.
! The packing and the sliding ways con-
| -stitute the cradle. and il is fastened to
the ship by stout ropes Along its
length. at intervals of about eighteen
inches, are big wedges, the points of
which are inserted between the slid
ing ways and the packing. A rope
about the thickness of a clothes
line runs from wedge to wedge, so that
zone may be lost when they float into
the water.
We are now ready for the launch.
"Tallovy 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 a
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
TO 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. If
she needs a start, several Jacks" using
hydraulic power are ready beneath the
keel to lift her trifle and give her a
push--Franklin Matthews, in St
Nicholas