The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1895-12-25
LAUNCHING A GREAT VESSEL.
An Army OF Men Start tho Ship Down I'll,
Creased Ways,

An Army Of Men Start the Ship Down tho
Creased Ways.
All tho props havo been taken
down except q few that reach only q
little way up the sides. A platform
with railing, on which the stall
wart work1nen may rest the stout
pieces of tim bor they use as batter
ing rams when they are driving
homo the wedges, has been erected
along the sides of the ship Thoro
are nearly 800 workmon distributed
along tho sides in gangs of four
each. Each gang has five wedges to
look after. The time sot for tho
launch is usually just boforo high
water whero the stream hes tilo.
A dredgo has been used directly
in the path the vessel will taEo when
she makes hor plunge, SO that she
may strike no ohstructions. Every
part Of the ways has boon inspected.
If tho weather is cold, lard oil has
been mingled with tho tallow to
mako it soft, and if the weather is
warm stearino has been mixod with
it to mako it hard.
It is about an hour before the
time for the ship to move. The
workmen arc summoned, and tho
signal is givon for the first "rally :"
All at once q great din arises. It is
as if an army Of street PAYERS were
at work beneath the ship. If you
peer through the crowd, you will
see tho men drawing back the bat
tering rams and then projecting
them sharply against wedge after
wedge. This work continues for
four or five minutes, and then an in
spection Is made. 1t is necessary
that the wedges bo driven uniform
ly. The effect Of this rally seems
inaperceptible. It has resulted,
however, in driving the packing
close up against the sides Of the
ship, and when that was accom-
plished has driven the sliding ways
down hard upon the stationary
ways, squeezing out the tallow horo
and thoro. But the ship still rests
upon tho keel blocks.
After g rest of IS OF 20 minutes g
second rally comes. In go the
wedges, and the great hull seems to
trenblo just tho least bit. She is
beginning to rest on the launching
ways. At last she is raised the
smallest fraction of IN inch above
the keel blocks Now comes tho
time for quick work. Here is whero
tho pioneers begin to swing their
axes. One gang of men rushes up
to tho few props that are still rest
ing against the sides Of the hull.
Quick blows are given; timbers and
chips begin to fly, and prop after
prop falls to the ground Another
gang of men is rushing after tho
piohoors. They arc tho painters,
and with long brushes on the ends
Of poles they daub over the places
where the props rested, which could
not be painted. until the props woro
taken away.
Underneath the ship another gang
Of mon is making havoc with the
keel blocks. Sharp chise's are be-
ing inserted on the sides Of the
blocks, and sledges are used as the
workmen como up from tho river
toward the bow, knocking this way
and that the blocks which have beon
the support Of tho ship ever since
she was first laid down. At last,
apparently after much confusion,
but really in accordance with caro-
full system, all the keel blocks arc
knocked away, and the supreme
moment has arrived. All the wedges
have been drivon homo, and their
outer edges arc in a line us straight
as a flo of soldiers on dress parade.
The ship rests on an entirely now
foundation and q very treacherous
one There are no side supports to
keep her from topping over. The
toboggan slides are ready for work,
and thoy must be true in their in
clination and in their horizontal po-
sition, Or the ship will be wrecked
as she goes sliding down toward the
water. She is held entirely by the
stout pioco of timber that clamps tho
stationary and sliding ways together
just underneath tho bow. -" Launch
ing a Great Vessel" by Franklin
Matthews, in ST. Nicholas.
Not Deaf and Dumb Postman.