The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-12-11
a. WEDNESDAY,, II. 189;
GETTING READY FOR A LAUNCH.
The First Preparations Arc Made When
the Keel E1oeks Are Laid.

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tho First Preparations Arc Made When
the Keel E1oeks Are Laid.
1t has often bera said that mar
begins to .diH tho mou!ent that he
begins to i've. 1t might also lie said
that q ship brgias TO 10 launched
tho moment shs begius to 10 built.
The h.Kt thing in rfre actual con-
struettm, is to arrnuga tho Keel
blocks on which tive ship il to rrst
while she il bailaing. They must be
placed st csrtais distances apart,
ana each must DO a little higher
than its naghbof nearer tae water.
These blocks Ere usually of the
stou tsst oak aud are placed from
two to three fset apart. They must
have a regular inclination, or the
ship cannot be launched. In vessels
like the vt. Louis the incline Ia
about half an inch in height to
a foot in longth. In smaller vessels
1t Is often more than one inch to the
foot. larger Vessels have 50 much
weight That a sharp incline is not
as necessary IS with smaller ones.
The keel Of the ship Is laid on those
blocks, and a. fast as Che sides Of
the vassel are built up great props
are placed against them to make
sufa that by No accident will tina
vessel toppls over.
At length the hull of the shin, Is
completed. Ihon 1t IS that tie
launching apparatus Is PREPARED.
This consists OF too pasts, ono that
remains I'D On the ground and
enc Lat elides into the water with
tie ship. The p@t that goes into
, the water is the cradle. 1t Is that
part In which the hull Of the vessel
rests s,ugly, and probably that is
why it IL called q cradle. When the
time comes for the launch, q long
row Of bloeks Is built under each
side Of the ship at an equal distance
from the keel blocks and Of the
same inclination. On these blocks
rest first the stationary ways"
These oonsist of broad planks Of
oak from 3 to 4 feet wide, capable
of sustaining a weight of from 2 to
2h tops 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 r cieat rncs along the
edge ct tae stationary ways so that
the sliding weys shall not slip off as
thay Gerry hs ship along. Above
tho sliding ways M what is called
tho "pscsips." This consists Of
pieces Of timber packed close against
the corving a!dcA Of the vessel y,
hold it firm TO the sliding ways he
meath. The oarv es in the hull vary
80 much that 1t would be impossible
to fit the aiding ways to them, and
so, by mean Of packing, the ship is
fitted to the ways instead. The pack
ing end tie sliding ways constitute
the CRADLE, and 1t is fastened to the
ship by .. >ntropss. Along its length,
at Intervals # about 1s inches, are
hig wedges, tho p1;nts Of which are
inserted between tho sli9ips ways
and the packing. A rope abort tho
thickness of a clotheslias runs from
wedge to wedge, 80 that none rnsy
be lost when they foat into the wa
ter.
We are now ready for the launch.
Tallow to the thickness of about an
inch has been spread between the
ways as they were put in position,
nearly 60 barrels boing necessary
for q ship like the st. Louis. The
cradle sets snugly against the ships
bottom. The vessel, however, is still
resting on tho keel blocks. The task
aew is to transfer the ship from
those keel blocks to the launching
supports and to take away the keel
blocks. Then, when the weight Of
the ship rests on the launching waya
alone, oil that Is necessary is to saw
away the "sole piece" at the bow,
where the stationary and sliding
ways are fastened together, and the
ship by her own weight will proba-
bly, slide into the water. II sho needs
q start, several lacks" using ny
draulio power r ready beneath the
keel to lift her a tride and give her
a push.-"Launohing Great Vos-
sell" by Franklin Matthew'S, in st.
Nicholas.
Roulette In Russian Drawing Rooms.
To the Grand Duchess Vladimir is
said to belong the blame for having
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