The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-12-04
LAUNCHING A GREAT VESSEL.
An Army Of Mon Start the Ship Down the
auf Creased Ways. g

Z LAUNCHING A GREAT VESSEL.
An Army Of Mon Start the Ship Down the
aat = Creased Ways.
All the props have been taken
down except a few that reach only a
little way up the sides. A platform
with a railing, on which the stall
wart workmen may rest the stout
pieces of timber they use as batter.
ing rams when they are driving
home the wedges, has been erected
along the sides of the ship. There
are nearly 500 workmon distributed
along the sides in gangs of four
each. Each gang has FIVE wedges to
look after. The time set for the
launch is usually just before high
water where the stream has a tide.
A dredgo has boon used directly
in the path the vessel. will take when
she makes her plunge, SO that she
may strike no INSTRUCTIONS. Every
part Of the ways has been inspected.
If the weather is cold. lard oil has
been mingled with the tallow, to
make 1t soft, and it the weather is
warm ~stearine has been mixed with
it to make it hard.
It is about an hour before the
time for the ship to move. The
workmen + summoned. and the
signal is given for the first rally"
All at once a great din arises. It is
as if an army of street PAYERS were
atwork beneath the ship. If you
peer through the crowd, you will
see the 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. It is necessary
that the wedges be driven uniform
Ily. The effect of this rally seems
imperceptible. It has resulted,
however, in driving the packing
close up against tho sides Of the
ship md when that was accom-
plished has driven the sliding ways
down hard upon the stationary
ways, squeezing out the tallow here
and there. But the ship still rests
upon the keel blocks. aa.
After a rest of IL or 20 minutes a
second rally comes. In 60 the
wedges, and the great hull seems to
tremble just the least bit. She is
beginning to rest on the launching
ways. At last she is raised the
smallest fraction of an inch above
the keel blocks. Now comes the
time for quick work. Here is where
the "pionoers'' begin to swing their
axes. One gang of men rushes up
to the 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 the
pioneers. They r the painters,
and with long brushes on the ends
of poles they daub over the places
where tho props rested, which could
not be painted until the props We're
taken away.
Underneath the ship another gang
of mon is making havoc with the
keel blocks. Sharp chise 8 are be-
ing inserted on the sides of the
blocks, and sledgcs r used as the
workmen come up from the river
toward the bow, knocking this way
and that the blocks which have been
the support of tho ship ever since
she was first laid down. At last,
apparently after much confusion,
but really in accordance with a care
full system, all the keel blocks are
knocked away, and the supreme
moment has arrived. All the wedges
have been driven homo, and their
outer edges are in a line rs straight
as a file of soldiers on dress parade.
Tho ship rests on an entirely new
foundation and a very treacherous
one. There are no side supports to
keep her from topping over. The
toboggan slides are ready for work,
and they 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 piece Of timber that clamps the
stationary and sliding ways together
just underneaththebo Launch
ing a Great Vessel" by Franklin
Matthews, in St. Nicholas.
Not . Deaf and Dumb Postman.
The numbers have boon changed
since College plnce has become part
of West Broadway, and persons who