The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-09
WARSHIPS REPAIRED
the WORK OF FIXING THEM UP DONE
"Wt4iLE YOU WAIT"

rns Vulcan Is A Floating Machine Shop
Fully Equipped To Repair Any Dsmag'
Done to sampsonis Fleet-Carries Tool
and Machinery Worth $4,000.
The queerest vessel in the United
States navy. If not, indeed, the queer
est afoat. is the APPLY named Vulcan.
She is literally floating machine shop,
thoroughly equipped with all the tools
and appliances to be found In any shop
ashore where the work OF repairing
machinery to vessels Is done. She
may not win as much popular glory
as her armed sisters, she may not pre-
sent so gay an appearance, and she
may not do such deeds Of daring, but
she has her mission to fulfil. and she
will not be found wanting.
The real heroes Of war are not al
ways to be found on the quarterback.
Did you ever think of the men buried
away down in the sitting bowels Of the
ship, the men who see nothing of the
battle, but upon whose efforts the &C.
ton Of the chip entirely depends?
That's the way it is with the Vulcan.
Her labors will probably be unpraised
and unsung, but they will be none the
less valuable for all that.
Her mission is to remain with the
feet and repair any damage that may
be done to the other vessels. For this
work she is thoroughly prepared. Her
equipment includes nearly hundred
tons Of tools and machinery valued at
$500, 900.
II you have ever visited a naval re-
pair shop and can imagine the scene
transferred to shipboard, you can get
a fairly good idea Of what the Vulcan
looks like. There are plate bending
rolls and punching and shearing ma
chimes that can bite through an inch
OF solid steel. There are lathes for
turning castings of nearly any size.
there are planners, drills and milling
machines OF compass enough to meet
almost any demand, and there are
blowers to supply the several FORCES
and to draw foul air from between
decks and send 1t through the ventila-
tors above. She can even make small
rapid fire guns.
There are pipe cutters, bolt cutters,
iorges and grindstones, and a good
sized cupola for the melting Of sufi-
Gent metal to make heavy casting.
4 supplemental electric plant has given
excellent lighting facilities throughout
he ship, but principally in the work.
shops situated on what is termed the
bird deck.
There are also evaporators and dis
.illers Of capacity equal to daily
output Of quite ten thousand gallons
If water, several times more than the
needs Of the Vulcan could demand.
She has two steam cranes, with ten
DOT arms that will lead to the hoist
ng drums amidships and to the cranes
o the matches. These cranes are
pecially designed for removing |
Weights from the men-of-war and for
fahsiefrihs machinery 10 tne disabled
hlps. anu lastly there ID mag
ihcent ii'tie to"hory ioi mahutactur-
ng castings up to certain size.
vi course, sAiiieo men are required
pefioi" INC "orh VI repairing ma
hinery, and the best machinists and
Mechanics ia the service have been
ssisneo u INC vulcan u perform Inc
'orK lor Wnlcn II mas been ntted out,
no tnis brings 10 ilgnt a conaition
analrs quite as unique as Is the snip
erseit. mere is no mecnahlcai piaht
d tne country that ADMITS OF such a
arlety OF accomplishments as this
ne. Inc variety OF departments gives
ne vulcan more chief petty officers
nan any otner snip known. A dozen
uch omcers Is the usual complement
or a war snip, out the vulcan, out OF
or entire crew OF two hundred men,
as ninety-two men who have the right
wear double breasted snort coats
nd ofhcers caps.
NO vessel that mas yet started out
Dr. war mas carried such large COM
cement or well-trained and educated
len. The repair ship has on board
'me OF the finest engineers in the
'untry, and among the number is a
rovldence millionaire and a college
rofessor, VINO entered the service OF
lelr country as soon as 1t was known
lat the United states was to have
noatlng machine shop.
oh'ei nlach'nists' expert ooilermak.
o. lno"'oe's' BRASS nnishefs ana elec-
ic'ahs' copper-shlths' carpenters,
'he's, ship."risnts, piumoers-ail
I've INC ra''hs oi nrst CLASS pet
oni'eis' ine Vulcan cap
ia - hieu'enah' eohhlahoer
ila''is VIM nas peeh general
VI Tue eh'easo Drop forse
III 'ounary COMPANY ana OF IKE
uCcIuS Ill hdHSdS anu cleveland, ".