The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
WONDERFUL WEIGHING MACHINE.
1t Records Accurately One Pound or
$50 Tons.
WASHINGTON Times.

Everybody is perhaps aware that the
large scales upon which entire freight cars
with their loads of many tons are weighed
are considered immense. but with all their
immensely it seems that they are meager
in the eyes of Uncle Sam, who has gone
all the railroad magnateS in the country
one point better by installing at the navy
yard ~ this city one of the largest scales
in the Country.
This machine can outweigh the largest
railroad weighing machines by fifty tons.
and when it is considered that its results
must be accurate TO the weight of a pound,
while railroad scales considered good
If they approach anywhere near fifty
pounds of being correct, it is to be mar
yelled at the advances that have been made
IN scale manufacture in recent years.
The new scales are located on the track
going south from the great gun shops and
Just opposite the forge shop, being about
ten feet to the eastward from its entrance.
Work has been progressing on them for q
considerable length of time, but they were
only completed last week and turned over
to the authorities of the yard last Monday
At hurried glance they are not unlike tie
ordinary platform or hay scales.
Closer investigation reveals the fact that
they are forty-eight feet long and twelve
feet wide. and that they rest upon a cement
base buIt upon Ions piles. The ground is
utilize the services of piledrivers to secure
a stable foundation, which is one of the
requisites of an accurate weighing machine.
The cost was about 81 200.
As is the custom at the navy ward in Sc
curing machinery bids were requested for
the desired machine from all the thorough
scale manufacturing firms in America and
the lowest bidder was awarded the contract
for erecting the machine. Much of it's fine
and sensitive balancing apparatus was
manufactured for special use in the new
machine, and the completed structure is
considered a model and marvel of modern
mechanism and American ingenuity
In order to illustrate the accuracy of the
counterpoise of the machine to a reporter
the superintendent of yards and docks
picked up half brick which was lying on
the ground nearby and tossed it on the
huge platform of the machine He then
consulted the long brass lever in the read
ing box along the side of the scales and
found that the record of the brick was just
a pound.
Turning to the reporter he said that the
machine is so sensitive that IL can weigh
anything from pound of sugar to trio OF
thirteen-inch naval guns. and weight them
accurately. though it will probably exc, out
a long existence at the famous gun shop
without having the chance 10 weigh an
ounce of the former. The capacity of the
new scales is $50 tons. or double the capacity
of the old scales which have just been
replaced by the new ones. A thirteen-inch
gun weighs about ffty~fiye tons, and it may
be readily seen that the new scales can
weigh two of the monsters. reclining on a
forty -eight-foOt car-truck. and not tax it's
capacity to any great extent All the big
guns Of the new navy Will be weighed upon
these colossal scales,