The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-25
NAVAL REPAIR SHIPS.


ical construction of their own vessels,
nearly all Of which were built in other
countries. All of their torpedo boats
and torpedo-boat destroyers, for ex-
ample, were constructed by English
firms. When one thinks what an ex-
ceedingly delicate and complicated
piece of machinery new-style war
ship is, it is hard to see how such O
nest of engines is to be manipulated
by Spanish officers SO as to be efficient
in war. Once put out of order, how
are they going to repair it?
The crew of each one of our repair
ships will consist wholly of mechanics
not ordinary mechanics, but men Of
the highest skill in the different kinds
Of work which will be required of
them. They will be men specially
trained in the construction Of marine
engines, electrical apparatus and other
mcchanisms that go to make up a
fighting vessel. While merely voyag-
ing and not otherwise occupied, they
will know how to act as coal-heavers
and engine-drivers. Whenever it may
be desirable, they will be transferred
temporarily to warships that need re-
pairs, going aboard with their portable
tools and mending whatever is to be
mended. On their own craft they will
have forges for making forgings Of all
kinds and sizes. They will have a
cupola for making small castings of
iron and brass. Their apparatus will
include suitable tools for patching the
sides of the vessels where they have
been torn and ripped open by shells
from the rapid-6rc guns. The repair
ship will even carry armor plates,
with which to make patches.
One of the repair ships will be as
I signed to Commodore Schley's flying
squadron, another to the feet in
Cuban waters, and third to the
squadron in the North Atlantic. Com
modore Schley will probably get the
Chalmette, because he is likely to
have the first fighting to do, and this
vessel can be maoe ready very quickly
for service. Only few days will be
required for putting aboard Of her the
machine tools and equipping her with
cranes and other requisite apparatus.
1t is understood that the other two
| vessels have already been selected,
aud no time will be lost in preparing
them for business. Some of the me-
chanics that will man them will be
taken from the government gunshops
and navy yards, and they will have
expert knowledge of gun carriages and
the gear of guns. On warship the
guns are worked by variety of COM
plicated mechanical devices including
air compressors, hydraulic lifts, steam
turning gear, electric turning gear,
and pneumatic turning gear.
Such mechanism is apt to suffer a
good deal of injury in naval fighting
under modern conditions. and the
guns would be rendered useless unless
their gear could be promptly repaired.
Goodness only knows what the Span
iards, ignorant as they are of such
matters, are going to do. This, os
above said, is going to be one of our
greatest points Of vantage over them.
The repair ship will have nc facilities
for the mending of the guns them
selves, if they are seriously injured;
the only way to make them seryiceable
again will be to send them back to the
gun factory.
Much Of their work will consist in
patching and renewing parts Of the
numerous and complicated engines
which make up so much of the inside
works of battleship or cruiser. A
fighting vessel of the first-class has
about sixty eight sets of engines, and
its interior is cobwebbed with tele-
graph and telephone wires. Even in
time Of peace the engines are likely
to get out of order, and an entering
shot yill tear things TO pieces in a
fearful way. Ofcoursc. the machinery
most essential for the actual working
of the ship is covered by the so-called
protective deck, which is a turtle
back of steel, dividing the vesselinto
an upper story and a lower story, SO
to speak. The upper story might all
be shot away, and yet the craft would
continue to float, the lower story being
covered by the protective deck as by
a roof. Beneath the protective deck
are the boilers and other ''vitals' Of
the ship
The repair ships will have powerful
engines aud good speed. IL is stated