Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-27
A GREAT SHIP.
Description of the Heaviest Craft Ever
Built in Delaware.

tilb tldrltn u l1OlliluBSWOTbu lufu5,
which Is the heaviest steamship ever
built in this State, will be completed
in two months, as per contract matte
New York d Porto Rico Steamship
Co, of which j. NJ. Cehallos is
president; Archibald ii. Bull, vice.
president; Frederick r. Rohn, secre-
tary, and Henry 7. Knowlton, treas
urer.
The Ponce is TO have speed of 10
knots per hour, loaded to a draft of 10
feet. Tho owners have been very care
full to exact guarantee from the
builders that the ship would make the
required speed. The firm has had an
experience in this line and suit has
boon entered against the builders of
one OF their ships for the non fulfilment
OF the contract speed of the ship, as
the vessel fell far short of her require
ments. Another feature of the boat in
question was the extreme heat in the
fire room, SO hot that it was impossible
almost for flesh and blood to exist, the
Thermometer registering 165 degrees at
times. The fireroom of the Ponce will
no comparatively cool and the guaran-
teed speed will not only be obtained
but maintained in ordinary weather.
The vessel is to be first class in every
particular and fitted with every APP
pliance for the safety, comfort and
convenience of passengers, officers and
crew. She will have state room
accommodations for GA first-class and
~ second-class passengers. The dining
room, saloons and state rooms will be
finished in hard woods The toilet
and sanitary arrangements will be
most complete. The vessel will be
furnished with one of the finest electric
light plants of $50 lights and two
powerful search lights
The dimensions are as follows:
Length over all. 1856 feet; length on
the load water line, 322 feet; length
from fore side of the rudder post to
aft side of the stem, 3l7 feet; beam,
nodded, AZ feet: depth, nodded at
centre to spar deck, q feet s inches;
depth, nodded at centre to main deck,
10 feet 10 inches: depth at side to spar
deck, 26 feet 91a inches draught,
loaded, 10 feet; Gambler, main deck,
101s inches.
The keel of the vessel is fat plate
of the best steel, 3G inches wide by As
of an inch in thickness for 3-5 of the
length of the vessel amidship, reduced
to SO inches by 3-5 CT an inch before
and abaft 3-5 OF the length amidships,
with treble riveted bullstraps, 1920 of
an inch thick amidships and ITO of an
inch Mt the ends, with rivets inch in
diameter. Tho stem is of the best
hammered scrap iron 10x2x34 inches,
10x2 inches at head, rounded on the
forward side and tapered 10 suit the
keel plate. The stern frame is a steel
casting 10x6 inches. The boss for the
shaft is l6 inches deep and 30 inches
in diameter.
The rudder stock is inches in
diameter, and the rudder is composed
OF one piece of cast steel 51s feet wide
at the widest part, and will be hung on
four pintles Az inches in diameter and
Az inches long, all capped with brass.
Above the water bottom tho frames
are of bulb angles 6N3xl1-20 inches for
80 length amidships. At ends the
frames are to be 5x3x7-20 inches
angles. The frames in water bottom
will DO 5x3xS-2O inches angles where
there are no solid floors for So length
ON solid hoors Before and abaft 3-5
length amidships, in double bottom.
frames on solid floors will be 3x3x7-2O
5X;}x7-20 inches angles s..
The Ponce has double bottom, con-
structed on the cellular system, en-
tending from the fore peak bullshead
to the recess just forward of the after
peak bulkhead. Every alternate franc
will have floor 40 inches high, of
7.20 inches rlate steel, one piece on
each side of centre keelson. Under
the engines the floors will be in
creased l-20 inch to form the engine
foundation and placed on every frame.
| The floors under boilers will be 500
inch thick on alternate frames. The
| centre keelson will be 40 inches high
by 1920 inch thick, connected to the
| tank top by double 4x4x9-20 inches
angles, and to keel plate by double
61ax4x9-20 inches the angles running
on continuous bars between keel aud
butt straps. In the plating the gar
board stralse will be 36xl2-2O inches
for one half length amidships, reduced
before and abaft cne-haf length to
1l-20 inches. The bottom Plating will
be 1920 inch, for one-half length
amidshirs and 8. 90 inch at ends. Two
strakes of bilge plating will be u 20
inches for one-haf length amidships,
and 1920 inch at ends. The side
plating will be 11-20 inch for one-half
length amidships, and $50 at ends.
| The main deck sheer strake will be
42xl320 inch for one-haf length amid
ships, reduced to 42xl0-20 inches before
and abaft the one half length. Doubling
will be formed by widening strake
above main dock sheer strake and in
creasing its thickness. There will be
six watertight bulkheads; one forward
to form the fore peak tank and for
collision bulkhead; one-half way in
the fore hold: one at the forward end
OF the coal bunker; one at the after
end OF the engine room; one in the
after hold and one at the stern pine to
form the after collision hulkhead and
peak tank. There will also be partia |
bulkhcad at the after end of the alley
way, extending up watertight fiat in
line of lower hold stringer, covering
the recess at end Of alleyway.
The main deck beams will be
of 12x35sx10-2O inches channels,
bracketed to the frames by plates
1920 inch thick, 80 inches wide on
top, and 3G inches deep at the web
frames; q inches wide and 80 inches
deep at ordinary frames. There will be
q Hyde steam capstan windlass on spar
deck, also direct-acting steam capstan
aft on the poop deck
The motive power will consist Of a
direct-acring, tri-compound engine,
with inverted cylinders "a, 3S and 81
inches in diameter, by AZ inches
stroke, with open front and condenser
at back. Steam will be supplied by
two boilers of the Scotch tyne. the
diameter of shell being 1l1s feet,
length inside II feet, to be tested for
a working pressure of 1870 pounds. The