New-York tribune., 1900-07-18
PUT ON SPARE PROPELLER.
THE BORDER KNIGHTS CREW PER
FORMS A FEAT AT SEA.
THE VESSELS STERN RAISED AND THE
NEW BLADES SCREWED IN PLACE
AFTER FOUR DAYS HARD WORK.


NEW BLADES SCREWED IN PLACE
AFTER FOUR DAYS HARD WORK.
The large steamship Border knight. which
arrived yesterday from Port Natal in ballast,
Barber & Co, lay helpless for more than four
days in the middle of the Atlantic, during
heavy sea, her propeller at the bottom of the
ocean.
The story of how her crew attached her spare
propeller and steamed in safety to port was told
yesterday by the captain, A. F. Splatt. The
Border Knight I.ft Port Natal on June 9. he
said, and went we'll under after she touched at
St. Lucia. When in latitude 9:19 north and
longitude 53O4;OS west at 2:30 p. m. July
Q the tailshaft broke short off at the boss-the
colIar-and dropped to the bottom of the ocean
The engine wheels went around dangerously
fast Third Engineer Findlay was on duty, and
he Immediately started to stop the machinery
He knew it was unsafe TO let the steam escape
from the automatic blowoff, so he worked it back
through the winches Then the work of putting
in another propeller began.
PLANNING FOR sKILFUL WORK
The taiIshaft runs through the boss and
comes out at the sternpost. The first thing
was to shore up the thrustshaft, which is the
sectional shaft next TO the taiishaft 1t was
known before they began that the thrustshaft
tackles could lift one ton, and the other two
tons So as there was ton Of weight too
much ir the shaft the had to do some
planning They bored a hole through the angle
iron of the recess just the after part OF the
thrustshaft and then they bored another hole
through the top of the tunnel over the forward
end Of the thrustshaft. Uncoupling the thrust
shaft they lowered its after end on a channel
iron or support This channel iron was the
very one through which the rudder chains
worked, but the men unshifted it, Then they
went to the hole bored through the tunnel, and
lowered the forward end of the thrustshaft on
the angle iron. There was hammer board
so they used the stock Of the anchor to do the
uncoupling Having pulled the tailshaft back
through the after peak, they succeeded in draw
ing it out Of the box.
Then Chief Engineer Alexander B. Geerie
shaped a plug from a wooden fender. and had
himself lowered the counter by means of
heaving line tied around his body. AT last he
found an insecure seat on The middle pintle of
the rudder. When the stern came up on a swell
he put his plug in the shaft hole. and every time
the vessel rose he hit the plug. until he had
driven it home
The tailshaft weighed as much the front
shaft, four tons. and it just as hard to
peak into the recess Of the tunnel, il had to be
lowered one end at a time get to the bottom
OF the tunnel The forward end was let down
first, and then the rear
AS a matter of precaution the ship carried a
spare tail shaft the bottom of the recess
and tunnel. Through the hole in the angle iron
they were able to raise the after end of the
tail shaft. The forward end then raised
through the hole at the top of the tunnel. 1t
pushed through into the box of the after
peak, driving out the plug.
RAISED THE STEAMERS STERN.
Now it was necessary to raise the stern of the
vessel in some way, so they could screw the
propeller TO the shaft They thought Of taking
out the valve of the distributing chests and
decided do it. The water flooded the forehold
and spoiled the ceiling But it was found that
with such a heavy running the boss was
still under water-about four feet.
The chief engineer was again lowered over
the counter TO his seat on the second pintle of
the rudder. Chief Officer William G. Mathie
let down in the same way from the other
side of the ship.
BY means of derrick the crew hove the
eight-ton spare propeller out OF the after hold |
and lowered it the port side. This at |
9 a. on July 4. By IL o'clock IL was in the |
aperture. The chief engineer guided it the |
end of the tail shaft outside of the boss.
Sharks were all around the men they |
worked and the sea was running high. Chief |
Officer Mathie washed off the pintle. He |
would have been drowned II life buoy with a |
line attached had not been thrown to him.
The last task was to fit the propeller TO the |
shaft tightly that both would turn together. |
The crew took a key, or slice of steel. and |
drove IL through a slit inside the rim of the |
propeller and a corresponding slit in the tail |
shaft. Then they put on round nut. eighteen |
inches in diameter. but they could turn II only |
on two threads. This was far they had |
gone up to p. m. July D
BY means of ingeniously rigged machinery |
Of a big spanner, wrench, worked |
by tackle from inside the ship. they turned the /
big bolt tight. They were then ready, after |
four days and three hours Of hard work, 10 /
continue their voyage.