St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-12-19
Wonderful Scales.

Inc December numDtT VI IuS M" /
Blue, a magazine published by the t
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, gives a iull t
page cut Of one OF the great scales at
B. & O. coal pi+r in Baltimore. The
scale bears the familiar sign, Fairbanks
Standard K. R. Track Scale" In con- ::
nection with the cut it publishes an in
teresting article from the Washington
Post concerning the great scale in the
navy yard at the capitol. This was
also product of the Fairbanks factory
We copy the article entire;
While Washington is not manufac'
turing city, with large industrial enter
prises requiring the use OF monster
weighing machines, or scales as they
are commonly called, it has many
weight determining balances, and one
at least which leads all Others in this
country. The large scales upon which
entire freight cars, with their loads OF
many tons, are weighed are considered
colossal but with all their immensely |
they are meager in the eyes Of Uncle Sam,
who went the magnates OF the country
Zone better" by installing at the navy yard
the largest pair of scales in the country.
This machine can outweigh the largest
railroad scales by fifty tons, and when
it is considered that its results must be
accurate to a pound, while railroad
scalts are considered good WHEN they
6 come within so pounds OF the exact
g weight, the result obtained is little less
e than marvellous. The scales are about
9 two years old, having been brought here
n during October, 1898. and set in position
!. in the south end OF the navy ard near one
|. OF the gun shops. track leads from the
t gun shop 10 forge audcrosses the floor
il ing to the big scales about ten feet East
,e of tie entrance to the latter building. A
d considerable period of time was required
=. for the manufacture and erection OF this
6. monster machine. 1t was brought here
+ in sections, and the greatest care wastx'
,e ercistd in reassembIing the various sec
N tons OF steel 20 that the poise OF he
II broad platform should be exact. Hun
a dreds of visitors have trod across this
3. platform without knowing they were
IL near ore of the most interesting mschan'
ical contrivances in the national capital
They are not mentions, d in tie guide
hooks. and the men at the navy yard dc
"' not eau dtte0tlOH W L'S SNr'NS' P|A "
e celence, unless. perhaps, II 1t car nap
ID pens to be on the platform beng weighed
dt with i S load OF two or three gre at guns
In All the large ordnance Manufactured 10
Der the navy is weighed upon this machine
ro' 1t was butt Tor that special purpose an
is has given eminent salts action, t"oyear
ms OF usage having failed 10 dull its sens'tiV
eg- nature; vet it has done it's work eachoa
in a dull, pom erous way, win no thee
of praise excerpt from tewnaval oihcet'
the There is no. hing ATTRACTIVE aooul u
nm scales. From the surface OF the gfou'i
rne they look like ordinary hay scales Inc
ar. delicate m chanism, like the vital organ
an. of the human body, is Invisible TO u
his eve. The most intricate parts are III
400 broad Dit below the ground. Slose
,ro. yestipation, however, and loot ~
! ~ would show that the platform OF q
mil. machine is 48 Tee long and IL feet WIG
q l. Beneath the powerful machinery IS
lars cement base, laid upon long piles.
an. ground is somewhat low, and it W
oh. necess arv to util ze the services OF pl
he driver 10 secure a stable foundation.
me-. solid base is one OF the prime requ's''
t,on of a perfect weighing machine. When I
40. goye,umt MT sought bids for the ertc
: he OF the machine, notice was sent to all
,rar leading scale manutacl IN the COT
yard try, aud the lowest bidder received
,,ar. contract. Much OF its fine and pecnl'a
49,. sensitive apparatus was specially mar
~t factur, d Tor use IN the big machine, Wh
the differs in it's parts from any other sea
oops IN the country 49,, G Ge ri rs kind in
w. worId. a model and marvel OF mod
mechanism. as we'll as a splendid ache
the ment for American ingenuity. In or
the to illustrate the accuracy OF the couh'
duty noise nj the huge machine to a repor
olun- an officer OF the bureau OF yards
lit of docks pcked I'D half brick which v
n to lv;no near bv, and tossed it upon
olun. nlatlorm of the bug scales. He then c
The suited long brass lever in the reao
tents, box along the edge OF the platform
been found that the weight OF the pr,cR
anila was lust one pound. Turning 10 'he
The norter he sad the machine Is so 81 ns
will that it will give the exact weight ol
lome- +h;nu from pound OF feathers TO
rs re- of 13 inch guns, and do 1T aCculae
now The canacity of the scales is lou IONS
and double the capacity OF the old set'
'hlip- moved when he present apparatus
with installed. A 13-iuch gun weighs az
Col. * ions. Two of these monster ms
sixth, mepts of war, reclining on 4o1oo'
meut, truck. can be weighed on TINS mac
, is a without taxing its capacity. Inc L
pines. est approach to the navy YARD scale
iment he found in this city are the olg we's
there machines of the railroads. lhous"
Dick navy ward machine now compels
DIV in to take back st at, they were once
At the We'd by the smaller scales as tine x
ncisco of the calital. The Baltimore q
unless Company h IS one OF similar caPac''
yiment It's ward VIII hin the city ana thele IL
it, it is other set of scales OF like capacity d
at the Grain elevator and new coal PIER
e men -------
it 'zens. vsrmouters In Manila Society.