The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-19

Vulcan was with Admiral Sampson's
feet. She did not win as much popu-
lar glory as her armed sisters, she did
not present SO gay an appearance, and
she did not do such deeds OF daring
but she had her mission to fulfill, and
1t was no Insignificant mission either
Her mission was to remain with the
fleet and repair any damage that was
done to the other vessels. For this
work she is thoroughly prepared. Her
equipment includes nearly a hundred
tons of tools and machinery valued al
$50O,0OO
One who has visited a naval repair
shop can imagine the scene transfer
| red to shipboard and thus get a fairly
good idea of what the Vulcan looks
like. There are plate bending rolls and
punching and shearing machines that
can bite through an inch of solid Steel
There are lathes for turning castings
| Of nearly any size, there are planners
drills and milling machines OF compass
| enough to meet almost any demand
and there are blowers to supply the
several FORCES and to draw foul air
from between decks and send II
through the ventilators above. She
can even make small rapid-fire guns.
There are pipe cutters, bolt cutters,
FORCES, and grindstones, and a good
sized cupola for the melting OF suffi-
cient metal to make a heavy casting.
A supplemental electric plant has CIV
en- excellent light facilities throughout
the ship but principally In the work
shops situated on what Is termed the
third deck.
There are also evaporators and dis
Itillers of capacity equal to daily out
put OF quite 10000 gallons of water,
several times more than the needs OF
the Vulcan could demand. She has two
steam cranes, with 10-foot arms, that
will lead to the hosting drums amid
ship and to the cranes to the matches
These cranes are specially designed for
removing weights from men-of-war
and for transferring machinery to dis
abled ships. And. lastly. there is a
magnificent little foundry for manufac-
turing castings up to a certain size.
OF course skilled men were required
to perform the work Of repairing ma
chinery, and the best machinists and
mechanics in the service were assigned
to the Vulcan to perform the work for
which she was fitted out, and this
brings to light a condition OF Affairs
quite as unique as is the ship herself.
There Is no mechanical plant in the
country that admits of such a variety
of accomplishments as this one. The
variety of departments gives the vul-
can, when in commission, more chief
petty officers than any other ship
known. A dozen such officers is the
usual complement for a warship, but
the Vulcan, out Of her entire crew OF
200 men, has 92 men who have the right
to wear double-breasted short coats
and officers caps.
No vessel that started out for the
war carried such a large complement
OF well-trained and educated men. The
repair ship had on board some OF the
finest engineers in the country, and
among the number were a millionaire
and college professor, who entered
the service Of their country as soon as
il was known that the United States
was to have a floating machine shop
While the ship is not intended for
fighting, she carries two rapid-fire g.
FOUNDER guns. The purpose of the Vuli
can is manifest. She had to follow in
the wake of a feet, her great coal ca
pacity giving her a wide radius OF ac-
ton, and she was to supply fresh wa
ter to the other vessels, and to make
then and there all necessary repairs.
The men on board this vessel were
able to repair almost any damage that
would naturally happen to a warship.
either in action or otherwise. She is
now being prepared TO go TO Manila
Golden Penny.
NOTES.
The Robert Levers Is discharging at
Pacific Mail wharf.
The Rio encountered strong head
winds on her voyage here.
The British ship Hilston sailed for
the Sound yesterday in ballast.
Repairs to the damaged bark Fortu-
ma are being made while she dis
charges.
The bark Himalaya, anchored out
side, has 1879 tons of coal for w. c.
Irwin a. Co.
The bark Sonoma came in from an
chorage yesterday. She has 1850 tons
of coal to order.