Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-09-07
LAUNCHINGB BIG SHIPS
An Undertaking Calling for Careful
Calculation.
The slightest Hitch or Mistake
wosia W~ssit In Ussoid Disaster
sad Possible i.oss Of
usasaa Life.

According to N. V. ID. Doughty. the
feelings of man who IL charged with
the responsibility Of the launching Of
great ship nr- by no means pleasant
when the fatrfui moment arrives which
l. To decide whether the vessel will
glide gracefully OF the ways or stick.
Mr.. Doughty has had charge of the
arrangements Of more iaunchin.s than
any other man Ia the. United States.
aud possibly In III. world.
During his connection with the ship
building industry he has supcrin'-ndc,i
81 successful iaunehinrs. Among the
vessels thnt have left the ways under
his direction w-rc the frs,-ciass battle
ships Krarsargr. kentucky and Illinois.
the ginipoat. Nashville. Helena and
Wilmington. the four steamers which
were transformed Into auxiliary crn's.
crs In the war with Spain and the
steamer In Grand- Duchcss~. which
was used ns transport. The Creole.
now the hospital ship Soiacr. also re-
e-iy.d her baptism under his direction.
In speaking Of the anxiety felt by the
man who has charge of the launching.
Mr.. Doughty says: The launching "f
modern .hip. with such enormous
dInicnsions. l. no; only matter Of
careful calculation. but one Of great
skin and labor. should anything hap.
t-n. such rs delays In cl-arin. the ship
Of her shores and blocks or caused by
passing vessels. then comes moment
Of intense anxiety 60 the man having
the launching In charge.
.itc know just how long he can wait
ans. when III. iiini; of safety is reached.
should the ship refuse 'o slide frnm the
WAYS oris,ick. ns Il l. termed. not only
L. the safety Of the ,.ssci'in,ol,-,i. but
such a catastrophe means great r--
runisry lo.. 10 the builders. Tn, cause
for sticking L. invariably blamed on the
,aiiow with which the ways arr CREASED.
and while this may not always i-
responsible. I will not dispute its jus-
tic-.
.Sbouid the weasel stick. he l. forced
TO go all through the samc procrss
again, and the conditions In the second
case are not aiway. so favorable a.
In the frat. Consequently his doubs
and anxiety are doubled at tho second
attempt.
.s,sn after the ship has started down
the way. to meet her ~aicrs bed there
I. a severe mental strain upon the
man having charge II the launching.
while, the ship IL In motion he IL think
ING a,,ou, how she will bc received by
the water.
..Should he have been mistaken In his
calculation. and the ship fall after her
s,-rn had passed the outer end of the
ground ways. instead Of raising. rs In
tended. the probabili'! IL that she
would disio,irc the cradle at the for
ward end and fall between the ways.
.On the other hand. should the stern.
or after end Of the ship. raise sooner
than intended. thus throwing too much
N,i,,ht ON the forward end Of the pack
ing uucn which the ship is resting. the
vessel would he subjected to an c>-
,rnur,iiuary strain. as she would then
be borne forward hy the timber as well
m. b,. the water at her stern.
"Thcrc arc also other dangers caused
h, tn. ship lifting at the after end too
soon. thus throwing too great weight
forward. Should thefc I've break in
the ,hrarpinr. or lnshinvs. which are
placed TO keep the packing and bilrc
way.. or slides. from spreading. the
prob.bIiity Is that the vessel would fall
between the ways; or. " the thrnppinH
should not part at the proper moment.
the danger Is that the forward packing
would lie forced through the bottom
Of the ship. causing her 10 fill and go
down.
"Tbc danger of disaster in launching
large ships should cause the man ha'-
ing charge Of the launching TO cn'c,i.
late carefully all conditions when she
Law. the keel Of the ship. This. with
,h, careful lying Of the lower ground
wn,s. upon which the ship is TO slide
down. ;n.nrcs n successful launch
N. Y. Press.