Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-02-24
MONSTERS OF
THE OCEAN
Minnesota and Dakota, Built for jim
Hills Oriental Trade, the Larg'
est Vessels AfIoat.
ENORMOUS CARRYING CAPACITY
Can Transport over Thirty Thousand
Tons a Trip-Hili's Object IN
Building Them.

IL is almost impossible 10 form an
idea of the magnitude of the monster
vessels being built by j. j. Hill for
the oriental service. about which John
ID. Ryan spoke in the Standard yes
terday after his return from the
launching of the Dakota at New Lon
don. Conn. Even those,who saw the
two vessels. the Minnesota and Da'
kota, nav not realize their magnitude,
II the Dakota and Minnesota were
placed end to end their combined
length would be l.26o feet, which Is
but GO feet short of a quarter of a
mile.
Another parallel can be drawn in
the depth of the vessels. From the
bottom of the keel in its center TO the
upper navigating deck is a height OF
over SO feet. In an ordinary build
ing the several stories sometimes av
erage but IL or Is feet in height, ant
this would make the vessel the height
of a seven or eight-story building
simply from keel to upper deck. The
s~mokestack rises 40 feet higher still,
and the masts reach 80 feet above
the sThokestack. The Dakota Is In a
much farther advanced state than was
the Minnesota when she went over
and carried a much greater weight
down the ways. II was estimated
that the Minnesota's weight at launch
ing was IL 900 long tons, or 1920
short tons, and the Dakota's was be
tween 5000 and 1900 tons. To
launch such an immense mass of steeI
was a feat in itself, aside from the
mere task of construction.
Launching ways of more than ordi
nary strength had to be specially con
structed. These were built of i'm
mense timbers and we're in two parts
the ground ways and the sliding ways
which latter carried the big craft
down. An immense quantity of grease
and oil was required to lubricate the
ways, and Ii Is estimated that from
10 to ~ tons OF tallow, lard, oil. soft
soap and a special launching greas,
were used. There were - barrels OIL
tallow alone. The declivity of tn,
ways was five-eighths of an inch tC
the foot. The total vertical height oil
the ways was 80 feet.
The vessels have double bottoms I
feet deep constructed on the cellular
system. The keel plates are 2 inches
thick for the outer plates and IL
inches for tie inner, The rivets used
are Ia inches in diameter. Each OI
the frames without the connection
channel beams weighs 1900 pounds
to a side. and a single l2-inch chan
mel beam weighs 1900 pounds. TIL,
stem and shoe piece weighs 4 tons
and the stern post has a weight of 5;
tons.
The rudder weighs 3S $40 tons ant
is carried by roller bearings on tn,
upper deck. II is made in form of {
steel casting in five sections. A spec
tally heavy Hyde windlass had to bt
built for each boat and the chain ca
BILE to the anchors is the heaviest II
the world. The chain alone weighs
20 tons and the anchor, cable anC
wire have a total weight of 1870 tons
The two sets of engines are three
cylinder vertical triple expansion o
direct acting. surface c~ondensin:
type. The cylinders are respectively
20, 81 and SO inches in diameter. Tht
stroke is 81 inches. Each engine Il
expected to develop 5000 indicated
horse power at a speed Of rs revolu
tons. The steam pressure capacity
is 230 pounds. All shafts are stand
ard exchangeable. The two engine.
will develop a minimum speed Will
twin screws Of II knots.
The boilers for each steam shil
number 16, being divided among fou
compartments, so that the damagin,
Of a few boilers would not proven
running the engines. They will hay,
a steam pressure Of $50 pounds to tn,
square inch. The coal needed for eacl
trim will be about 5000 tons and tn,
wa,er 5000 tons.
The electric plant of each boa
comprises six direct connected West
inghouse generators and a Wrestling
house vertical engine. The plant on
er'tes 1900 lights about each vessel
besides the 2f-inch s~earchlight. TIL,
state rooms, bath rooms and officers
quarters are heated by electricity
The port. s~tarboard and masthead
lights are electric and a telltale shows
If they are properly lighted or not
There is also an indicator which
shows how the rudder stands.
Four pole masts are rugged with
booms for working the cargo, and
there are also four derrick posts. The
foremost and jiggermast have each