Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-06-07
LARGEST IN WORLD
MONSTER BATTLEsHIP NOW BE.
ING COMPLETED AT THE NEW
YORK NAVY YARD.
Thousands of Mechanics Converting
Yard Into Greatest ShipbuIding and
Repair Shops in the World - New
Equipment.

The biggest battleship ever project
ed is now being completed at the New
York navy yard and thousands of me-
chanics and laborers are converting
the yard into one of the greatest ship
building and repair shops in the world
Other jobs that would have been con-
sidered impossible as government ven
lures five years ago are under way.
Within the last year miles of railway
tracks have been built in the yard,
shops have been constructed for vari
Gus classes of work. heretofore done
by private corporations, modern ma
chinery has been installed at cost
of millions and the general appearance
of the reservation has been changed
SO that the yard is rather a gigantic
industrial establishment than the
mere ships landing place it used to
be.
coaling Facilities.
The new coal storage and coal
handling and facilities building is near
1y ready to be turned over by the con-
tractors to the government. 1t is sit
uated on made land jutting out into
the East River from the Cob Dock.
1t was constructed for the purpose Of
coaling all classes of naval vessels
while they wait"-that is, as fast as
their bunkers can receive the fuel and
in as many coal holes at once as exist.
simultaneously it Goals trains on the
wharf which supply the navy yard
buildings. At the same time it unloads
coal barges to supply it's bins. The
shed is $50 feet long and so feet high.
The top Of it's electric crane, or tower,
running on steel tracks on top of the
shed, is 160 feet high. The bins are
arranged in diamond shape along the
peak, with diagonal bottoms, so that
coal can slide down in hurry. The
! normal capaHsN of the shed is 10000
.s.TScafias It loads itself While sup
lss-.s adr.isels and trains its capacity
10 really unlimited.
Many Miles of Railway.
twenty-five miles of railway track
are completed in the yard, with men
still laying rails. The rolling stock
consists of two forty-ton locomotive
cranes, eight ten-ton locomotive
cranes, some three-ton locomotive
cranes, and many freight and debris
cars. Already there is talk of trolley
cars TO convey officers and men about
the yard and save much time now
wasted in long walks by several thous-
and people. The heavy locomotive
cranes require specially heavy tracks
which are being laid where needed.
The railway crosses the north end of
the big slip on a drawbridge. Just
outside is large Pennsylvania freight
house, but no necessity has yet arisen
for connecting the tracks, as loaded
cars are brought to the yards on car
Ferries from Jersey City and elsewhere.
time with the trunk line systems enter
Gng New York.
Immense Floting Derricks.
The locomotive cranes are supple.
mented by a 100 ton floating derrick
crane, go ton floating derrick crane
and other smaller derricks on floats
The big derrick crane is 80 feet high
65 feet above water. The overhang
of it's arm beyond the pontoon is 45
feet. Recently it pulled out some OF
the battery wall and piling to make
room for the battleship Connecticut tc
be slid out into the East River when
it took out the turrets Of the battle
ship Indiana, after the sixty ton crane
had taken out her guns and loaded
them on barges.
The great electric cantilever crane
overhanging the Connecticut and hand
ling the materials of her construction
is 513 feet long and 140 feet high. 1t
is 80 feet high to the cantilever arm
which has total width or spread OF
211 feet. At 65 feet from the centre
1t lifts $4,000 pounds; at 60 feet it lifts
100000 pounds, etc. 1t is run by cleo
tric power introduced by wire from
the power house. 1t is the largest
crane in the world.
The First Battleship.
The Indiana was the first battleship
built for the American navy. In con.
sequence she is considerably out of
date and orders were issued to rebuild
her up to modern requirements. The
naval constructor. Commander w. j.
Baxter, decided that this could be
more conveniently accomplished at the
wharf than in the dry dock In con-
sequence she has been dismantled by
floating derricks. Her turrets will be
rebuilt on the wharf while her new
guns are being made at the Washing
ton Navy Yard. She will have new
boilers, electric and sanitary plant
plumbing and ventilation. There will
be rearrangement Of quarters. Her
eight inch turrets will have an cleo.
trio drive and her thirteen inch tur-
rets a steam drive. BY November she
will go back into commission prac.