The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-07

London has low tides; high tides come
when the, wind Is from east or south.
Temperature Must Be Noted.
Even the temperature of the air had
to be observed. This was to ensure
that lubricants Of proper consistency
be ready to grease and ease the hard
descent from earth to water. When the
Minnesota was launched, and similar
conditions prevailed yesterday, the
thermometer stood at so degrees. In
expectation Of cool weather the lubri-
cant used each launching day was COM
posed chiefly of tallow and lard oil.
First, hard soap was rubbed into the
groundways to fill up all the pores of
the wood. Then tallow was applied
hot, and, when it had cooled, strips of
soft soap, mixed with softened flax
seed, were laid across the ways on top
of the talloW. Before the sliding ways,
or wooden Shoes" worn by the ship,
were put in place hot oil and tallow
were poured over the groundways and
the under side of the sliding ways were
coated with a quarter of an inch of
tallow. A similar lubricant, weighted
with an admixture of ground graphite,
was distributed over that part of the
ways which projected out into the
water. 1t proved difficult, however, to
keep these timbers duly protected, all
though oil reservoirs placed on the
deck Of the vessel, with pipe connec-
ton leading down through the end of
the sliding ways, was arranged to lu-
bricate in front of the ways as they
slid down.
The total amount of the lubricating
material used yesterday was 10000
pounds, and not one soap company
availed itself Of possible advertising.
Launching scenes" in three colors
might well have been Transcribed Slid
to Sea on SamuePs Soap!"
Although cables so bound the ship to
the dock that the sliding movement
was retarded, the speed Of the enor-
mously heavy structure was sufficient
ly great, despite ten tons Of lubricant,
to shroud the ways in smoke.
Not the least noteworthy in con-
nection with the building Of Mr.. Hills
great ships is the fact that both yes
sells were already planned, much Of the
material was already ordered, before the
yards to build the ships had yet been
found.
Yards Specially Created.
These yards, moreover, were created
for their task. Mr.. Hanscom, the head
Of the new shipbuilding company, de-
cided to establish his yards at Groton,
on the Thames river opposite New Lon
don, because of the suitable depth or
water at that point, the natural solidtty
Of the river bank, the convenient rail-
way facilities and the favorable climate.
He therefore bought the land formerly
used by the New York, New Haven 81
Hartford railroad as a terminal yard
for former line to Boston.
While the yard was being prepared
Mr.. Hanscom opened at New London
an office, where he perfected the plans
for hulls and machinery and signed
additional contracts for material.
The preparation of the building
"berths' went on apace. For building,
no less than for launching, the ground
wherein the ships would grow must be
strong enough to bear enormous
weights. Although the earth at the
Groton side was naturally firm, being
underlaid with rock ledge, piles were
driven wherever possible. These were
capped with bed" logs, on which were
placed the blocks for supporting the
keel of the future arks. The bed logs
were no weak tiInbers, inasmuch as the
Minnesota, like the Dakota, was des-
tined to weigh fully three times as
much as does the ordinary Pacific
freighter. All the parts Of each vessel
are very much larger than the factories
or the Workmen OF America have been
accustomed to handle. The frames, for
Instance, in the midship sections, are