Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-23
How the Huge Dewey is Being
lowed Half Around the
World.
LONG HAWsERS ARE USED
Powerful Naval Vessels Straining on
Them a Mile and a Quarter
from Steel Hulk.

miles TO the Philippines, is now well
started on her voyage, and if all goes
we'll the powerful naval vessels which
are hauling the immense and unwieldy
structure will not stop until they reach
the entrance to the Suez canal, says
q special dispatch from Baltimore to
the New York Herald.
In towing the dock hawsers having u
total length of i.22O fathoins, or 40
yards more than 4 mile and quarter,
will stretch between the ships and the
dock. This great length of hawser, to-
gether with the lengths of the ships and
the dock, makes Il tow of about one
mile and three-quarters.
These giant machines hooked up will
present Il dazzling spectacle Oh clear
nights. The four ships conveying the
dock are fully equipped with electrici-
| ~ in the way of search and signal
| lights. and each ship and the dock are
| equipped with wireless telegraphy, so
that communication should be perfect
There are spare hawsers and chains.
and Il vast quantity of coal will be
used.
| To the dock are fastened forty-f1ve
| fathoms OF two ana Il half inch chain
| for a bride. TO this are fastened 120
| fathoms of hawser made up of two fif
| teen-inch manila hawserS seized to-
gether From this go to the ship near
| est the dock 200 fathomS of six inch
steel hawser. From ship to ship stretch
| 100 fathoms of fifteen inch manila and
200 fathoms Of six inch wire hawSer.
Each of the towing vessels has steam
| towing machinery, continuance de-
| signed to lessen the awful strain of
towing in u heavy sea. One of the most
| important factors in the towing of the
dock are the automatic towing ma
chimes, which are an American inven
tioh. These are depended upon in Il
large measure to make the undertaking
| comparatively safe. The resistance of
the tow is borne entirely by the steam
pressure in the cylinders OF the towing
machine. which consists of a reel or
drum upon which the steel wire haw-
sers wind and unwind automatically.
This drum is driven by pinion gear in
the crank shaft of the engine. which
meshcs with the gear OH the drum
shaft. The machine has a regulating
reducing steam valve. in which the
opening is increased or diminished ac-
cording as the strain on the towing
hawser increases or diminishes.
In Il seaway. as the vessel rises on n
wave or sea, thus increasing the strain
OH the hawser, the drum begins to re-
volve and t6 pay out or slack the haw-
ser. This action of the hawser opens
the regulating valve and increases the |
steam pressure in the cylinders until
the pressure is sufficient to equalize the I,
strain on the hawser. Then as the
strain on the hawser decreases the |
pressure in the cylinders will revolve |
the drum and wind in the slack of the |
hawser
In this way the machine is prevented !
from paying out the whole of the haw-
ser. and only enough is paid out to re-
lieve the extra and momentary strain |
on the line and thus prevent its injury |
or breaking. The regulating valve
which admits and cuts off the steam to
and from the cylinders. is entirely au-
tomato and requires no handling what
ever. An Independent admission valve
is provided, by which steam is admitted
to the cylinders and the hawsers length
ened and shortened at.will
Ship for "a Ruddcr.
The Golfers ErutuS and Caesar anu
The supply ship Glacier are to tow the
Dewey. The tug Potomac Is TO be used
partly as a rudder for the dock when
necessary and for emergencies. The Po-
tomac will run on sea crrands, such as
putting into ports for supplies.
In addition to the. great 1900 pound
anchors, there are four mushroom, or
umbrella anchors of 1000 pounds
each on the Dewey. These are design
ed as the permanent anchors of the
dock and are to be used on each corner.
TO each of the great anchors are 20
fathoms of two and a quarter inch
chain cable. The amount of gear is
enormous, for the great brides for the
dock are in Quadruplicate and are in
addition to the towing hawsers, regu-
lar and extra, and the regular and ex-
ira chains for the anchors
Commander Ii. II. Hosley has the
Glacier for his flagship, and the great
white vessel shows in sharp contrast
to the others i'll black paint. j. ID.
Wood. veteran pilot master and tug
boat man, is sailing master of the dock,
which is otherwise in charge of Boat
swain Philip Mullin. j. III. Deitweller,
formerly of the Pensacola dock, is
dockmaster and will continue as such
at Olongapo. Otto Werner is chief en-
gineer, Mr.. McMurray first officer and
Mr.. Straub second officer
The Brutus is under command of
Captain Hendricks, with a merchant
crew, and the Caesar under command
Of Captain Hutcnison. Only the Gla-
cier and the Potomac carry naval Off
GERS and crews. There are thirty-six
men all told on the dock In the com
PIGMENT are three engineers, a wireless
telegraph operator and electrician, four
firemen, twelve seamen, a steward, a
cook and two mess boys. The dock
carries 400 tons of coal designed for
the use of the dock machinery only
1t is generally calculated that thesk