The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-08
MANcHURIA Is REPAIRED.

The Pacific Mail Company IS steam
| ship Manchuria, which is scheduled tC
sail for the Orient on August s, left
the Union Iron Works on Monday last
and is anchored in the stream prior to
going into commission The Manchu-
ria has been in the dry dock for the
last six months undergoing repairs
which are considered to be the largest
contract of the kind undertaken in this
country.
The Manchuria is high class, twin
screw, passenger steamer, one of the
finest vessels plying the Pacific, and a
sister ship of the Mongolia. She is
900 feet in length, has beam of sixty
five feet and draws forty-two feet six
inches.
She ran ashore on the island of Oahu,
about fifteen miles from Honolulu, on
August 20 last. When foated off the
reef she was found to be badly dam
aged. She made her way slowly under
her own steam to this port, her pro-
pellers having been badly twisted and
broken, leaving only one blade each,
and her bottom having been torn by
the coral. During her stay in the dry
dock, 257 shell plates, twenty-five keel
plates, 355 frame angle bars, 266 floor
plates and 609 intercostal plates had
to be removed and renewed. This meant
that practically the entire bottom of
the ship had to be taken out.
To properly shore the ship in her
weakened condition it was necessary to
use about 1900 shores, each 12x12
inches. She went into dry dock on De-
eember 10th last, and came out ON the
morning of July a. During that time
fully 700 mechanics were employed on
the job In the shipyards. The entire
cost viii reach about $4,000.
Before she took to the water every
tank in her double bottom, about TWEEN
ty-four in all, was tested on the dry
dock by being filled with water under
head of thirty-three feet, and made
absolutely water-tight with that pres
sure. Her seven deep tanks underwent
the same test.
To enable the Union Iron Works to
handle the job properly it was neces-
sary to install plant at Hunter 3 Point
dry dock, which included the following
features: Five air compressors with a
combined capacity to run $50 air tools;
these were erected on foundations in
building erected for the purpose, ad-
joining the power station belonging to
the dry dock company; a main line of
steam pipe with branches controlled by
valves was required for each COM
pressor; main five-inch air supply line
with branches controlled by separate
valve from each compressor. and also
branches to each air receiver installed
in connection with the plant.
Besides these things, were an Office
building for the accommodation Of /
time keepers and officials of the Union
Iron Works and the underwriters, indie +
pendent telephone line between the
Union Iron Works and the dry dock, /
two local grinding stations, tool room,
built for the occasion; an air .
tool repairing station, a blacksmith .
shop, a plate Hanging and straighten-
ing station, a special steam line from
lock boilers TO winches and dynamos
On board ship, zoos feet of standard
gauge railroad track, plate racks for
sorting and storing material, and an
electric light system in the ships hold
and under the ship 8 bottom. 1t also
required a stern wheel steamer for the
transportation of the men employed and
/ tugboat to transport men and mate
-ial and towing barges loaded with ma
erial A gasoline launch also made
ocular trips. assisting in Transporting
mornings and evenings, and
Icing other work the rest of the day.
additional tugs were also employed, as
occasion required