The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-30

duties the order has been given TO
Wedge up" Scores of men. with
mallets and battering rams of timber
then begin driving in the oak wedges
between the TWO courses OF the upper
sliding ways.
Chatter. CHATTER. CHATTER" resOund
the hammers, making a noise like a
dozen gatling guns as inch by inch the
wedges are driven home, and then
comes the most remarkable part OF
the process of launching. for these lit
tie wedges literally lift the huge mass
of steel from the keelblOcks and the
entire weight rests up the upper
course of the sliding ways supported
by the wedges
In the driving home of these wedges
system is employed. for as the various
gangs batter away fOremen hurry here
and there and watch with critical eye
10 see that no set of the wedges is
driven in quicker than another On
both sides of the ship the wedges are
driven in at the same moment so that
there is an equal distribution of the
weight at all times
When the wedges have been driven
in sufficiently far and the keel of the
ship is clear of the blocks a gang OF
men is sent under the hull TO remove
the top blocks so as TO prevent the
possibility of one of them being
caught in anything.
Finally the fOremen make q hurried
trip under the ship and around the
ways to see that all is clear. and then
the great chains that have been placed
around the sliding and groundways TO
assist the sole pieces in holding, are
removed.
The ship then stands held on the
ways by only the timber sole pieces.
Two gangs are selected and with long
saws each stand by a sole piece. The
word is given and the saws are start d.
Swish. swish. chez, chez" SIM me
saws, the noise ringing out clear in
the silence prevailing. Every one
stands breathless. The sponsor clutch
es her bottle nervOusly, the shipyard
officials faces are strained and every
Suddenly there is a sharp, ripping
noise as though a bolt of canvas had
been rent asunder. 1t is the tearing of
the fibers of the sole pieces. Then fall
lows hard, grinding snap, the sole
pieces have parted, and with
scarcely perceptible movement, the
great ship starts.
There she goes" yells a hundred
voices and before the last word is out
the vessel has quickened her motion
until all can see. The sponsor gasDs:
Il name thee -,' gives the bottle
a wild fling, it strikes the steel PROV
of the ship and breaks with a crash,
its liquid contents spread out over the
metal and usually the launching party
Foot by foot as the vessel moves
down the ways It gathers Roadway and
its stern takes the water with a great
splash, dipping deep but only TO rise
a moment later when the bOuyancy
come into play, while the stem, in turn
drops from the ways TO the water and
dips as if acknowledging the cheers
from the throngs ashore and the boot
ing of dozens of whistles on tugboats
and yachts.
As the vessel slides into the stream
her Roadway is gradually checked I'M
til she is at a standstill and she is
then taken in charge by tugs and tow
ed TO a berth. In the checking of the
Roadway of the launched vessel an in
genious plan is sometimes adopted. In
some places the water is not suffici-
emily wide TO permit the vessel to go
fl ee TO stop of her own accord. so the
plan followed is TO place anchors at
the edge of the shore and then lead
the chains to the bow of the ship.
Rope cables are then led around the
stern of the ship and form a bride,
the ends leading TO the anchor chains
lines are distributed here and
there 90 cleats on deck and the other
ends 10 the anchor cables. As the ship
strikes the water the strain falls on
the lighter lines. which give way, one
after the other.
Each successive line is heavier than
the other however. from four TO five
inches in diameter. is broken. the
hes xWay. or sternWay, OF the ship has
been pretty well lost and the checkup
by the anchor chains follows without
any great strain.
Following the launching come the
congratulations to the builders. and
well they deserve them. for they have
just undergone fearful strain. But
the ship safely launched, anxiety is for
gotten. the launching party assemblies
at a luncheon. there is something 10
eat. music and much speaking. with
cut which no launching could be COM
plete.