The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-08-09
BIC SHIP BUILDING
The Planning and Constructing
of an Ocean Liner.
FIRST A MINIATURE IS MADE.

-h;. Small Model Is Then ThoroughI
Tested, and the Story It Tells WheI
psrtected Will Be the Story Of tn
Nav Vessel When Launched.
Building n modem ocean liner is aI
interesting and complicated operation
The ships plan is first prepared il
.ortiors from owners specifications, OF
scala of quarter or half an inch tt
tho foot. One set of drawings called
the sheer draft" is u plan Of thu
ship's skeleton or framework withou
tbe plates, the internal deck, bulkhea(
ind hold arrangements being indicated
by series of detailed drawings.
Follows then the experimental stage
wooden block or casting of parallir
wax is first made to scale from the
sbip's plans and tested in large tank
about 800 feet in length and eight feet
deep. The model. weighted to the load
line. is towed to and fro by an over
head traverser ut varying speeds.
Delicate instruments register the ex.
act pull" the displacement. the stabil-
ity and host Of other information
The shape Of the model is altered
again and again. pieces being shaved
off here and others there. The final re-
suits IRE carefully tabulated, and from
this ship in embryo the builders COM
plete their plans.
Inside the central shed, 250 yards
long end 150 feet in height. the ships $
berth has meantime been prepared
Thousands of wooden piles. about thir-
ty fee in length. have been driven by
pile drivers deep into the ground. On
these are laid huge beams and the
floor completed with stout planks
Then in the center the keel blocks. sur
mourted by oak caps in groups of five.
are assembled on a falling gradient to
the river of about half un inch foot.
All is now ready for the reception of
the pOnderous keel. Thistle back
bone of the shlp--is Of huge strength.
measuring four feet across. and Is three
and a quarter inches thick. Parallel
with the keel. but above it and attach
ed by angle bars. Is the central girder,
five feet high. the space between form
ing the double bottom. On each side.
at regular distances running length
wise. are seven other girders, the out
er one called the margin plate"
The water tight chambers are formed
by vertical partitions of plates extend.
ing above and beneath the floors up to
the margin plate on each side.
After the great cast steel stern frame
and the stem bar for the bows have
been attached the plating begins. The
steel strips Of varying sizes, but av-
eraging thirty-four feet in length and
about three tons in weight each, which
form the skin Of the ship. are laid on
in strakes like the bricks In wall.
Fitting these strakes to the shape Of
ship is critical business. A thin
wooden pattern or template is first
prepared for each plate and clamped
in position on the ships side. With
minute care every detail is marked on
1.-THE size and shape. the overlap and
the rivet holes.
1t is then transferred to its proto-
type. the steel plate, which is cut.
punched and bent by wonderful ma
chinery that slices steer strips, punches
rivet holes anG bends steel plate rs
easily and cleanly as though the ma
terial were paper. Nimble travelling
cranes on gantries under the roof pick
up the huge plates when ready and
convey them to their appointed place,
where the hydraulic riveter-a me-
chanical marvel-with irresistible force
and rapidity drives each rivet home.
In the building of a modern liner over |
100000 rivets are used. Each joint
IS rendered water tight by calking.
The outer shell finished and the in
'ide work far advanced, the builders
urn their attention to the problem OF
he launch. the weight of the vessel at
his point on. the keel blocks being
something like $1,000 tons. The
ways. sloping gently to the
water, are prepared, and cradles, fore
md aft, to guide the ship, are erected
With huge wooden beams, the whole
icing finally fabricated by tallow and
rain oil.
Amid acclamation the ship receives
IS baptism and, whether for veal or
voc. takes to its element. Still help
nss. though. its motive power lacking,
is afterward moored to the works
vharf under a 15O ton titan crane,
thereby its boilers-twenty-fve of
hem-are lowered into the abyss OF
be hold and a multitude Of fittings
with the engines.
Dwarfing all else for size come
ext the four tunnels, towering $50
eet above keel level and large enough
Dr. two tramcars to be drawn through
breast These are fixed on the 81
lntic 'uptakes." connecting with the
oilers by network of fiues. II
A hoist of auxiliary machinery for
ghting. ventilatinG. pumping ana
eering the ship. as well as the pas
,nger lifts. is being installed at the
line time as a swarm OF men Work
ny and night on the internal decora-
ons. Electricians encircle the ship
18th girdle Of light and install q
lephone and electric call service with
% stations.
In the chart room is fitted a wonder
j clock. which controls. synchroni-
lily. fifty other clocks in different
lrts OF the ship. The lofty Marconi I,
asst is linked up with the mysterious /,
struments in the. wireless cabin
hen, at last. after many months oe
II. comes the welcome day when the
eat ship. pride of tser builders. sail1 a