Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-02-11

WWRa ODAY Bath is the only place
81 where they build ships with
in easy distance OF Portland
H and most people who want to
see ships launched have to go
there to see the job done, writer IN
the Portland Press states. | know OF
no more solemn moment than that
when the master builder, having seen
to it that everything is as near right
as human foresight and skill can
make it, gives the word to knock out
the props
A gang OF men fall to work with
hammers and axes and the props that
have held the ship from going over
board are pushed one side and the
weight of the ship then rests wholly
on the cradle. This is huge frame
Of timbers that slides on the ways.
The space between them has been
plentifully slushed with soap grease
and tallow, and when the time comes
to knock out the spur shore and let
the vessel start to slide she is sup
posed to slide slowly at first, but with
ever increasing momentum until the
stern strikes the water with a mighty
splash and. buoyed up by the water,
she takes new angle and slides on
until she is lifted clear Of the shore
wholly
The way they do it now the cradle
goes into the water with the vessel,
and boatmen are busy for some time
afterward gathering it up and either
towing 1t back to be used over again
at some future time or else they carry
It off for their own use as firewood.
The way they used to build ships
they were held in place by the stern,
and the last act was to saw the stern
block apart The man who did this
had no time to get out OF the way be-
fore the vessel started to slip into
the water, so he had to lie down in a
little groove that was prepared for
that purpose and actually let the
ship pass out over him. Then he
rose and went his way rejoicing.
Watching the Great Hull Grow.
1t is considered unlucky TO have a
workman injured while ship is in
building, so master builders began to
figure out plans to get away from this
system They hold ships by the bow
now, and the way they start them Is
to cut the bow block and thus let the
hull come down with kind of jump
that starts the cradle sliding and
forces the stern block, which Is not SO
a SO 70 IN
out of the way or else the sliding ship
goes right over it.
1t is a solemn occasion, this ship
launching day. The people who live
around the shipyard have grown ac-
custoued to seeing the great hulk ly-
ing there, growing little by little, un-
til at last 1t assumes the proportions
and the ffxity of great mountain
First it is a skeleton, then it is
planked on the outside and ceiled on
the inside. Then it is painted and
coppered and ofttfmes nowadays it is
fluffy rugged on the stocks
The stocks, by the way, consist OF
props of differing lengths set in I'm
der the bottom and extending part
way up the Sides. But there Is no
need of placing horizontal beams out
as they do when ships are III dry
docks. There is considerable land
under the big vessels and she holds
herself up fairly we'll
The cradle is built afterward and
put into position shortly before
launching time. AT first it supports
no weight whatever. Then when the
time draws near they begin to wedge
1t into shape, and pretty soon it is
holding portion at least OF the ship
The ways are soaped plentifully
Then they are soaped again and gone
over with the greatest care, to make
sure they are all right and will not
spread sidewise. Then the fated day
arrives. An army of workmen is as
semhied on the spot, each armed with
an ak or maui or a double faced
hammer. as the case may be.
When all is ready the master build
er gives them the word to strike. They
begin to knock out the wedges that
hold the cradle and the ways apart
Then they begin to knock out the
props that hold the ship OF tho cradle
Then she settles down on the cradle
with her whole weight. This is the
first test. If nothing gives, the master
builder, after a last look all around
sixns the word TO cut the bovpost