The Washington times., 1921-01-27
U. S. NAVY TO BUILD
SUPER-CRANE SHIP
viii Equip Old kearsarge With
Worlds Most Powerful Lift
ing Machinery.
By HARRY L. ROGERS.
Intsrma tf~asi News Service

The most powerful crane In he
world Is TO be the next addition TO
he United States Navy's growing list
Of super-craft, the Navy Department
has announced.
Already the navy has either In
commission or under construction the
worlds biggest battle ship, biggest
battle cruiser. biggest risid-type air
ship and biggest seapiane. 9nd Sec
retary Daniels has announced tina
the navy itself will be the bigse est in
the world by 1928,
The monster crane. which II to be
mounted on the old battleshtp Kear
sarge now being rented at the Phil
ldelphia Navy Yard. will have q III +,
ing capacity of az tons. OF 624O0O
pounds. In other words. IL will be
able to whisk about with the ease OF
a policeman twirling his club weights
equal to that OF AGO moderately
plump men, 624 medium-sized horses,
or a slightly smaller number Of "tin
Lizzies."
The duty of the crane ship will be
TO proceed under it's own power from
port to port and handle guns. tur
rets. armour-plates. boilers and other
neavy material in the various ship
building yards. Its primary pur. ose
Is to lift turrets from their building
cribs into battleships.
HANDLES BIG TURRETS.
Sections Of a modern triple sixteen
inch gun turret, which must be as
sembled and riveted complete before
put aboard a warship. weigh 200 tons
)r more. AS this weight 10 beyond
he crane capacity of some navy yards
and most of the private yarus now
Juilding battleships, 1t Is essential for
he Navy Department to have a large
crane that can be moved from yard
o yard to supply this deficiency.
Alteration of the Kersarge for her
new duty will include removal of ali
guns. ordnance equipment, turrets and
most OF her armor. Quarters also
must be rearranged to accommodate
the vessels complement OF officers and
crew as q crane-ship.
The crane itself Is being built under
contract by the Wellman Seave- Nor.
gan Company of Cleveland. Ohio, and
will be shipped to Phila1e. phia In
parts for assembling. 1t w II Se Of
the revolving. hinged. jib type. cleo
.rically operated and capable OF ro-
.ating 800 degrees, and 1t will be ca,
pable Of hoisting a load from 40 per
tent below the base of the crane t.
i03 feet above. BY luffing the jib
without rotating the crane, the load
.an be moved through q horizontal
athwartship range extending from II
o 1O1 feet. from the center OF rota-
ton.
TWO GIANT HOOKS.
1t will also be prov ded with an
auxiliary trolleying hoists, Of forty
tons capacity, having an outstrotch OF
ia feet and a vertical lifet Of ITS
,eet. With these characteristics. the
crane will be capable of reaching
any part of any United States naval
vessel now building or CONTEMPLATED
The main hoist cons sts Of two
hooks of 1875 tons each, which are Mt
ed to take an equalizer when lifting
$50 tons.
The plant for supplying power for
the crane will be located in the hold
Of the vessel. AS refitted the Ker-
sarge will be able to transport at one
time two triple 16-inch gun turrets
with their guns. foundations for this
purpose being prov ded forward ano
aft under the main deck.
Naval engineers assert the remod-
elled Kearsarge will be a perfectly sea
worthy craft. notwithstanding the
moro than q hundred feet above her
huge steel arm which will extend
decks.