Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-10-03
Big Job to Berth
Giant Majestic
at NeW.York Pier

-
New York, Oct. Announcement
that the worlds largest ship, the
Majestic, will be ready for service
between New York and Southampton
next spring directs attention to the
facilities for docking the great ship
at her pier on her arrival at New
York and the methods to be en-
ployed in doing so.
When the largest of the present
ocean liners came out, just before
the war, it was necessary to extend
the piers at New York where they
are docked. to protect their long
hulls from traffic passing up and
down the Hudson River. The extend
ed piers will be very tight fit in
deed for the Majestic, while the task
of getting her into her berth will
present as big a job as the docking
experts employed by the steamship
countered.
New York is perhaps the hardest
port in the world in which to dock a
great ocean liner, from the fact that
1t is the only one where the docks are
at right angles to river in which
strong tides flow regularly.
A ships captain is usually pictured
as experiencing his greatest worries
when his vessel is at sea buffeted by
wind and storm. AS a matter of fact
on modern liners storms are small
| concern compared to his anxiety
| when he enters port and finds his
ship hampered by lack of sea room
| of space to navigate
| In harbor he is confined to a chan
| mel. ofttimes one in which he could
not turn around. His speed is limited
to bare steaage way. He must avoid
striking passing craft or getting too
far to one side from the deepened
| channel.
Opposite his dock. which in New
/ York appears like openings between
the teeth of IA huge comb, he must
come to stop and swing the bulk
beneath him croSswise to the flowing
tide, hold it there. and nose his way
into one of the openings.
Not daring to make use Of the
/ ships own tremendous power by
reason of lack Of room, from a doz-
en- to as high as 20 tugs are used in
swinging into their docks such big
vessels as the Olympic, the, Maure-
( tania, or the, big 912-foot, sc. .OOO-ton
| Majestic.
Indicating what damage might re-
suit if one of the big liners should
bump into pier or a passing craft
marine engineer recently estimated
that when moving at the rate Of five
miles an hour about as fast as a
man would walk. n blow equal tc
that Of 14,4OO run about automobiles
acting simultaneously would be in
fllcted. Those who have seen the re-
suits of crash of single car can
visualize the collective result.
The technically inclined are in
formed by the engineer that the
measure Of actual energy required
70 stop the ship at five-milo speed
IN one second is 15S, ,S61.36O foot
pounds. or u force equal to oSS. .5o1
horse e-powcr acting through one
second
AS soon as the ship Is within heay-
lng-llne distance of the pier. hawsers
or big ropes measuring T. inches in
circumference and tested to a strain
or l3l 900 pounds are made fast A.
tached 10 the ships winches a slow
careful strain is put upon them The
strain is carefully watched for if tho
tensile strength be exceeded thew
would snap like "a thread. If the
tide pressure is too great ofttimes
the snip Will swing up broadside to
a pier head then with aid of tue
power. winch power pulling on lines
ana an occasional turn of the ships
screw the, long hull will be swung
around and eased into the berth bv
inches.
once within the slip the vessel is
c2scd along the dock with the nid Of
sprung lines, or hawsers runnine
from forward and aft PLAYING over
5tfohS clutches or butts on the nier
amldship the vessel When one of
ne 'oo-footers is locked her bow is
:" ciose 70 the pierhead that it can AL
most be touched. Her stern is pro-
iccted from passing river craft nv
the bulkheads built out into tho
river.
All fast sir" the mates forward
ana aft and the officers amidshins
report. 20
Inc bell in the engine room iinaIes
y adVlse the force below that the
ANXIOUS moment is ended
a sharp quick blast of the whistle
winch seems to echo the cantain.s
or plots Involuntary sigh of relief
me sahgway is run up, and another
voyage is ended.