The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-05-15

BredC -SIdIluldClleI.
My daughter, reasonably COM
petent for seventeen, probably
could have managed the cham
pagne-smashing without any par
entail advice. Nevertheless, her
father thought he should go
along. parents will be that way,
Of cOurSe).
l was glad I did. had never
seen a ship-launching before and
1t Is worth seeing. 1t Is es-
pecially worthwhile to watch the
precision teamwork which every
workman on the job goes about it.
The sponsor, up above, gets the
limelight; but down below goes on
the work that really counts. This
particular launching was in charge
Of Bill TAFT, a Scotsman, who has
been launching ships ever since
the year I was born.
He had the IS Joseph M. Medill
scheduled to go down the ways at
noon sharp. Actually, she got
restless and departed at 1855.
To prepare for this, the launch
ing crew began at $50 a. m. and
was given mimeographed chart
Of each move to be made in the
intricate job of easing the 10000
ton freighter into the water.
KNOCKING OUT THE BLOCKS
The chart reading something
like this: 1905 a. nj. commence
creep gauge readings. 1910 a.
m, removal of ram rails and
temporary spreaders from wedge
rider. 1920 a. m, remove all
shores inside launchways. 1880
a. M, remove all shores cupboard
Of launchways. 10:4O a. m. re-
move alternate keel blocks and
all keel blocks aft. Of FIR. 156.
11:10 a. m. remove all collapse
BILE keel blocks. 11:2O a. m. re-
move all collapsible bilge blocks,
II sets per side, at time marked
and bilge blocks"
I don't pretend to understand
this. And confess I couldn't
understand Bill Tait's delightful
Scotch brogue when he explained
1t to me. But I did notice that
each block on which the hull rests
has a number painted OH the end,
number which shows the time
at which a sledge hammer Is to
knock 1t out from under. This
has to be done, gradually, block
by block. And was at least able
to grasp the fact that II they were
all to come out at once, the hull
would crash to the skids upon
which 1t finally rides out TO sea.
Instead this careful knocking out
Of the blocks gently lowers the
ship like a baby into It's cradle.
The very last act OF launching
comes when four Workmen with
acetylene torches begin cutting
through two steel plates-the cut
cut off plates which hold the
vessel on the ways.
SUPERSTITIOUS SEAMEN
Long before this, however, the
much less important, but more
spectacular, ceremonies had be-
gun on the christening platform,
topside. A band, made up Of
shipyard workers, Is playing. A
preacher has blessed the ship.
And the great, great granddaugh-
ter Of Joseph Medill stands breath
less and excited, waiting the
signal to let fly with the cham
payne.
In this case, the young lady had
heard a great deal about the sup
erstitious fears Of seamen when
the champagne bottle fails to
break and the ship Is not properly
christened. She had, In fac,
Though perhaps this Is telling
gone out with her little brother
to practice with beer bottles on
the side OF the house at home.
Came the launching of the Jo-
seph M. Medill, therefore, and
she was In good form. This was
fortunate. For as the acetylene
'orches burned through the cut
off plates, the Joseph M. Medill,
straining at her leash, anxious to
begin carrying war goods overseas,
broke her last letters and began to
move.
Southpaw Pearson swung lus-
tily. Champagne splashed over
the bow. All sailors supersti-
tious fears were removed as the
Joseph M. MedilI slid out TO sea.
FROM CAMPS TO SHIPS
About one year ago, late In the
evening, Admiral Jerry Land
telephoned j. A. Jones, head OF
the Jones Construction company
In Charlotte. N. c., to ask If the