Year: 1873

the triangies and astounded AZ the pumher
OF the SQUARES. Your head grows dizzy as you try
TO compute their number or estimate their dimen-
sions Right down through the middle of the
room runs dividing line; 1t catches your atten-
easign, All the other lines seem to radate from
it. This cenl.. mark Is really the backbone while
the smaller ones are the r.o-. o. -. mighty ship.
THE BUILDER OF tn. .s..r
The man before the table Is a designer and the
hnmense room is his blackboard. ae hrst con.
saructs MS model In miniature form. and then
abo|e every other person in the estab-
lishmlnt; for be prescribes to each the
You SIC that after all it takes but
one man TO build ship, while you wonder why in
the world Americans for SO many years have neg
lected so easy and simple an enterprise Each OF
these lines upon the floor is OF q peculiar shape,
which by and by dnds its counterpart in slight
wooden pattern. set follow this pattern until
1t reaches It's destination.


THE FURNACES.


Here you behold immense fires burning. Their
radiance Is brilliant and sheir heat intense. In
front Of them is an elevated floor. This floor Is
formed OF iron and is punched full of holes. Each
Well, along comes the wooden pattern from the
moulding lott. IL is not quite semicircular
but mSased IKE South
moor. Its outline is marked on the inside,
with the pegs and then the pattern has fulfilled
every purpose for which it was made. Now, II you
look around you will see great heaps OF iron harS.
They are exceedingly long and resemble railroad
lyon with side cut ofr-that is, II you look at
the end OF one OF them you Will observe it resem-
bles the letter l.. In addition to the bars living
upon the ground you notice others cracking and
Kissing In the furnaces. Here IS q particular iron
bar, hot enough TO be moulded into any shape
required. 1t comes out OF the furnace with a
and the dingy heaps OF iron on all sides suddenly
grow bright with a reflected radiance. For an
instant you are blinded and eagerly shield your
eyes The fiery bar writhes twists and throws or
sparks like an angry serpent and seems to say, If
oS are n anything with me you win
ing in the glare OF those mighty fires. The moment
the bar begins TO move those men catch 1t between
the Jaws OF great pinching tongs, and carry it to
the iron fo0r. In an instant it lies against the
pegs, and few sharp strokes OF the sledge easily
bend it to answer the pattern. Thus in a single
instant, almost In the twInkling an eye ships
RIB is made, destined to endure for ages, to speak
ol the glory OF American genius and enterprise.


Just mere recall the old method OF forming rib
Imagine how long IL would take to cut, trim and
season the timber, and how many days must elapse
Then contrast the rude and cumbrous wooden RIB,
including the work Of week, with that delicate
and gracefu! one described above, which was made
few years. the latter certainly century


CONSTRUCTING THE FRAME.


You next see the keel or the backbone OF the
vessel and you can readily imagine how easily
these ribs can be boted and connected with it.
The sides OF the ship consist OF immense pieces OF
plate iron, and we should next 90 where these
sections OF iron are prepared OF course they
first produced at the rolling mill by process so
familiar that it need not here be explained. They
lie about the ship yards In piles They are rough
upon their surface and ragged at their edges; be-
u
iron sections must be trimmed, and each one
therefore, has to be carefully marked. This is
done by following the outlines OF pattern.
After they are marked they are carried to
a platform and securely fastened there, the line
where it is to be cut being exactly even with the
extremity OF the platform Itself, So that the
ragged edge pr0trudes beyond 1t for an inch or s0
Then by pulling lever the workman starts
chsel which cuts that iron from end to end as
easily as II 1T were so much cheese. The section is
now trimmed, and holes must next he punched
through IT, that 1t can be fastened to corresponding
halp in arhc A two We
old comes along and covers the whole section with
a light wooden frame. This frame is full OF holes
a brush filled with white paint. Then the section
Is ited by machinery and a punch propelled by
weight OF tons nsoc comes slowly down. passes through
the noor below, then goes up gently and Is
ready to come down again. Then this section is
carried to table, Its surface is OF iron and Is re-
markably even. Innumerable balls OF size
uniform with those used in playing billiards are
scattered everywhere upon it. The section is laid
down upon these balls. 1t becomes movable at
once, and can be Showed IN any direction with the
greatest facility. man pushes 1t until one OF the
holes comes under a revolving machine, which
countersinks 1t TO an extent necessary to bury
the head OF the bolt intended to go through IT.


SHAPING THE PLATES TO THE RIBS


Now comes the most interesting process BY far
and one which cannot at all be described. Each OF
the vessel, and each must, therefore, be of a
different shape. Their shape is ascertaIned
BY bending paOs srm over tine
it is moulded. Then two or more
immense rollers are arranged SO as to permit this
Its form IN the slightest degree. When this IS done
the great, thick, nat sections are forced through
between these wheels, and 1t is absolutely wonder
full with what ease, speed and facility they are
bent. 1t is done with apparently little difficulty
as child would bend a blade Of grass and with no
other tax upon human strength than that used in
voIve. Now your section Is ready. 1t will lit the
place intended for it and four bolts Will mold 1t
there until others can be inserted,


NO NEED OF SKILLED LABOR.


Thus you have this one slab handled.
Why could you not perform all the various pro-
cesses youTsellS Surely man with no experience
IN ms M oa a. no M
street and actually do this work as well
the first day or ever afterwards. Away. then, with
the insane and ridiculous story that to build
ship man must have come down from family OF
shpbuilders and must have had personal expe-
rience OF seven years in the work. when an Eng
lishman tells you this again just ask him whether
he imagines that you are unatlc. England has
been singing that old song for years ana years, and
we tor years and years have been simple enough to
believe it. Mr.. John Roche, when he began the
business, picked up his men Unfortunately from
the farm and the street, from the railroad and
from the mIne, from every quarter in which he
could find individuals ready to work. and there is
not man about his place who, ten years ago, had
ever seen the inside OF ship yard. Yes. there Is
one, and he has a history. He Is an Englishman,
and was brought to this country for the espe.
cial purpose OF


SHOWING AMERICANS now TO CONSTRUCT VESSELS.


The company which brought him over paid him
salary OF SIS per day. One morning he came to
Chester and said to Mr.. Rocne:-


IL have come here to see how much you Amer
leans know about this business"


''You can give us no directions sir" Mr. Roche
replied, .for we know all about It,"


To-day this very Engtshman is working for Mr..
Roche upon salary OF 81 per diem and
occupies position under other men who ten years
ago where wholly unskilled. Mr.. Roche himself
and most Of his laborers are good, sober, in.
dustrious Irishlneu.


FASTENING THE sfffr's SIDES


1t Is an easy matter to iasen the sections to the
ribs Of the ship, but it involves considerable time
as well as the most deaiening clatter you ever
heard One can hear tine men cinching the r!,ets
half mile away, and is glad to escape from the
loud and ringing soInds. broad band of iron
runs around the ships area, and across from side
TO side rest graceful iron sleepers. 10 give add-
tional strength. bars run dagonally from one side
to the other the point OF intersection being marked
with broad plate, bound to the sleepers by means
Of several bolts. Thus the ship begins to assume
Its proper shape.


THE BOILERS


andta ina oil