Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1895 — A SHIP'S LAUNCH. [ARTICLE]

A SHIP'S LAUNCH.

First Preparation! When the Keel Blocks Are Laid. It has often been said that man begins to die the moment tlrnt he In-gins I to live. It might also lie said that a ; ship begins to lie launched the moment [ she begins to lie built. The first thing j in the actual construction is to arrange i the keel-blocks on which the ship is to rest while she is building. They must , be placed at certain distances apart, and each must lie a little higher than ! its neighlior nearer tlie water. These blocks are usually of the stoutest oak. and are placed from two to three feet apart. They must have a regular inclination, or the ship cannot lie launched. In vessels like the St. Louis the incline is about one half an inch in height to a foot iu length. In smaller vessels it is often more than one inch to the foot. Larger vessels have so much weight that a sharp incline is not as necessary as with smaller ones. The keel of tlie ship is laid on these blocks, and its fast as,the sides of the vessel are built up great props are placed against tliesi to make sure that by no accident will tlte vessel topple over. At length the hull of the vessel is completed. Then it is that tlie launching apparatus is prepared. This '■<insists of two parts, one that remains fixed oil tlie ground, and one that glides into the water with the ship. The part that goes into the water is tincradle. It is that part in which tinhull of the vessel rests snugly, and probably that is why it is called it cradle. When tin* time comes tor the launch, a long row of blocks is built under each side of tin* ship at an equal distance from the keel-blocks and of tin* same inclination. On these blocks rest first the stationary “ways.” These consist of broad planks of oak. from three to four feet wide, capable of sustaining a weight of from two to two and one half tons to the square foot. On top of these ways are tlie “sliding ways,” of nearly tlie snihe breadth, and between the two the tallow is placed. A narrow cleat runs along the edge of the stationary ways, so Unit the sliding ways shall not slip off as they carry the ship along. Above the sliding ways is what is called the “packing." This consists of pieces of timber packed close against the curving sides of the vessel to hold it firm to the sliding ways beneath. The curves in the hull vary so much that it would be impossible to fit the sliding ways to them, and so, by means of packing tlie ship is fitted to the ways instead. Tinpacking and the sliding ways const! tute the cradle, and it is fastened to the ship by stout ropes. Along its length, at intervals of about eight ecu inches, are big wedges, tin- points of which are inserted between the sliding ways and the packing. A rope about tlx- thickness of a clothes-line runs from wedge to wedge so that none may be lost when they float into the water.

We are now ready for the launch. Tallow tobjthe thickness of about an inch hate been spread between the ways as they were put in position, nearly sixty barrels being necessary for a ship like tlie St Louis. Tlie cradle sets snugly against the ship's bottom. Tlie vessel, however, is still resting on the keel-blocks. Tlie task now is to transfer the ship from these keel-blocks to the launching supports, and to takeaway the keel-blocks. Then when tlie weight of the ship rests on the launching-ways alone all that is necessary is to saw away the "solepiece" at the bow. where tlie stationary and sliding-ways are fastened together and the ship by her own weight will probably slide into the water, if she needs a start, several “jacks” using hydraulic power are ready beneath the keel to lift her a trifle and give her a push.