History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the shipU.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
History
History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the ship
U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
Leviathan (Steamship); Vaterland (Steamship); World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations, American
The process of making the ship habitable was accomplished by a mere
handful of men, most of the division being assigned to various details
for work in other compartments.
After the work of cleaning up had been completed, attention was turned
to the rigging. The running rigging was in bad shape and it was found
necessary to refit all of the davits that were rigged with manila rope.
The booms were also refitted with new whips and guys. Requisitions for
wire and manila lines were made right and left and all of the rigging was
overhauled.
Of the 72 boats on board, 26 were equipped with friction winches and
needed no power for rigging out and loading. The power for hoisting was
furnished by electric motors, each one operating two or more winches.
These winches were given a thorough overhauling and found to be in
excellent condition. The boat falls, which were of special laid wire,
were then unrove and tested. Only two of the entire number needed
attention. At that time we had no serviceable wire, and it was a case of
a few well-made long splices.
The ground tackle on the ship was all that could be desired. Of the three
Hall type anchors, the largest, or stem anchor, weighed a little more
than twelve tons. The other two, port and starboard, tipped the scales
at eleven tons. These little trinkets were the only articles on board
considered safe from souvenir hunters. For the information of landsmen,
the “anchor watch” has no connection with the anchor itself, but is
merely the men on watch as Officer of the Deck’s night messengers while
the ship is at anchor.
The stem anchor was fitted with a 4-inch stud link chain, 150 fathoms in
length. The port and starboard anchors had chains of 164 and 150 fathoms,
respectively. The chains for the latter were three and three-eighths
inches in diameter, the size of a chain being measured by the diameter of
the material of which the links are formed.
The anchor engines were of corresponding size, and could be connected
with the capstans on deck. In addition to them, there were seven more
engines for capstans in all parts of the ship. In consequence, mooring
the ship to a dock was not the hard task that it usually is.
The stern anchor and chain had apparently been left in Hamburg. The hawse
pipe aft, and the stern chain locker were utilized for the handling and
stowage of the heavy manila hawsers.
Most of the manila hawsers on board had to be replaced. Natural decay
or possibly a small application of acid had so weakened the lines that
they had a tendency to break at the most inopportune moments. The wire
hawsers, however, were in A-1 condition, and up until the present time,
have never been replaced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account