COALING WARSHIPS FROM COLLIERS IN HARBOR. 135 



In a competitive test at the New York Navy Yard between winches 

 having metallic friction clutches and others of wood and iron of same 

 diameter the latter were rendered unfit for service after three hours' run. 

 There was |-inch of charcoal on the woods. Throughout all of these tests 

 the new winches showed no signs of trouble. They are enormously strong 

 and will stand a great deal of abuse. The friction surfaces are polished 

 and flat and will slip before any dangerous strain comes upon the gear. 

 It is impossible to hoist the load suddenly by throwing the friction into 

 contact. It will slip somewhat before picking up the load. If the friction 

 is thrown in and the steam then turned on, the load will be properly ac- 

 celerated and the results are better. 



There are three important points involved in the design and construc- 

 tion of these winches. 



1. The employment of flat metallic slipping frictions with air-cooling 

 passages. 



2. The employment of a lever control which makes the operation 

 comparatively easy. 



3. The position of the operator is such that he can see the bucket in 

 all parts of the hold as well as in every position it might take above the 

 hatch. 



The metallic slip frictions on all of these colliers involve the use of an 

 extra hard steel plate attached to the gear and the employment of friction 

 blocks made of a special composition. These materials are wonderfully 

 durable and none has as yet shown any signs of wear. 



ROPES. 



Wire seems to be the only material of which to make the ropes properly. 

 Manila rope would fill the drums too full. This would require larger drums 

 and more space and weight than is permissible on board ship. Further- 

 more, to keep the two bucket ropes free a non-spinning rope is found to be 

 essential. Non-spinning ropes from the nature of their construction are 

 not as durable as the ordinary wire rope but it is believed that the problem 

 of durability will yet be solved and wire ropes will be produced that will 

 not wear out too rapidly. Even at the present rate of wear the cost of wire 

 rope per ton of coal handled is believed to be very much less than that of the 

 manila cordage made necessary in coaling with bags employing the battle- 

 ship's winches. It is a matter of common comment that the manila coaling 

 whips required on a single coaling of a battleship from lighters are rendered 

 unfit for further service by the abuse which they get in coaling, using the 

 ordinary form of winch heads. 



