EQUIPMENT. 



33 



H 



Between the reeling-engine and the drum the wire rope is led 

 on deck through heavy iron sheaves, and is guided in the same 

 way over the bow. The dredging-boom (Fig. 

 29) moves on a swivel, and can be raised or 

 swung sideways to facilitate the bringing of the 

 trawl on deck after a haul has been completed. 



The small size of the " Blake "^ (one hun- 

 dred and forty feet on the water line, twenty- 

 six feet and six inches beam, with a draught of 

 only eleven feet) rendered many devices neces- 

 sary for the easy handling of the wire rope. 

 As it was not considered best to bring the 

 strain of hoisting directly upon the winding- 

 reel, and as considerable room was required to 

 handle the slack of the wire rope as it passed 

 from the surging-drum to the reel, we sent the 

 rope by means of blocks round the deck almost 

 back again to the surging-drum. (Figs. 29 a, 

 30.) The close proximity of the reel and drum 

 enabled the men at the brakes to watch either 

 engine readily and act accordingly. 



The plan of the flush upper deck of the 

 " Blake " (Fig. 30) gives the position of the 

 large iron reel B, on which the steel- wire dredg- 

 ing-rope was coiled, the position of the snatch- 

 blocks C, leading the rope to the winding-en- 

 gine with surging-drum A, to (7, and then to 

 the large block C, at the end of the swinging 

 dredging-boom D, — this last block, C, being 

 connected with the accumulator hung along 

 the foremast; the position of the sounding- 

 machine, Gy on the port side is also shown, 

 and that of the small winding-engine to reel in 

 the soundina--wire. 



o 



In paying out the wire rope for a haul after the trawl or 



1 The " Blake " is schooner-rigged, her knots. She can carry coal at that rate of 

 speed but moderate, and with a consump- consumption for thirty-eight days' steam- 

 tion of four tons, steams about eight ing. 



O 



Fig-. 30. — Plan of 

 Deck of "Blake." 

 (Sigsbee.) 



B. Dredging-reel for wire 

 rope. 



C. Snatch-blocks. 

 A. Hoisting-engine. 



D. Swinging-boom. 

 K. Pilot-house. 



G. Sounding-machine. 

 H. Reeling-engine. 



