324 Captain Half's Remarks on ike Utility of Chain-Cables. 
the end of the crane, it is boused or pulled tight on the lower deck, 
so as to bind the chain closely against the beam. Such is the power- 
ful grasp of this stopper, that it arrests the chain if it be required 
instantaneously, whatever velocity it may have acquired,— an 
object which every other description of stopper has failed to 
accomplish. 
There are still, or at least there were two years ago, several 
desiderata, which it would be well worth the while of the manu- 
facturers to supply. In the first place, the mode of unshackling 
the lengths of the chain requires to be improved. Unless con- 
stant attention be paid to the pins which retain the bolts in 
their places, they become rusted, and are not to be moved 
without a long process of hammering. Now, since it frequent- 
ly becomes necessary to slip the cable (for it cannot be cut), 
the utmost facility should be afforded for disengaging one part 
of the cable from the other. The fault of the pins seems to lie 
in their being made flush with the bolt ; whereas, were they 
prevented from coming completely through the hole, by a 
shoulder, which should correspond with a contraction in the hole, 
the pin might be reached by a punch, and readily driven out. 
Ey the present method, the hammering which is requisite, has 
often the effect of rivetting it more firmly in its place. 
In the next place, every ship fitted with chain-cables, ought 
to have large and strong shackles fitted to the shank of the an- 
chor, in place of the rings used for hempen cables. The short 
nip of the chain, on these large rings, is apt to break them. I 
have myself seen no fewer than four rings snapped in this way. 
I believe that His Majesty’s ships are now furnished with 
' shackles such as I describe; but ail ships ought to have them. 
I have heard, that chain-messengers have been introduced ; 
but I have not seen them. It is certainly desirable that they 
should be ; but some contrivance will be necessary, to prevent 
the frightful accidents which are liable to occur in the event of 
their breaking. At all events, whether chain-messengers be expe- 
dient or not, it seems clear that some contrivance should be 
sought for, by which the hempen nippers may be done away. 
They are not only very inefficient, but are very expensive. Some- 
thing on the principle of the iron-claws, by which great stones 
are grasped tmd lifted, might easily be adapted to this purpose. 
I allude to those pincer-shaped implements, which clasp their ob- 
