PORTABLE SHEERS. 
413 
SHORT NOTES ON ERECTING PORTABLE SHEERS IN CORK 
HARBOR POR LIFTING 35-TON GUNS, 1875-6. 
BY 
LT.-COL. DENIS-DE-YITBE, B.A. 
Site of the Sheers. 
The ordnance side of the Island of Hautbowline, more particularly 
that part affording wharfage, is extremely limited, and does not admit 
of the sheers standing perpendicular to the shore; they are therefore 
erected parallel thereto, so as to plumb the small dock into which War 
Department vessels delivering the guns are warped, stern foremost. 
Description of Sheers and G-earing. 
Guys, Holdfasts, Sfc. 
The sheer legs consist of two Oregan spars, 70 ft. long, 30 ins. in dia¬ 
meter at the butt and middle, fitted with head gear of cast-iron caps 
each, and a wrought-iron centre-piece. 
The shoes of oak, iron-bound, 6 ft. diameter, 2 ft. deep, connected to¬ 
gether with a li-in. tie-bar, at 25 ft. apart, and 15ft. withdrawn from 
the edge of the dock. 
The hack guys (two) each consisting of five lengths of 2-in. selvagee 
wire rope, shackled together, each guy hooked to a 6J-in. rope running 
tackle of two 18-in. treble bothways blocks, and secured each to chain 
holdfasts of IJ-in. short link, of 8 fathoms each, applied double, with a 
9-in. ring in the centre and an 8-in. x 4-in. link at each end. 
Fore guy. —For this purpose an 8-in. 113-fathom coil of rope was 
supplied; but it was found more convenient, as hereafter appears, to 
convert the fore guy of the small auxiliary sheers into the fore guy of 
the large sheers. Four returns of 6-in. rope were thus used. 
The holdfasts for the hack guys. —Eight posts, picket, 9 ins. x 9 ins. 
X 13 ft., seven deal planks 3 ins. x 12 ins. x 14 ft., and two oak skids 
15 ins. square and 14 ft. long, were supplied for each holdfast; but on 
opening the ground somewhat over 160 ft. from the feet of the sheers, 
it proved to be solid rock. The two oak skids only were used, being 
let into the rock—the rock faced with concrete by the Royal Engineers. 
The chains were applied double, the skids loaded with “ pig-iron 99 and 
earth, each holdfast being further loaded with several smooth-bore guns 
and 8-in. shell. 
