LAUNCHING OF THE JOSEPHINE

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2041, 20 July 1875, Page 2

LAUNCHING OF THE JOSEPHINE

• » I - - — ,1 ; This morning, .'in accordance with I' announcement, n T considerable gathering! took place to witness the launching of the new schooner that has for some time occupied the stocks in Mr Robert Stone's; skip- building - yard,- Shorfcland.:--Kvery-p----thing being ready, at 8 o'clock Miss Lilly Souter, daughter of Captain Souter, the -owner, mounted qn_a,sta»"e_, performed the. old fashioned ceremony of breaking a ; bottle of wine" agSinstthc' !b6Vri and, as the; last" chock was knocked but, "named the' .mpying,...vessel^ the Josephine. -The: cheers'of the assembly rang: out as'snoj most gjraxefuliy passedjOjertth^-^skids and , took the water, where she 'sat, the ad mi-! ratipji QX..aIJ, the builder, receiring^ the i congia filiation's bf? many at line launch. Tho Josephine may be described as. a substantial poor man's, craft, parrying a large "cargo on a' comparatively light, draught of water. -The following are the principa^dimensions.:. rlengtlv pf; keel,; 69 feet, over all 75 r feet, with J9* feet beam,' giving depth of h" old 7* feet. Abaft the -mam-rnastyShe has r ,a~ raised/leek, wjth 'captain's cabin! surmounted by slfyliglits. 1, The main-mast is, GO .feet, carrying fop-'i ruasfc 25 feet, and' tlie fore-mast 57 feet' high ; -vrigged-Qut'jjas- a- fore-and-aft; schooner,- under the J- supervision- of the owner ; the standing rigging is of wire.: The sails have beenmade by MrMacdonald; of. Grahams, town,,and.,only rr _require_ to.be b terifc'bh.'' J-'Shc'is' completely 'fitWd^out 1. ..Wjith anchors,, patent windlass, and other! "requisites'j'for' 1 going 'to sea, r an'd'wiiriira .few, day^ f make her maiden,trip .under the I "charge of Captain Aiisteri," formerly of itie class of vessels that have acquitted them-! manner in. which they have been constructed by Mr Stone, whqhasjbuilt scveral ( ,pn the same principle (the Emu being the last), that' -of-diagonal kauri plankingon PohutakawV frame.) .-She has b'eeri'copperedl and tcop-. per 'fastened 1 up; to water-lirie',Vill carry; about 95 fcons'eoal or Other 'dead weight,, with 7 feet draught of-water. Mr Stone! has" on" "hand the building:" "of~~a ,60? 'ton irketch; - the - keel>;of r < which 'will' occupy the , place 'of the " one' just launchedlf'Tthe timbers} however, are' in a forward state-, jand, owing to tho' facilities at .command7'~srill take but a short time. >to' complete. " Mr ,Stone"has: aKconsiderable expense eiected a large; workshop, and brought to bear ;ihe most' approved time saving apparatus ''in con-1 nection with the trade." In addition to! the, ordinary steam boiler "for^warping; plank, there is an overhanging breaking-j down saw for ripping har,dwood>logsrtindj a^mall circular saw for conimotttise ; «lso,! a^traverser'--. or rotary\plane;fitted with knives, enabling. everytfjiamT of timber,; from the sternpdftl;<>jf-:a:'large ship to a! three-quarter-inch board, to be planed, i levelle^Lhpr^tapereJEiy off a ynth. unerring j exactitude .as. well as speed; in /addition) toVhich'-'a- '■' mule'" has;beeri ffitted-;Mth jsaw-.bla\3es df aiffeTreatarzes-as | required, with fan and blowpipe3to,.cl!ear off; sawdust, &c, enabling the workman to cvt 1 out of hard or sgfjfcwood any. curvature that, hi iji liii iw'J^'lfjfe. fj" " °^ 24i"inches' dianieter-can but l^-: this handy machine,' which" may,be^driven at the, rate; of 300 strokes.per/iojhiiteo A The wholeof -.the apparatus andieoqtiniiahces are driven by a small steam .engine wifli" boiler at-j tached. The upper..floo;r.of;th.e,building,i 70 feet long,, i»>fittedr-ap-with' "every cdnvenie,nco;ifor?laying dawn..diagrams, -,, andldrawings of every_ requisite'" in" ship' building. .^. ' i