CHAP. XIII.

ANCHORS AND CABLES.

THE Admiralty anchors are formed piecemeal: the shank arms and palms are wrought out of iron bars, hammered together into solid masses called "Blooms," and then scarphed together. Stocks are in length equal to the whole length of the shank. When of iron, they are 20 per cent. the weight of the anchors, and reeve through a hole in the shank, a curve at one end, and a shoulder and pin in the centre, preventing them from being easily disengaged, but also admitting of their being laid along the shank for convenience in stowage.*

Wooden stocks are of oak in two pieces, left sufficiently apart in the middle to give greater binding power to the hoops, and to admit of their being driven up when the wood shrinks. In breadth and depth, they are at the middle th, and at the ends 4th, of their length.

Porter's anchors are made with the intention of being more portable: the shank is connected with the arms at the crown by a bolt. The palm is small, and made with a horn on the back, which is meant to assist in opening the lower arm when it takes the ground. They are troublesome to fish, and difficult to sweep; but they are readily taken to pieces, do not require very large boats to carry them out, and are put together without delay. When on the ground, the upper arm is shut close down on the shank; and if the anchor has been properly let go, a ship may ride with a long scope of cable all round the compass for a whole season of variable winds without fouling. It does not "bite" readily on soft ground, and therefore, is not a favourite for harbour work where it is necessary to bring up short. It should be let go with little more cable than will reach the bottom, and then "snubbed" hard to make it open.

* On next page will be found sketches of different anchors (fig. 159). Thus, a, b. The Admiralty wooden-stocked anchor. c. The arms of Porter's anchor. d. The crown end shank of Porter's anchor. e. The palm of ditto. f. The arms of Rodgers' anchor. g. The iron stock of ditto. h, i. The Admiralty iron-stocked anchor.

Rodgers' anchors are made with a small palm, and frequently with an iron stock, which ships on, over the head of the shank, and under the shackle. It bites readily. It cannot, however, be unstocked without unshackling the cable, and is not so easily swept as the broad-palmed ones are.

Fancy has been at work among the "mud hooks," and produced other kinds of anchors not worth our consideration. Those supplied to the navy are of the most approved form, and have undergone the requisite ordeal as to strength; but the truth is, that no one kind of anchor can have its superior merit endorsed by a committee however sagacious, and a bad sailor will be like the bad reaper; for the best anchor will fail if it be let go without care, or remain on the bottom without attention.

The hoops of wooden-stocked anchors should be hardened up after very hot weather. Two sheet anchors were let go by a line of battle ship during a winter gale at Vourla, and the stocks were knocked off by striking the side in letting go. The hoops were slack, and proper care had not been taken to arrange the tripping strop.

JURY ANCHORS.

A jury anchor has been formed with broken shanks and flukes thus: "The two shanks were carried close out to the palms of the anchor, on opposite sides, and then lashed with top-sail sheet chains. The two stocks were secured together with chains of the same description.

Fig. 160.

Milnes' Jury Anchor.

An iron bar was lashed across the shanks, securing in the centre the remaining piece of the shank. A length of stream chain was then passed round the rings, down along the shanks, with a round turn round each palm and shank, then back and secured. By this means, when strain comes on the arms, it is thrown on the chain by the shanks being inclined to draw through the small lashings; while in so doing, the stream chain acts as a vice, and the more the shank draws, the firmer is the arm grasped by the round turn of the stream cable, whilst the

stream cable prevents the shanks from drawing out altogether. This anchor was found quite efficient."*

A whaler that had parted, brought up, and rode out a heavy gale in Table Bay, by slinging and letting go a boiler with a cable made fast to the spans.

Guns are a resource, when without anchors. Haul the cable from the hawse hole along the side, by a warp from aft, keeping it up with slip ropes from the ports, and lash it to a certain number of guns round their chase; pass the ends of the breechings round the cable, and secure them on top of the gun: heave all over board together. In weighing them, hoist them with the cat, as they reach the hawse hole, and take them in through the bow-port.

There are also very powerful screws made use of for mooring purposes which, having a broad flange nearly four feet in diameter, present a resistance, when entered into the ground, equal to that of ten square feet. This is not only much greater than that of an anchor, but is less liable to be fouled by other ground tackle.

The chain is connected with a revolving collar. The screwing down is effected by a key, which is placed piece by piece as the screw is lowered; the collar admitting of the turning, without fouling the cable. When the screw has been sunk to the desired depth, the key is removed.

The foundation for the lighthouse on the Maplin Sands was

Fig. 161,

Mitchel's Screw Anchor.

formed on pilings shod with these screws.

CHAIN CABLES.

All the Chain gear pertaining to ships, excepting the rudder

* Captain Milnes' Report on a jury anchor rigged on board H. M. S. "Snake."

chains, is made of wrought iron. The size is denoted by the diameter of the bars of which the links are composed.

Admiralty Specification of Chain Cable.

"The iron chain cables are to be made in 12 fathom lengths, with one swivel in the middle of every other length, and one joining shackle to each length, and of the weight specified.

"The several sizes of chain cables being distinguished by the diameter of the iron of their common links, this diameter forms the unit of the scale of dimensions in the accompanying drawings, by which the dimensions of the various parts of the cables of all sizes, and of the articles to be connected therewith, are to be proportioned. Thus, the length of a common link is to be 6 diameters, and its breadth 3-6 diameters of its iron: and the length of an end link is to be 6-5 diameters, its breadth 4 diameters, and the substance of its iron 1-2 diameters of the iron of a common link; and so on for all the parts of cables of all sizes, and articles to be connected therewith, which are to be made as near as practicable to the dimensions shown by the drawings.

"The diameter or transverse section of the iron of the links, and of the various parts of the swivels, shackles, and other articles to be connected with the cables, is not to be less, taking the mean of the greatest and least dimension at any one section, than that specified herein, or shown by the drawings. Also the length of the various links, swivels, shackles, and other articles is not to be more than of the diameter of the iron of the common links over, nor their width more than such diameter over or under that specified or indicated as above-mentioned.

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"The stay pins are to be of cast iron, not exceeding the weights specified, and are not to be wider at their ends than the diameter of the iron of the links in which they are inserted, nor at their middle part than of such diameter, meaning longitudinally, of the links.

"Both the end links of every length of a cable, as well as those of Sir Thomas Hardy's mooring swivels, splicing tails, and splicing shackles, are to be made parallel-sided without staypins, and with the substance of their iron of a diameter