Interior Communication
All interior communication was traced out in the same manner, i. e., start from the transmitting apparatus and from there on trace the piping and wiring until finally we arrived at the receiving end. Then there were two Anshutz Gyro compasses, which no one knew anything about, but here, again, through the close co-operation of the Navy Yard force and the ship’s electrical force, the secret of operating these compasses was successfully solved.
To sum up the whole, one may say, it was the dogged determination of the electrical forces, both civilian and enlisted, who never gave in to any proposition that came before them, that carried everything through to a successful issue.
Steering Engine Data
E. P. H.
The control and manœuvering of a large ship such as the Leviathan is a responsible job. This vessel’s steering arrangement, or steering gear, is of steam engine type, connected to a hydraulic telemotor. The gear is so easily manipulated that a small boy standing on the bridge of this great ship can control any course or given route that is desired to be taken.
The engines, of which there are two, one port and one starboard, are connected to the rudder head, which is approximately thirty inches in diameter, by meshing into a huge quadrant gear twenty-four feet in diameter. This gear secured to the rudder head or stern is moved right or left, i. e., starboard or port, by a simple turn of a small steering wheel on the bridge. This wheel is connected to the telemotor, which is simply a hydraulic ram of two system pipe lines with plungers set amidships when the rudder, engines, steering wheel and rudder quadrant are in a neutral or center line position. The telemotor is in the wheel house on the bridge approximately 800 feet from the steering engine, which is aft or at the stern of the ship. Two small three-quarter inch copper pipe lines, one port and one starboard, extend from bridge to steering engine room and these little pipe lines are filled with a fluid mixture of fifty per cent glycerine and fifty per cent water. When the hand wheel on the bridge is moved, this forces the hydraulic ram down or up, causing the fluid in pipes to open a control valve on the steam steering engine operating this engine and moving quadrant to right or left as desired.
This rudder and stem and steering engine quadrant are the largest and most powerful installed on any vessel afloat.
The Black Gang
BY ONE OF THEM—H. E.
The fire room boys of the Leviathan came from almost every State in the Union. They worked hand in hand from about August 1, 1917, until the end of the war. The success of the big ship is due to their hearty co-operation. The part taken in the war by the Leviathan is known the world over, and the spirit of the “black gang” merits commendation and a chapter in this book.
While in the dreaded war zone, trip after trip, these boys plugged the fires, day and night, determined to beat Kaiser Bill and fool the submarines. The submarine scare from time to time aroused the firemen and the ship made far greater speed than even the original contractors thought possible. The pressure on the gauges at all times was on the blood mark.
The pass word throughout the fire rooms was: “Give her hell, boys.”
At no time was there a boy or man who showed signs of fear during any run, they had no time to think of “subs.” Speed, chow and liberty in Hoboken was all we thought of. Our work was hard and laborious, but no one grumbled.
Believe me, we had at first some ash-hopper installation. The Germans who installed the outfit in these fire rooms should have been made prisoners before the war started. Water in fire rooms was ankle deep. We were also obliged to use coal from the barrows in charging the furnaces owing to the Leviathan’s goat getter “flarebacks.”
“Split Hoof” Barnes, “Handsome” Hook, “Horse” Ross and Gus Rush, the grouchy old chief water jerkers, made four round trips, before either of them showed signs of a smile. But they were far better off on this ship, wading in water up to their knees, than they would be on many German ships where the crew had to carry the ashes through the main dining saloon to dump over the side. After a few trips with this installation the whole system was thrown on to the Gladstone Dock Piers in Liverpool, and a new style, such as human beings would put in any sea-going ship, was installed. The Germans sure are a funny people!
The fire rooms were touted later and all that was necessary to make the fire rooms complete was a little plush furniture. The boilers shaped up spick and span and the bilges were free from water. With this accomplished real efficiency began. The team work of firing the furnaces on bell signal caused many witnesses to wonder in amazement. Boys who were away from home for the first time stood manfully before the raging fires and defied the intense heat in performance of their duty.
The average weight of these boys when reporting for duty averaged about 130 pounds. Being bright and young, with lots of pep, they grew strong and became efficient firemen. The work seemed to agree with them, even if it was particularly strenuous. In conclusion let us tell about “Wop” Cariddo.
Cariddo was passing coal for seven and ten boilers in number four fire room, as the ship was speeding through the war zone on the 4 to 8 watch, when resting just inside the bunker, one of the destroyers in our convoy, dropped a depth charge just off our port beam. The report and jar of the explosion caused the coal in this bunker to shift. “Wop” was somewhat upset and surprised, but not frightened. He came dashing out of the bunker. Old “Biff,” the “War Horse,” who chanced to be passing through this fire room at the time grabbed him.
“What do you mean by jumping around in this way? Don’t you know that is a water-tight door on G-deck?
“It’s water-tight hell,” shouted the “Wop.” “I think that’s what they call a ‘can,’ but I ain’t bluffed, I’m game. I just want to stay with the boys a minute. Just give me a sandwich and I will heave more coal out of that bunker than any five boilers on this ship can burn”—and he did.
Radio Data
G. A.
No original records or blueprints were found on the ship for the radio equipment when she was taken over by the Navy. This necessitated tracing out each and every individual circuit and making blueprints of the same for future use. All apparatus installed was of German make—Telefunken Wireless Telegraph Company of Berlin. There were three complete telegraph transmitters on board and three receivers. The large transmitter was rated at ten kilowatts and was what is known as an “undamped transmitter.” Under favorable atmospheric conditions it was capable of working across the Atlantic and has been known to do so.
During the three-year period of internment it had been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that it would have been necessary to practically rebuild it in order to use it again. The main trouble was caused by the salt water cooling system eating its way through a galvanized iron case and getting into the frequency transformer coils making them unfit for use. It has not been used since. The second transmitter, known as a five kilowatt quench gap set, did excellent work ever since the ship was taken over. It is good for 1,200 miles under fair conditions and has worked 2,200 miles. The third transmitter is a one-half kilowatt spark coil set and can be used from the ship’s power mains for short distances, or in case of emergency (if the dynamos were not working for any reason), it can be used from power supplied by storage batteries. Its radius is about two hundred miles.
Two of the original German receivers were kept, but one was replaced by a later type U. S. Navy receiver. The ship was never out of transmitting communication as the European coast is picked up before the American coast is lost and vice versa. The large transmitting stations of the United States and Europe are copied from any part of the ocean. Honolulu, a high powered station, has been copied while the ship lay in Liverpool, England, a distance of approximately 8,000 miles.
When at sea we had special stations to copy on specified schedules, so that messages to the ship from the United States are copied when the ship is only a few hours from the European ports. These messages are acknowledged after transmitting communication has been established with the United States.
There are three antennæ, or aerials, two used for telegraphic transmission and one for telephonic transmission. All three are used for receiving. The radio telephone set has been installed since the ship was taken over and is an American invention. It is very effective up to twenty miles and has been used to transmit a distance of thirty-six miles from this vessel. It was used during the war for inter-communication among the ships of a convoy or to and from the convoy and their escort, and after the war was used for inter-communication between ships lying in a harbor and the harbor station itself. This eliminates interference with the main harbor station working ships at sea. At the same time it allows the ships in the harbor to work among themselves or communicate with the shore. Prior to the telephone invention this work was done by visual signal when the ships were within visual signal distance with each other or the shore. When not so situated it had to be done by boat, as so many ships using their telegraph would have made it practically impossible for the shore station to work ships at sea on account of the interference. The voice over a radio phone has been proven to be clearer and more distinct than over land line telephones.
On the Leviathan there are three operators and a messenger on duty at all hours of the day and night when at sea. One operator supervises the watch, two are constantly “listening in” with telephones, and one man does the messenger work. Both “listening in” operators copy signals practically all the time when on watch. Each has an antenna and a receiving set of his own and listens on different wave lengths. Two messages may be sent simultaneously, or two received simultaneously, but it is not possible to send and receive at the same time. The two receiving operators sit within a foot of each other, yet it has happened more than once, that while one operator was copying a message from Rome, Italy, at the same instant the other man was copying a message from Balboa, Canal Zone. It is a common occurrence for one operator to be copying a European station while the other copies a United States station. The radio force at present consists of one radio gunner, one radio officer, one chief radio electrician and nine operators.
Upper Row, Left to Right—
Lieut. Comdr. J. W. Ford Lieut. R. S. Skead Ensign H. B. Rowedder
Bottom Row, Left to Right—
Lieut. Comdr. J. Foster Lieut. Comdr. J. J. Jones
The Engineering Department
By Commander Vaughn V. Woodward, U. S. N.
On July 26, 1917, the Commandant ordered me to report to the Vaterland for duty, which I did, and on the above date the vessel was commissioned. When I arrived on board, the engineering department was in charge of the Shipping Board Engineers and personnel. There had also recently arrived about 200 Navy firemen and a few petty officers; this was the total of Navy engineering personnel on board. In company with one of the junior engineers I went below for an inspection of the department. During the next three days all my time was taken up getting my bearings below and the layout fixed in my mind in order to make out a station bill so that I could determine as quickly as possible the personnel required.
The Engineer Officers
Lt. Watson Lt. Miller Ens. Leventhal Lt. Keeser Lt. Kirk Ens. Wilson Lt. Bright
Lt. Lau Lt. Edwards Lt. R. H. Jones Com’dr. Woodward Lt. Andrews Lt. Schluter Lt. Parker
At the end of the third day I conveyed this information to the Captain with the request that he bring pressure to bear on the Bureau of Navigation to send our personnel, both officers and enlisted men, as quickly as possible. The men and officers began to arrive and by August 15th the last officer of the complement had arrived. As each arrived he was put in charge of a station and told to trace out his station, make a thorough examination of the interior of all piping and machinery and submit a report on repairs necessary and estimated time. Most of my time during the day was spent below and the nights were occupied drawing up station bills and handling the office paper work, my only assistant being a reserve yeoman in the service of the Shipping Board. I realized that, even at the expense of time that should be spent inspecting repair work, I must get my organization planned and laid out as quickly as possible, and in operation. By August 5th all station bills and organization had been completed and blueprinted and all officers on board instructed. At this time, on account of report of damage to machinery under repair on German ships by aliens, I organized a secret service force below in an effort to detect any attempts made to inflict damage. I purposely let the report spread around among the civilian workmen that there was a large force of government agents employed among them and also in the crew. This seemed to have the desired moral effect, because during the entire period there was but one case of attempted malicious damage, which was discovered immediately. An attempt had been made to thrust welding wire into both of the L. P. astern turbines through the gauge line holes in the flanges and thus damage the blading.
I will not go into details as to the condition of the machinery, but will indicate some of the work done and the changes made in order to get her ready for sea in the quickest possible time. Most of the changes in design and arrangement were made before her dock trial.
Each piece of machinery and boiler was opened up in all its parts and thoroughly examined for foreign material or damage. While open necessary repairs were made.
The joint on every auxiliary steam and exhaust line at the piece of machinery was broken and steam blown through before attempting to operate the machine: this to free the line of foreign material.
All main, spring and thrust bearings were opened up, examined, cleaned and realigned.
The float of the main thrusts were changed from .006 to .015 inches to conform to U. S. Naval practice.
The rotors and casings of the four astern turbines were all partially rebladed in place in the ship.
The dummy ring and piston were found broken in the port H. P. astern; but these were renewed and machined in place, the jacking engine turning the rotor while a cutting tool was attached to the flange of the casting, thus making a lathe out of the turbine and solving the practically impossible problem of removing the rotor from the ship to be placed in a lathe ashore.
It was found that the impulse stages in this turbine had been the cause of the damage to this dummy, so it was decided to remove the impulse stages entirely, which was done. This decreases the economy of the turbine, but the safety guarantee to the successful operation of this unit so far overbalanced this factor that economy was sacrificed.
The starboard H. P. astern casing had several bad cracks in both top and bottom, and from records on board had not been in use on the last voyage of the vessel. This was in process of being electrically welded when I reported on board. The method in use, however, proved later on test, to give a faulty weld, so that it was decided to cut a deep “V” groove in the cracks and lace with steel studs, the lacing being filled in with the weld, thus giving the weld holding power due to the welding material fusing with the studs. This machine operated successfully during the entire commission of the vessel with no signs of ruptures or faulty welds.
On examination of the main throttles the starboard H. P. astern throttle spool was found to be broken and off the stem. This throttle was renewed and operated satisfactorily.
The system of automatic control of feed pumps in the engine room by float and pressure control was decided on as being highly dangerous, this system was at once removed and hand control of pumps substituted.
After operating for some time it was found impossible to obtain a vacuum that would afford economical operation for a turbine plant. The capacities of the pumps and condensers were computed and checked up and found adequate for the horsepower to be handled. The low pressure system was then tested out by water pressure and every noticeable leak stopped. This however gave us no better results, the best vacuum we could obtain averaging around 27 inches under normal operating conditions. The question of the wet and dry suctions of the pumps was next taken into consideration and it was decided to blank the dry suction off from the condenser and lead it into the wet suction of its own pump. This was done and with the results desired. The vacuum desired can be obtained at all times. With circulating water at forty degrees a vacuum of as high as twenty-nine inches has been obtained. The average vacuum under all conditions obtained since this change is about twenty-eight inches.