Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/21

* LAUNCESTON. 9 LAUNDRY MACHINERY. Earls of Moreton. The town owns a fine water- supply, profitable markets, a public library, and sewage farm. Its grammar school dates from the reign of Edward l. I'opiilalion, in 1001, 4000. LAUNCESTON. The second city of Tasma- nia, the capital of Cornwall County, and the chief port of entry and mart of trade for the north of the island (Map: Tasmania, D 2). It stands at the junction of the Esk with the Tamar, which, after a course of 40 miles, enters Bass Strait (q.v. ) at Port Dalryrnple. It is 133 miles by rail from Hobart, the capital. It is accessible to ships of considerable burden, and carries on a thriving commerce with the States of Victoria and South Australia. The United States has a resident consular agent. It owns its water- works; was incorporated in 18.58, and as a city in 1889. In the surrounding district rises Ben Lomond to the height of 4500 feet. Population, in 1891, 17,258: in 1901, 21.046, with suburbs 26,430. LAUNCH (OF. laiwhiri; lander, Fr. lanchcr. It. lanciare, to hurl as a lance, from Lat. lancen, lance). The largest boat carried by a man-of- war; there are both steam launches and sailing launches. Large launclies. 40 to 60 feet long, are carried by battle-ships and large armored cruisers. They are designed for use as picket or vedette boats, to guard against surprise by torpedo-boats when operating near the enemy's coast or fleet; and they are as fast as strength and limited size permits, some steaming eighteen cr nineteen knots on trial. The sailing launch is a sloop-rigged boat, also intended for rowing. The keel of a ship is laid upon a series of wooden blocks, placed 6 or 7 feet apart, and built up 3 or 4 feet from the ground, the tops of which lie in a line which slopes downward to the water at an angle of about five-eighths of an inch to the foot. The whole ship, therefore, when it is fin- ished, slopes downward with this inclination, and rests upon the blocks just mentioned, and upon suital)le timber shores. When the vessel is ready for launching, 'ways' of timber and planking are laid down parallel to the keel, and at some little distance on each side of it, Tinder the bilges of the ship; they extend into the water a consider- able distance below high-water mark. A 'cradle' is then built under the ship, of which the bottom is formed of smooth timbers resting upon the ways. Before launching, the under sides of these timbers and the upper sides of the ways are well greased, and the weight of the ship is transferred from the keel-blocks to the cradle and ways. Timbers, called 'dog-shores,' are placed so as to resist the tendency of the ship to slide down un- til the right moment. When this arrives, at high water, the ceremony of launching and naming the ship takes place; the dog-shores are knocked away, and the vessel glides stern foremost into the water. As soon as the water removes the weight of the vessel from the cradle, the latter breaks up into pieces. Many large battle-ships and some other vessels have been built in dry docks and floated out when ready, instead of being launched. This system is economical, if the dry docks are not needed for other purposes. On the Great Lakes the practice of launching ships sidewise is very common. POWER WA8BING-MACHI.NE: She is a heavy boat, with good carrying ca- pacity; is coppered as a rule, and is generally used, when the battalion is sent away from the ship, as the artillery boat. LAUNCH, LAUNCHING. The process of removing a vessel from the land to the water. LAUNDRY MACHINERY (from ME. laun- der, lauiidcre, lander, washerwoman, from OF. loi-ciidicr, lavandier, washerman, from Lat. laian- diis, gerundive of lat-are, to wash). The mechani- cal appliances used in steam laundries include the wheeled truck for carrving the clothes from