Thomas Morley

“ The size of anchors for various ships has been determined by practice, but is based upon the theory that as the anchor is required to withstand the force brought upon the ship by the wind and tide, which would otherwise cause her to drift, its strength must be nearly proportional to her resistance. ”

“ A result which will accord with sound practice may be obtained by calculating the resistance of a given ship at a speed or twelve knots, and taking this tor the working load of the anchor. The working load should be half the testing strain, and consequently 1/6th of the breaking strength.
A large ironclad carries 8 anchors,—2 bower, 2 sheet, 1 stream, 1 stern, end 2 kedge. The bower anchors (fig. 7) are stowed at the bow, and are for ordinary use in a roadstead; if there is any difference in weight, the heavier is stowed on the starboard side, and is termed the best bower. ”

“ Since 1820 about 130 patents have been taken out for anchors; and the attention thus given to the subject, with the introduction of steam hammers and furnaces, the substitution of the fan blast for the old bellows, and the better knowledge obtained of the forgeman's art, have rendered the anchor of the present day so far superior to that of fifty years ago, that we rarely hear at one being broken, the ground in which it is embedded generally giving way before the anchor. ”

“ The anchor is held by a chain attached to the shackle, and the strain is applied to each arm separately at 1/3d of its length from the point. The proof of the anchor is that it must show no sign of fracture, and that if any deflection is caused by the strain, it must return very nearly to its original shape. A good anchor, after being deflected half an inch, will return to its former shape, leaving no permanent set. ”

“ Fig. 2.—Admiralty's. Fig. 3.—Rodger's.
Fig. 1 represents the "common" anchor. The various parts are known by the following terms:—The shank is the straight part, ab; the square, ac, is that part of the shank to which the stock and the shackle are attached; d is the crown; de and df the arms; gg the palms or flukes; the pee, the bill, or the point is the extreme end of the arm beyond the palm; the blade is the part of the arm at the back of the palm; h is the shackle or ring to which the cable is attached; kl is the stock, placed at right angles to the plane of the arms and shank. ”

“ The Admiralty anchor (fig. 2) differs only from the ordinary anchor in having a nut, a, worked on the square, so that a wooden stock may he fitted temporarily if the iron stock is damaged, and that its proportions and form have been carefully considered and definitely fixed. Lenox's and Aylen's were modifications of the Admiralty anchor. ”

“ Iron was afterwards introduced for the construction of anchors, and also the grand improvement of forming them with teeth or flukes to fasten themselves into the bottom; whence the words ὀδόντες and dentes are frequently taken for anchors in the Greek and Latin poets. The invention of the teeth is ascribed by Pliny to the Tuscans; but Pausanias gives the merit to Midas, king of Phrygia. Originally there was only one fluke or tooth, whence anchors were called ἑτερόστομοι ”

“ The sheet anchors (fig. 8) are stowed as far forward as is convenient in the waist of the ship, and are sometimes called the waist anchors; they are only used in cases of emergency, or in the event of any accident befalling the bowers. ”

“ It is made parallel for about 1/6th of its length at the centre, tapering from thence to the extremities, the side next the shackle being kept straight and the remaining three sides tapered. The section at any part is square, the dimensions being 1/10th of the length at the centre and half of this at the ends. The two pieces are fastened together by four iron bolts near the shank, six or eight treenails, au11 six iron hoops at the ends. The hoops are driven on tightly while hot, so that the contraction of the iron in cooling may draw the parts closely together. ”