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Coaling The Ship
 
Maximum storage capacity was 2,891 tons.  At 43 tons per cubic foot, a half load (1,400 tons) is 60,200 cubic feet
  Main Deck  
 Sixteen booms (eight per side) lifted the coal aboard, with each boom operated by a gypsy head connected to either the starboard or port steam engine on 2nd deck.
Once the coal was aboard, It took and army of sailors with shovels and wheel barrels to get the tons of coal into the twenty-eight 24 inch coal chutes for passing into the four storage levels below 2nd deck.  The total per chute is approximately 2,110 cubic feet.
 
Booms rigged to the gypsy heads to get the coal on main deck
 
A huge pile to get below
 
One of the twenty-eight 24inch coal chutes below and the wheel barrels to move coal to other chutes

Meal time was on main deck

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  2nd Deck  
16 gypsy heads on the main deck were powered by two steam piston engines, one for each side. The engines were twin cylindered with a 14 inch diameter and a 10 inch stroke. Designed steam pressure was 150 psi but were capable of withstanding full boiler pressure. Each engine had a maximum lift of 19,200 lbs (2,400 lbs per gypsy head). If one engine became disabled, the gypsy head shafting could be connected to the other engine. The engine rpm was 300, the shafting was 135 rpm and the gypsy head was 45rpm.
    Vertical shafts (16) to the gypsy heads   28 coal chutes   18 escape chutes  
 
  PROFILE  
Storage Capacity
124,341 cubic feet
2,891.51 tons
Approximate locations of the 24 inch coal chutes on main deck and which coal bunkers they are connected to.  Coal scuttles passing through second deck were mostly non-permanent (portable or telescopic).

Coal in the 3rd deck bunkers was sent directly to the boiler rooms while the coal in 1st Platform and below was pulled into the boiler room from the Hold.  The full length of the 3rd deck bunkers had an overhead I beam trolley for shifting coal to keep proper balance (coal trimming).

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Started 11 May 1999 Chuck Moore, FTV (1st Texas Volunteers) BB35 volunteer group