MODERN SHOPBREAKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18563, 22 November 1923, Page 16

MODERN SHOPBREAKING.

CUTTING UP 13MNCH GUNS.

In the early months of the present year there was inaugurated at Queensborough, on the Island of Sheppey, an industrial enterprise of considerable magnitude Messrs. Cox and Danks, Ltd.. of London, who are well known as iron and steel merchants, decided to combine the business of shopbreaking with their other activities, and to that end acquired a lease of the pier, offices and warehouses formerly used in connection with the Queens-borough-Flushing shipping service. The first two vessels acquired for demolition were the dreadnoughts Orion and Erin, sentenced to destruction under the Washington Agreement. The Orion, commissioned in 1912, was of 22,500 tons displacement and carried as main armament ten 13.5 in. <guns. The Erin was built by Messrs. Vickers for the Turkish Government under the name of the Beahadieh. She had not been delivered at the time war broke out, and was taken over by the British Government and put into commission in August, 1914. The Erin was comparable with the Orion in size, having a displacement of 23,000 tons. In speed and main armament the two . vessels were identical, and both had a 12in. armour belt. Both of these vessels were at the battle of Jutland.

Members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers who visited the Queenborough establishment were very interested in the cutting-up of the guns, turrets and other large masses of metal by means of oxy-acetylene apparatus of Messrs. Cox and Danks' own design. The burner was carried on a long slide attached to the work to be cut, and was traversed along as the cut proceeded by a small electric motor. The heaviest cutting appeared to be in connection with the breeches of the big 13.5 in. guns. The flame in this case cut through 21in of solid metal, including the wire winding, leaving a comparatively smooth-sided cut about £in. wide. The lOin, armour plating of the turrets was cut into Rectangular slabs of a weight suitable for transport, the cut surfaces being extraordinarily smooth and regular considering the method employed.