Science & Tech
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The Col. James M. Schoonmaker was originally launched with 35 telescoping hatches, but in 1942 she was reconfigured to use a 6 1/2 ton Northern Engineering Works hatch crane and now has 18 hatches. The crane rides along white rail tracks on the ship's deck to lift hatch covers and provide access to the cargo hold during loading and unloading. Each hatch cover weighs over 6 tons and rests on the hatch combing, where numerous hatch clamps tighten the cover onto a rubber gasket to maintain watertight integrity at sea. During cargo operations, the crane's two hooks lift the covers and place them between the hatches.
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