The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-02-15
The Line-of-Battle Ship.


port has about it certain influence
which attracts and engages the multi
tnde. Il Is because i, is something
grand, aud the multitude like what /,
imposing
4 ship of the line is Que Of the mos,
magnificent struggles Of human genius
with the forces of nature.
A vessel Ct the line is composed Of
the heaviest. and at the same time
the hghtest materials, because she has
TO contend, al one and the same time.
with the three forms of matter. the
solid, the liquid, aud the fluid. She
has eleven claws Of iron to grasp the
rocks at the bottom Of the sea, and more
wings aud feeler. than the butterfly to
catch the breeze ia the clouds. Her
breath goes forth through her hundred
and twenty guns as through enormous
trumpets. and haughtiIy answers the
thunderbolts. Ocean strives to lead her
astray in the frightful sameness Of his
billows. but the ship has her compass.
which is ber soul. always counseling her
and always pointing toward the north.
On dark nights. her lanterns take the
place of stars. Thus, then to oppose
the wind, she has her ropes and can
vass; against the water her timber;
against the rock her iron. her copper,
and her lead; against the darkness.
light: against imnensity. needle.
Whoever would form an idea Of all
these gigantic proportions, the sggre-
gate Of which constitutes q ship of the
line. has but to pass under one Of the
covered ship houses six stories high at
Brest and Toulon. The vessels in pro-
Cess Of construction are seen there under
glass cases, so to speak. That colossal
beam is yard; that huge column of
timber lying on the ground and reach
ing out Of sight is the mainmast. TAX
ing it from its root in the hold to its
summit in the clouds, it is sixty fathoms
long and is three feet in diameter at its
base. The English mainmsst rises two
hundred and seventeen feet above the
water-line. The navy Of our fathers
used cables. ours use chains. Now the
mere coil of chains Of . hundred gun
ship is four feet high, twenty feet broad
and eight feet thick. And for the con-
struction Of this vessel, bow much tim
Der is required! 1t = floating forest.
And yet, be it remembered, that we are
here speaking only of the war vessels
Of some fifty years ago. the mere sailing
crafts. Steam, then In its infancy, has,
since that time added new wonders to
this prodigy called a man-of-war At
this present day. for example. the
x.,l
surprising piece of mechanism moved
by . spread Of canvas measuring four
thousand square yards Of surface and
by q steam-engine Of twenty five hum
dr-d horse power.
Without referring to these freshcr
,narvels. the old fashioned ship of
Christopher Columbus and OF De Ruy-
ter isone Of the noblest works of man
1t is exhaustless in force as the breath
of intinitude; it gathers up the wind
in its canvas. it is firmly ti1ed in the
immense chaos of the waves, in which
floats and reigns.
But q moment comes when the white
.quall breaks away that sixty foot
yard like a straw; and when the wind
flaw bends that four hundred foot mast
like reed when that anchor. weigh
ing its tons. is twisted in the lnaw Of
the wave like the anglers hook in the
jaw Of pike; when those mounted
guns utter plaintive and futile roarings
which the tempest whirls away into
space and night. when all this might
and oil this majesty are engulfed in u
superior might and majesty.
Whenever immense strength is put
forth only to end in immense weak
ness, it makes men mediate. Hence. il
is. that. in sea ports. the curious. with
out knowing themselves exactly why,
thIong about these wonderful instru-
ments of war and navigation.
Every day from morning till night,
the qnays. the wharves and the piers
of the port of Toulon were covered
with throng Of saunterers and idle,s,
whose occupation consisted iii gazing
at the Orion. ViCToR HC0o
SIR STAFFORD NoRTHcorE on OUR
PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST. Sir Stafford
Northcote. Chancellor of the Exche-