, 1878-05-15
THE SHAPING OF A SHIP

| IHE DIiIII I.Np UT Il OHIT
In preparing to build an iron vessel, it
must be first decided what she is to do
where she is to go, and how she is to be
moved. The character of the coast Il
ship is to visit determines her shape and
capacity. If she is always. to keep III
! deep waters and to follow the great
commercial highways of the world, she
must be built to sail in every sea; must
be ready to encounter the dangers of
every climate, hot monsoons of Indian
seas or the freezing storms of the North
Atlantic. If she is to visit our Southern
ports and rivers, she must be tlat-bot.
toned and of light draugbt, that she
may creep over the shallow bars in safety
II she is to ascend swift and narrow riv-
crs, she must be short and light, that she
May he turncRabout quickly. If she is
to visit the Gulf ports, she must be pro.
vided with ample means of ventilation
and shaded decks If her way leads to
Northern ports, she must be ready to ride
the tremendous seas and the furious gales
OF the North Atlantic. If her cargo is to
be coal, she will assume one shape; il
u screw, quite another.
Having decided all this, having settled
upon her length, depth, width, and ca
pacity, and fixed the cost, the next step
| is to make the model. \ cabin-maker
carefully prepares number of pieces of
choice wood Of exactly equal thickness
say, from four to six inches wide, and
from a yard to one and half yards long.
At the same time he selects an equal
number of fpieces Of veneer of the same
size, choosing veneer of a dark color or u
celor contrasting with the other wood.
These boards are carefully laid one over
the other, with the veneer between each,
and the whole is then glued together to
nske solid block. Out of thi, block
the designer shapes model of one.half
of the hull OF the ship. He gives this
block the exact shape the future ship is
to assume when seen from the side. Only
half model is made, MS the two sides o.
the snip will be simply duplicates OF the
model.
Every thing depends upon the skill of
the designer. The ships speed, capacity
draught, and safety depend upon the
shape he gives this wooden model. Men
are not taught to make models; the good
designer is born, not made. The mag
ination that can see the future ship in
the block on wood, the sure eye that can
Draw the exquisite lines OF bow and stern,
the delicate hand that can realize these
lines of beauty, come not by observation.
They s.re gifts.
The architect making plans OF houses
and temples has compaI atively an easy
task. The drawing gives a clear idea of
the appearance of the future building,
and his work is perfectly plain and sim
pie. TIE marine architect must combine
science with beauty of form, or, rather,
his science must be expressed in n beau
tful ionn. The model must be an exact
copy of the ship in little. He must be
able to point out how deep the ship will
sink H. the water, how the bows will
part toe water in front, how the dis -
placed water may sweep past the sides
and under the stern. The model must
show how deep the screw will he sub
merged, how Tar the ship may heel over
under the influence Of her sails or the
waves in safety, and how she will be
upborne from moment to msment on the
ever shifting waves. His art is the care
ful adjustment of forces one against the
other, the weight against the flotation or
buoyan.cy, the resistance of the water
against the power of her screw and
engines, the force of the waves and wind
against her own stability. The finished
model is full OF grace and beauty; but 1t
comes not from the mere blending vi
sweeping curves and swelling lines, but
from the balance Of these forces. 1t is
beautiful bee ause the repose of forces in
equilibrium is always beautiful. Ger
tainly. ii the architect is called an artist
the mode.m aker is fully his equal
Charles Barnard