The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-11-08
TRIUMPHS IN SHIPS.
A Comparison Which Makes Archimedes'
Hero . Corn nj on. Place Graft.


Hero . Com place Craft.
The learned in the lore Of ships will
not forget that Ptolemy Philopater,
moved by the laudablc ambition to
transcend every thing that had been
done before his time in tho way Of ship
building, constructed galley with
forty banks of oars. which was Of such
huge size that from afar of it was taken
for a floating island. She was 280
cubits long and 40 cubits high. and the
crew was composed OF 400 rowers, 400
sailors and 5000 soldiers. Ptolemy's
galley, was, however, only cockboat
in comparison with the ship Of Hero.
which was built under the direction OF
Archimedes, and in the framework Of
which as much timber as would have
been required for fifty great galleys
was used. There were hundreds Of
suites Of apartments, SO ancient authors
tell us, on board this extraordinary
galley. There were banqueting halls,
bathrooms, a library, gardens, we'll
stocked fish ponds, stables and temple
dedicated to the Venus Of the sea The
ceilings OF the principal saloons
we're encrusted with gold, ivory
and mother OF pearl. and the
walls were panelcd with paintings
representing the principal scenes in the
''Iliad.' The gymnasium, fitted with
every appliance for athletic exercises,
was on the upper deck. and the shell Of
the ship was protected by an iron ram
part hankcd by eight towers. fitted
with warlike machines capable OF hurl-
ing to distance OF half il mile stones OF
800 pounds weight, and javclins twelve
cubits in length. All this at the first
blush may read as though Athennus
and the other writer's who have treated
Of this masterpiece of ancient naval ar
chitecture had been adopts not only at
describing balistn and catapnlts, but
also ut drawing the long bow on their
own account. Read. however, by the
light OF modern experience, there ceases
to be any thing incredible in tho glow
ing narrative describing the ship Hero,
which was clearly only intended to
navigate summer seas; and, when its
marvels are compared with those OF
such modern passenger steamer as
the City Of New York, the vessel built
under the superintendent OF Archi-
mides becomes almost tame and COM
monplace affair. The splendor OF the
old Greek galley pales before the de-
scription of the English ocean steamer
500 feet long. 63 feet wide. and Al feet
in height, and furnished within with
cabins arranged in suites as
sitting rooms, boudoirs, bed
rooms and bath rooms What would
Ptolomy Philopatcr, or even the great
inventor OF the great screw propeller
himself, have said to q ship in the
dining saloon OF which three hundred
guests could reject at once? What
would tho epicureans OF old have said
to the private dining rooms on board q
modern steamer-dining rooms with
drawing rooms en- suite. where ''small
and early" can be held after the BAN
quet-yery small and very early, we
should say, on November afternoon
when Atlantic rollers are prevalent?
What, with piano-fortes for week days
and an organ for Sunday devotional cx-
ercises, hydraulic lifts, smoking room
accommodating one hundred and fifty
tobacconalians, library, suite upon
suite of bath rooms, and the whole
structure converted into floating Vaux-
hall lighted by a thousand electric
lamps, it would scarcely seem feasible
to add TO the comfort and the refined
luxury which will be enjoyed by those
!, who are privileged to take passage in
the tremendous galleons Of the Trans.
atlantic lines. London Spectator,