The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-07-22
Ghelemurraf-S Star
Tue STORY or VIKING SHIP.
Built Loco Years Ago by Norsemen--A
Vessel Used for a Tomb.
Washington Star.

MUS az wv Nd'i'Nui "uNCHNt - a
miniature Viking ship-an exact
reproduction en- "A small scale ol
one OF the vessels used 10y the
Norsemen in a semrheroic age,
1000 years ago. In such "A craft
they were accustomed to scour The
ocean. veTilable lerrorS of the sea,
pillaglng communities along the
shore and di,porting themselves
in a Thoroughly ireebooler.like
style. Many of their national pc.
ems, called ''SagGs," have been
preserved to the present day, which
give most interesting accounts of
voyages in these great and slaunch
boats for war and other purposes.
These classic vessels, however,
do not call up to the mind 80 vivid
a picture of The lives that were led
by those hardy people asis present
ed BY a discovery OF their own per.
sonal relics and belongings such as
was made a short time AGO ut God.
siad near the mouth of Chri,tiana
Ford. There a burial mound of
the Vikings was unearlhed and in
the middle of ii was found one Of
their ships-an open boat OF great
size which was constructed on
such scientific principles and with
such excellent workmanship as the
art of shipbullding even now would
hardly be able to improve upon.
The craft was eighty feet in length
by seventeen feet beam, ''clinker'
built-poinled at both endS-and
made throughout of oak iimbers
and boards put together with iron
nails, the seams being calked with
Oakum manufactured from cows
hair.
The ship lay on even keel, just
as she had been placed originally
in the burial mound, and on board
of her we're found The various
equipments and articles of furni-
,ure which belonged TO a vessel Of
the Vikings. There was a single
mast, which was unshlpped when
tkere was a head wind or when a
battle was imminent. The mast
bore one large square sail. How
exer, the craft depended chiefly for
motive power upon great oars
twenty feet long, OF which there
were sixteen on each side. They
were piled not in rowlOcks but
through holes in the sides. Whe,h-
er the oarsmen stood up or were
seated while rowing it is impoSsi-
BILE TO state with certainty, bu. it is
probable that they did the former,
inasmuch as no trace Of thwarls or
seats WIS found, and they could
hardly have managed such big oar,
otherwise than Standing erect
Whether more than one maj
worked at each Oar cannot be told
At all events such a ship mus
have had a complement Of at leas
forty sailors.
As has been said, the vessel wa.
built after The fashion of an Oper
boat-the bow and stern rising higl
in graceful lines. There was nj
deck, but boards were placed
across, readily movable, so as t
serve as Il sort ii false deck, be
meath which articles we're stored
away. A tent cloth was stretched
over some part of the craft, unde.
which those on board could fine
shelter from sun or lain. In tn,
ship described were discovered
four wooden supports for the tent
together with portions Of the ten
cloth and OF The cordage employed
for fastening it. The supports were
heavy boards twelve feet long, witt
heads of animals Enthusiastically cary
ed and painted at the upper ends
They were intended 10 be place,
o%bliquely, so as TO form tw'
crulches, one al each end of tn,
tent, which were connected by
pole, thus forming a gable ende
roof. Over this framework tn
t~ent.clolh was fastened.
Among the interesting object
found on board the ship wer'
sleeping.berths, very mu.h broken
which were made exactly like tn
low bed stead in common use tC
day among the Norwegian pea:
antry. They were constructed S
as to be easily taken to pieces an
slowed away IN small compass;
Parts were discovered of a super
wooden chair, which was probabl
the seat OF The commander an
chief. The arms oil the chair wer
carved 10 represent grolesqu
heads of animals. There was
great variety Of cooking ulensil
including a large and massive col
per kettle with a GRACEFUL
wrought iron chain for suspendin
it over the fire. Likewise tut
and buckets Of wood, woode
plates, and several small and fin
ly carved drinking cups. II
cooking apparatus was not cor
monty used on board the vesse
but on shore at landing place
Although the Vikings did som
times make long voyages aero
the sea they usually kept as ne
the coast as was practicable. A
other article of practical use was
landing stage, twenty-five feel lol
and twenty inches wide, for u
crew and passengers to get ashoi
Ever so many more things won
have been found in this wonderi
ship tomb had it not evident
been visited previously by gra'
robbers, presumably during pag'
nl.~~o v,ra ls,tIt "a 4