Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-26
TO REPEAT COLUMBUS, FEAT
Description of the Carav~Is Soon to Come
From spain.

From Spain.
The following interesting statement ia taken
from a recent issue Of the Gibraltar Chronicle
and official Gazette: The U. s. wersbip Ben
nington will probably leave tomorrow. with the
Nina and Pinta in tow, for Huelva. and as soon
AZ the fetes there in honor Of the fourth GEN.
tenary of Columbus discovery of the new world
are over she will proceed across the Atlantic
with her charges to Havana We were fortu-
nate in having had an opportunity of viewing
these models, which are fac similes of two of
the three famous ships which formed Column
bus fleet. The Nina and Pinta were built at
Barcelona BY Parke and Cardona Their con-
struction was commenced in July and they we're
handed over to the United States government in
September. Curious though il NAV sound, they
are now commissioned American men-of-war,
their crews consisting OF two officers and eight
men. Both ships are pretty much about the
same size, the Pinta being. il anything little
larger Their approximate tonnage is about
l20 to $50 tons. The Nina Law alongside the dock
yard here. sffording every facility for
inspection. both by her. position and
charge of her. Her appearance as seen
from the shore is deceptive, and on going
on board one at once sees that her APP
parentiy disproporttonate height above the
water line liz due to her very lofty bulwarks.
P~ ehooS running tOuuu tne poop, ana
as her breadth. some twent three feet. is very
great IN proportion to her length, which is fifty
seven feet she Is really a much more seaworthy
craft than a cursory look would lead one to
pect. The space underneath the poop is
divided by partition into two cabins one for
the crew and the other for the officers From
here hatchway leads down into the hold,
which is open the whole length of the vessel,
and which gives one thus better idea of her
size Looking along it one realizes that there
must have been fair amount Of room for the
crew of twenty-four which the real Nina car
RED The contractors have apparently done
their best to have everything the same as it was
in the olden DAYS, so much so that the pump
supplied in case she springs leak is built Of
wood and in the old primitive form. The masts
which are three in number. are placed rather
close together for symmetry sake the foremost
being the biggest each liz furnished with a sail,
the rig being lateen, and IL necessary they can
be used. For armament there are Aft xed to the
oulwarks OF the poop four breech-loading Gull
verins, carrying about a six-ounce ball These
are mounted on a swivel, and by means of a
sort of handle at the base the piece can be
turned in any direction. Her anchor which is
a pattern Of the original, looks much the same
as modern one, though perhaps little light
There are also two boats, their popularity being
that the bow is nearly as broad az the stern
During the voyage here the vessel proved most
manageable and the officers spoke highly of her
capabilities as a seagoing craft. Still in view
OF all that can be said in favor Of these ships,
one is lost in amazement at the daring pluck of
the navigators who ventured across an unknown
ocean In such tiny craft"