New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-19
THE TIEST CENTHEBOIRD.
IAcocKs SWAIN OBTAINED THE PATENT FOR IT
WHEN MADISON WAS PRESIDENT

Jacobs SWAIN OBTAINED THE PATENT FOX u
WHEN MADISON WAS PRESIDENT.
ca.o ,,., y / Nov. IS (SpcciaD. -JuIge jess"
n Iudlam OF this county. while searching over
como old papers Of his grandfather. Henry swan
and his granduncle. Josiah swain iohhh 'h' ''''''
n.,eni for the ccntrcbOard. or Zee BOARD ~ "
a c,l,od vhich was first patented by their father.
I,cocks Swain, a builder, who NE'1 III H''F"'''
,,,r,v miles north Of Cape May. II was 'atcnted
In ISL and WAS tn. FIRST of ~. kind In the country
rhe notcnt called for building tho board IN the
centre Of the keel and because oth'ra ''"p'' Wv
patent by building the boards between 'he mann
keel and = kecson. the patentces made little money
out Of the invention. The letters patent are '"'e"
~ Woshineton April 10. ISL. and signed by James
Madison. President. James Monroe Secretary o'
state and G. \. Rodney, Atiorney-uehefa. Inc
oualnt schedule reads as follows;
.The schedule referred to In these Letters ia''''
and making part of the same containing descrip
,t IN ,bo words of the said Jacocks Swain. Henry
Swain and Joshua Swain themselves Of their new
invented Lee Board.
.rhc vessel that Is intended to be bullt win
Lee Board through the bottom the Keel must De
worked wide, in the middle so as to give suihceh'
strength after the mor,iccs worked through Tor the
Lee Board to pass then there must be TWO pieces
NJ timber worked the same thickness that the
morticc Is through the keel and wide enough To lie
sufficiently strong and on" set AT the FORWARD emu
and the other at the after end Of said mortces and
through so "a to stand square from the Keel
and boltcd into the keel then RABBIT Is to he cut
on each side of said mortices In the Keel 81 the
same width of the thickness OF the plank that Is
intended to plank mp the sides of the sheath Tor
said Lee Board and deep enough into the keel to
spik. into the same: then 1T down plank on each
side into each RABBIT and spike them in the first
mentioned timbcrs; then the lower part OF the
sheath is formed; then after fore ribbandS of the
vessel is run then 1T knees enough on each side OF
said sheath to make 1t sufficiently strong running
from the floor heads to the aforesaid plank from
thence by plum line high enough to tenant into "A
coming nted into the beams then when the deck
frame IS in fit up plank on each side to the deck
fitting the same tight to beams then In planking up
the intermediate space may be trunnecd on every
other one. first and leaving one end of the opening
an inch or two wider than the other and then when
the shutters are put In by working them large and
driving them in end foremost 1t may be made suiii-
GENTLY light without any caulking.
THE Lee Board is made follows. 1t is to be
made in two thicknesses OF plank laid together
crossing each other enough TO make II sufficiently
strong and thick enough to play through the aforc
said inortce and ball into the said sheath when
every necessary and wide enough to MI up sheath
from the bottom OF the keel to the beams that
passes from near the lotion Of the Keel the
beams that passes across the top OF said sheath
and the length agreeable to thr ieneth of said
sheath with the after end sweep OFF sweep
from the bolt hole that IT hangs on said bolt hole
to hang IT by is to be ABOUT four iifths from the
sweep thai strikes the forward end to strike tho
bottom and worked off to the same IL Is to be
hung on "A bolt sufficiently strong passing through
pair OF the aforesaid knees with head
side and "A forelock the other high enough To
fetch the bottom within the knee with clasp and
ihimblc rbbctcd the upper side OF the after end
for the purpose OF "A lanyard OF tacle 10 be made
fast hoist It into the sheath when necessary the
top Of the sheath the after part To pass through by
the deck with chock lifted at the after end of tho
same with shreve In 1t FOR LANYARD to pass
make the said sheath sufficiently strong there must
be a keelson run on each side of the same and
bolt through the aforesaid knees into the keel
Witness IS
"EI.IJAH TOWNSEND
John TOWNSEND"