The morning call., 1893-03-26
SHIPS IN BOTTLES.
Clever Tricks of Sailor
Whittlers.
HOW THE THING IS DONE.
The Masts Are Hauled Up by Threads
Running Through the Bottles
Neck.

Looking Idly into the show-window Of one
of those OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
see what you want-ask-for-it establish
meuts that line the streets OF the Barbary
Coast reporters attention was caught by
wonderfully ingenious specimen Of that
art commonly known as whiting.
The article referred to consisted of little
wooden model OF full-rigged ship-yard
squared, tackle bent and everything ready
for a long cruise-all confined within the
narrow limit of an ordinary beer bottle.
The masts of the little ship were about
three inches in height-just the diameter Of
the bottle at its widest part.
The glass of the bottle was apparently
intact, and there was no way Of getting the
model in except through the normal open
ing at the neck. The neck was about half
an inch across.
Now, considering that wood is not partic-
ularly elastic and that glass is decidedly
brittle, the operation must evidently have
partaken slightly of the impossible. 1t
would seem, In fact, that the feat might
even be classed with those other human
impo ssibilities such as a mans Hitting him
self by the aid of his booGstraps or looking
around corner.
Pondering over the problem didn't aid to
any practical solution and, with a view to
setting his curiosity at rest the reporter
stepped inside and made humble petition
for enlightenment TO the man In possession
OF the premises.
The man smiled, agreeable to the request
and taking down one of the bottles frOm its
dusty shelf proceeded tO demonstrate at
length the process of construction.
Its very easy thing to do after you
know how" said he, the very simplest
thing in the world
The only d ficult thing about it is the
whiting This is all done with an ordi-
nary jackkniie of large size, and If you
notice how carefully these tiny masts and
spars are shaped you VIII admit that ii
takes infinite skill and patience. Then, too,
the threading of the cordage-fne cotton
thTeads-through the tiny glass beads that
serve as blocks Is very paiustakng opera
tion. The ropes and stays and sheets and
ratIines, you see, are all ttuthfully repre-
sented, and show up just like the rigging OF
real ship.
After the lul has been cut out and
painted three little Sits are cut in the deck
and the masts pivOted into them In such a
| way as to admit of their being raised and
lowered at Will. Then the yards are loosely
fastened to the masts with bis Of cotton,
so that they can be laid parallel with them.
After getting the masts and spars into
place comes the exceedingly nice task of
tying the little glass beads TO the yards
ends and reeving the tackle through
them.
when all this is done and everything
shipshape alolt the masts are laid parallel
with the hull and the yards parallel with
| the mast, all the threads being laid out In
| their proper order at the same time. Lying
| Hat the rigging makes the whole thing no
! bigger round than the hull alone. This is
| Of course no bigger than the neck of the
| bottle.
Thin threads of different lengths are
| fastened loosely TO each masthead and spar
! end by means OF a Slip moose. They are for
| the purpose of pulling tie spars up when
inside the bottle, their different lengths
making 1t possible TO raise each mast
| separately in its place.
ut only remains to prepare the bottle by
! running in little melted plaster of paris
! Then the model is introduced and held in
| position in this sea OF plaster until it
! hardens.
Each string is then pulled out and the
| standing rigging gradually assumes its
| proper position. The sea is painted a ma
| Tlue blue with a lOng-handled brush, and a
| long piece Of pointed wire is used to dis
| engage the raising threads from the spars.
! ana the little model floats c0mplacently in
! her narrow quarters on the blue eXpanse Of
| imitation brine.
| These curiOs are the work of sailors and
| are Whitfield out by sailors during their idle
moments in the foreeastle. They bring
Them ashore and dispose of them to the
| paWnbrokers with whom they deal"