The National tribune., 1895-11-07
MINIATURE WARSHIPS.
CounterpartS of Our Navy Built for
Exhibition.

A warship in miniature is being bult at the
Washington Navy-yard. Though only five feet
long, il is a perfect likeness of the Columbia,
Uncle Sans fighting ocean greyhound. Every
detail is reproduced with the utmost accuracy
on a scale Of a quarter of an inch TO the foot,
even the guns being perfect in all OF their parts
down 10 the very breech mechanism.
In the new Navy of the United states several
classes of vessels are comprised. The Govern
ment has adopted the policy of constructing
one small model TO represent each type OF war
ship in the service Thus miniature copies
have been made of the armored battleship
Texas, the monitor Miantonomoh, tho ram
Katahdin, and others. Seven men at the
Washington Navy-yard are constantly en-
ployed in building these models. which cost
from $1,000 TO $4,000 apiece These artisans
are mechanics oil the highest skill, and the
work they do is such TO require special
training Workmanship of the utmost delicacy
is needed, many of the parts being so little that
an ordinary person could not handle them or
nut them together Everything must be re-
produced. down TO the smallest block for the
running rigging.
Take the guns of the miniature Columbia for
example They arc the prettiest toys imagin-
able The big ones, representing originals of
eight-inch caliher are about four inches long.
No part of either gun or carriage is lacking,
and the breech can be opened by touch of the
projectile explosive shell. The workman
who makes such a cannon first takes steel
bar of the proper size and Surns IT IN lathe to
the shape of the tube that is TO be- Then with
q machine drill he bores hole through it from
end to end. The rest of the process consists IN
making and putting together the various metal
pieces, wheels etc, which 20 into the construc-
tion of real gun.
The secondary batteries of the Columbia con-
sist Of a number of small machine guns and
rapid-ire guns, some Of which are aott IN the
military tops. These are the weapons which
work such havoc by throwing a continuous
rain of explosive projectiles at hostile ship,
setting her on FIRE, and making it impossible
for any man aboard of her to survive unless
protected by armor. Every one Of these is re-
produced on its proper scale in the model. Bat
tleships Of course, have turrets. which are rep
resented in the models of them, and the Texas
has on her deck steel fort called CITADEL"
from which protrude the long muzzles OF great
i2-ineb guns.
The building of the model of the Columbia
was begun by taking number of pine boards
cut roughly to the outline of the ship. and put
ting them together under pressure with glue
between them. Thus a solid block of approx
mate dimensions was formed. The block was
then planed and chseled until the lines OF the
great war vessel were reproduced with absolute
exactness. The hull being made smooth with
cherry wood were added. At the same time
were put on the Sponsors" out of which the
guns look from windows of steel. Holes
having been bored for the window ports, the
little craft was ready to receive its armament
and other equipment
The model is not yet finished, but the guns
are made and nearly ali of the other equip.
ments are ready TO be put aboard. These lat
ter are very elaborate and TO produce them has
required immense amount of labor. For
example, there arc number of boats, including
one steam lRnch in miniature. Each of these
represents three days work for one man. The
false bottoms and every rib inside of them are
shown. All of them of wood, save for
the smokestack and rudder OF the steam lanch.
The boats are swung from davits. the tiny metal
blocks through which the tackle runs being
perfectly practical and just like real ones.
The Columbia has 256 window-ports. each of
which is only represented in the model by a
bulls-eye of glass set in ring Of metal. The
metal employed almost exclusively in the minia-
tuFe warship is a composition called nickel-sl-
yer. OF this material is the stern gallery,
which extends around the after part of the YES
sell This gallery is exclusively for the Cap
tsin's promenades. There are several skylights
with windows just like real ones, and likewise
protective matches" with gratings of heavy
bars SO that if shell explodes deck the
fragments of il shall not be thrown down below
triple steering wheel, which is worked by six
men, are OF silver.
The smokestack of the miniature Columbia
is of brass painted inst like that of the cruiser
herself Attached to it are escape pipes of cop.
per. and whistle and fog-horn, otherwise
known as "stesm Siren" OF nickel-silver.
The veDtilators are of copper. They turn their
gaping mouths to the wind, which blows down
into them and keeps the air fresh below. One
OF the last things done is TO put he masts into
the little ship They are of wood. but being
painted they look like the hollow steel masts
ofamodern war vessel. The bigger spars
warship are steel tubes. The rigging Of the
model is of white wire twisted, Go initiate the
wire rigging on a man-o-war. In the model
OF battleship the armor is represented by
wood, painted
The models of warships are built in what is
called the shiphouse at the Navy.yard The
establishment is a huge machine-shop, under
the control of the Construction Bureau of the
Navy Department. The miniature vessels are
made from the original plans aud drawings for
cruisers aud battieships, which reduced 10
scale for the purpose. The object Of building
the models is 20 show the people what Uncle
Sans new Navy is like. The average Amefi.
eau citizen never gets q chance TO see a war
vessel, and has no very definite notion of the
modern naval fighting machine. Several of
the models have beer sent to Atlanta where
they viii be viewed by millions. Occasionally
one more OF tile models have been sent by
the Navy Department to the Capitol. in order
that congressman might see them and know
what sort Of ships they were appropriating
money 60 construct
In the ship-house az the Washington Navy
yard Is now being made model of the hattie
ship Indiana, 20 feet long. 1t is intended not
Tor exhibition, but for more practical pur-
pose. IL is Of wood covered with an even coat
OF paTshne one inch thick. When it is I'm
lshed II wall be run on the Potomac River, with
an engine inside of il and paddle W h cells
faddie-wheels are preferred to a propeller be-
cause The power exerted by them can be more
accurately measured. This is exactly what is
desired to be ascertained-nsmely, how much
power Is required to propel the model through
the water at a given rate OF speed What is
true OF the model ought 10 be true also of the
Indiana, the form of the hull OF the latter being
The same. Pafafline is employed because it is
perfectly smooth and will afford no such re-
ISSUANCE as might impair the accuracy Of the
oata obtained by the experiments.
III Great Britain the keel of no new shin
ef-war Is laid until trial has been m AIDE of a