Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-11-26
SHIPS MASTS.
From the Lofty sticks of Solid Wood
TO the Modern Mnsts of Iron.

From the Lofty sticks of Solid Wood
to the Modern Mnsts of Iron.
Ships masts were originally made
with the several parts, the lower mast
the topmast and the topgallant mast
each of solid stick. Big timber was
required for the large lower masts, and
when the suitable and accessible trees
had been culled out from eastern for.
ests mast timber was brought from
Oregon.
The expense of bringing the log
around from the Pacific, of course, add.
ed greatly to the cost of the mast, and
sparmakers began making built-up
masts, made of considerable number
of pieces. The built-up mast has one
advantage in the material used; it Is
always difficult to get solid stick OF
suitable size for mast that is abso-
lutely free from blemish. In making
the built-up mast, composed of mum.
ber Of smaller pieces, 1t is easily posi-.
BILE to select only perfectly sound ma
terial. The built-up masts were usual.
ly made with spindle, big, square
timber forming the center or heart, the
round of the mast being formed by slabs
laid on the sides of the spindle. And
these parts were not always each of
single piece; sometimes the spindle, in
its length, was composed of two or three
pieces scarved, or spliced, together; and
the slabs also might be scarved; the
scarves in the slabs, however, not being
brought opposite those in the spindle,
The finished stick was banded with
hoops Of iron. The built-up mast stood
the service well; it was subject only
as solid stick might be, to decay.
Built-up masts have been made in
various ways. There have been made
for example, masts in which the round
was formed of three pieces of timber
instead of n spindle and slabs.
When the great modern American
schooner came out with its three and
four and sometimes more lofty masts
for some of these vessels sticks so
TO 90 feet in length were required-the
demand for mast timber was greatly in
creased. With the extensive demand
prices went up, and built-up masts were
made for the big schooners; masts were
made not hooped, but bolted together,
and such masts proved perfectly serv-
iceable.
Most Of the deep-water ships built
nowadays, however, have lower masta
| NJ ;t.np Tho chsno 4hav,cn1,nc
made Of iron and of steel, and their
masts are made of the same material
Iron masts are, Of course, not indie
structible, but they are longer lived
than masts of wood.
There is now lying at South street
pier fine, big American wooden ship
whose three lower masts are all differ,
ent, and this came about in the simplest
way in the world. When she came from
the Maine shipyard in which she was
built her three lower masts were o
wood, built up. In the course Of time
her foremast showed signs Of decay ant
1t was condemned and taken out. She
was at that time in the port Of New
York, and there was found there hand
some stick of Oregon pine, out of whicl
foremast was made for her. Later
decay appeared in the mainmast. She
was in British port then, where it wa,
cheaper to get an iron mast, and sh'
was fitted with an iron mainmast. 81
now her foremast Is solid stick o.
timber from Oregon, her mainmast il
Of iron from England and her mizzen
mast of wood, built up, is from thu
state of Maine.--N. Y. Sun.