Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-12
SHIPS MAsTs.

From the Lofty Sticks Of Solid Wood
to the Modern Tabes Of Iron.
From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
Ships masts were originally made with
the several parts. the lower. mast, the top
mast and the topgallant mast. each of a
solid stick. Big timber was required for
the large lower masts, and when the suita-
bic and accessible trees had been culled out
from eastern forests mast timber was
brought from Oregon.
The expense of bringing the logs around
from the Pacific, OF course, added greatly
to the cost of the mast, and sparmakers
began making built-up masts. made of a
considerable number of pieces. The built
up mast has one advantage in the material
used: 1t Is always difficult to get a solid
stick of suitable size for a mast that is
absolutely free from blemish. In making
the buiit-up mast, composed of a number
OF smaller pieces. 1t is easily possible to
select only perfectly sound material. The
buiit-up maSts were usually made with a
spindle. big, square timber forming the
center or heart. the round Of the mast be-
ing formed by slabs laid on the sides of the
spindle. And these parts We're not always
each Of single piece; sometimes the spin
Ole, 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 a solid stick
might be, to decay.
Buiit-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 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 eighty to ninety feet
In length were required-the demand for
mast timber was greatly increased. 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 serviceable.
Most of the deep-water ships built nova
days, however have lower masts of iron
The ships themselves are made of iron and
OF steel, and their maStS are made Of the
same material Iron masts are of course
not fndestructibie. but they are longer
lived than masts of wood.
There is now lying at a South street pier
line, big American wooden ship whose
three lower masts are all different, 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 of wood. built up. In the
course OF time her foremost showed signs
OF decay, and it was condemned and taken
out She was at that time in the port of
New York, and there was found here a
handsome stick of Oregon pine, out of
which a foremost was made for her Later
decay appeared In the mainmast. She was
In british port then. where 1t was cheap
er TO get an iron mast, and she was fitted
with an iron mafnmast. So now her fore
mast Is solid stick of timber from Oregon
ner ma1nmast is Of iron from England and
rer mizzenmast Of wood, built up, Is from
the state of Mama