Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-14
SHIPS MAsTs.
From the Lofty sticks OF Wood tn
the Modern Tubes of Iron.
philadelphia Telegraph

philadelphia Telegraph.)
Ships masts were originally made with
the several parts, the lower mast, the top
mast, and the topgalant mast, each Of a
sslid stick. Big timber was required for
the large lower masts, and when the suit
able 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 mate
rial used; it is always difficult to get
solid stick of suitable size for a mast
that is absolutely free from bemish. In
making the built-up mast, composed Of a
number of smaller pieces, II is easily pos
sible to select only perfectly sound ma
terial. The built-up masts were usually
made with a spindle, big, square timber
forming the centre or heart, the round OF
the mast being formed by slabs laid on
the Sizes Of the spindle. And these parts
were not always each OF a 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
site 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. 10 decay.
Built-up masts have been made in vari-
Gus ways. There have been made. for ex-
ample. masts in which the round was
formed OF three pieces OF timber, instead
of a spindle and slabs.
When the great modern American
Oh. &c thr0A
and sometimes more lofty masts-for some
of these vessels sticks so to 90 feet IN
length were requred-the demand Tor
mast timber was greatly increased. WIN
the extensive demand prices went up, ana
built-up masts were made for the Dig
schooners; masts were made not hoped,
but bolted together, and such masts
proved perfectly serviceable.
Most of the deep-water ships built now
adays 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 indestructible but they are
longer-liyed than masts OF wood:
There Is now lying a South-street pier
a fine, big American wooden ship whose
three lower masts are all different, ana
this came about in the simplest way In
the world When she came from the
Maine shipyard, I'm which she was putt,
her three lower masts were OF wood, built
up. In the course of time her foremast
showed signs of decay, and IT was con-
demned and taken out. She was at that
time in the port OF New York, and there
was found here a handsome stick OF ore
gon pine, out OF which a foremost was
made for her. Later decay appeared In
the mainmast. She was i'm a British port
then, where 1t was cheaper to get an iron
mast. and she was fitted with an iron
mainmast. So now her foremost Is solid
stick of timber from oregon, her main
mast is of iron from England, and Der
mizzenmast of wood built up. is from the
State of Maine