The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-13
THE MODERN WARSHIP.
COMBINES SKILL AND SCIENTI.
FIG KNOWLEDGE.
Rear Admiral Melville Points Out
Some Of the Achievements of
Engineering in the Building OF
American War Vessels.

AT the seventy-fifth anniversary OF
the Franklin Institute Rear Admiral
George w. Melville, engineer-in-chi OF
the United States navy, read the fol-
lowing paper:
Ihe modern warship is the complete
Iru1tion and triumph of many branches
OF the great science of engineering. Al
though in the ultimate analysis we owe
everything to nature, we may we'll say
that in the old wooden ships propelled
by sails very large proportion was
due almost directly to nature, with only
a minor part played by the artisan and
the engineer, while in the modern ship
natures part is strictly confined to the
crudest of raw materials, and the fin
ished product represents the highest de-
velopment of skill, ingenuity and sci
ence in engineering and the mechanic
arts.
Under the circumstances of this dis
cussion, we may be- pardoned if, in a
retrospective consideration of the sub
ject, we limit our review to steam YES
sells, for the reason, as l have already
remarked, that the part of the engi-
neer (using that term in its broad
sense) in the old sailing vessels was ex-
fceedingly limited. We shall by con-
trast be enabled to appreciate more
fully the wonderful entity we call the
modern warship if we consider the first
one.
1t will interest you all very much,
am sure, to know that the first steam
war vessel in the world was built for
our navy, and was designed by Robert
fulton, who first made steam naviga-
iron at all practicable; and the con-
struct1on of this vessel antedated the
rounding of this institute only about
ten years. This first vessel was called
the Demologos, or Fulton the First, and
While of what would now be considered
very small dimensions, was, neverthe-
less, wonder of the period. She was
loo feet long, 90 feet beam and 20 feet
deep, measuring 2475 tons, having a
single water wheel in a central we'll.
and capable of steaming about six
Knots. The battery comprised twenty
guns of the largest size at that date a
number of them having, been taken
from captured British vessel. The
null, OF course, was of wood, and the
boilers We're of copper. She was not
completed until just after the termina-
ton of the war of 1872, so that she
never saw any active service, and was
blown up by an explosion of her maya
zine in 1929
Inc next steam war vessel, also called
the Fulton, and completed in 1887. was
somewhat longer than the first Fulton.
but with less beam and proved a very
successful ship for the period. being
capable of steaming twelve knots an
flx IL
most interesting thing in connection
Win this old vessel is the fact that the
engineer who designed her machinery
and, superintended its erection became
her chief engineer when she was com
missioned, and thereby became the first
engineer in the United States navy.
This distinguished gentleman is still
alive and in the active practice of his
profession. Doubtless many of you will
at once know that I can only refer 10
Charles H. Haswell, known to every
mechanic in the United States as the
author of Haswell's Pocketbook I think
we may all take great pleasure in the
thought that this venerable and distin-
gu1shed gentleman, who is not only the
Nestor of our profession, but one of it's
chief ornaments, has been spared to
see the growth of the war vessels from
the original Demologos to our Oregon
and Minneapolis and the merchant
steamer from the original Clermont to
the st. Louis and Campania.
After the building of the Fulton
steam vessels were added toethe navy
at regular intervals. each class mark
ing an improvement on the preceding
ones. until shortly before the beginning
or our civil war we had a class of fine
frigates which in ordnance, machinery
and hull We're justly considered the
finest in the world.
EVOLUTION OF MODERN WAR
SHIPS.
The necessities of the civil war, of
course, gave a tremendous impetus to
naval construction, and at this period
We have the beginning of the evolution
of the modern war vessel. In engineer
ing as applied to machinery and hulls
several names stand out pre-eminent at
this period, and as strictly germane to
my theme I may mention the work of
two of them The Engineer-in-Ch Chief of
the navy during this period was Com
modore Benjamin F sherwood, an engi-
neer whose practical SKILL ability as a
designer and high scientific attachments
have never been surpassed. One of the