The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-25
A NAVY BUILT BY A BOY.
George Moody's Miniature Ships Are
COunterparts of Uncle Sans Big Ones,

COunterparts of Uncle Sans Big Ones.
The youngest naval constructor in
the United States, if not in the world.
is George B. Moody of Bangor. Me-. a
recent graduate of the high school in
that city, and now a student of naval
architecture in the Massachusetts In
stitute of Technology. Young Moody's
ship yard occupies the entire top story
of his fathers residence in Broadway
When a mere stripping Master Moody
carved tiny boats from blocks of wood
and sailed them on the streams and
ponds near his home. Moody first
turned his attention to the building of
warships eight years ago. and since
then his efforts as a builder have oil
been bent in that direction. He has
built vessels of every type used in the
United States navy. The equipment of
Moody's plant is up to date in every
particular even if it be in the attic. II
contains drydock large enough to ac-
cOmmodate the, first-class battleship
Claremont, a monster craft of 81
pounds displacement, four feet nine
inches in length, having 10 compart-
ments, carrying eight boats, and hav-
ing an armament of 30 modern guns,
the majority being rapid fire.
There is a marine railway, benches,
tables and lathes. Upon the walls are
models of battleships, monitors cruis-
ers and torpedo boats Scattered about
are anchors, propellers, smokestacks,
searchlights and military masts. With
in reach are pictures and plans of the
principal ships of the leading navies Of
the world, and over the main work
bench are suspended finished drawings
of the craft built in his own yard.
These are the handiwork of the youth
full builder. Every ship in his fleet has
been built on scientific principles. Their
lines were designed by him as carefully
as If the ships were expected to do real
naval work upon the high seas, and
every ship was ribbed and planked pre-
cisely as is done on the Clyde or the
Delaware. Two of the finest warships
now in the Moody yard are the Clare
mont battleship of the Oregon type
and class, and the Melrose. a first-class
armored cruiser, relatively as well pro-
tected and as heavily armed as the
Brooklyn, but of somewhat different
build. The Melrose had her trial trip
on the Penobscot river a few months
ago, her performance proving in all re-
spects satisfactory During the past
summer the Melrose cruised in Penob-
scot bay and with several of her sister
ships engaged a hostile fleet in battle
The Claremont has an armor belt of
extra heavy block tin and first and sec
ondary batteries. These are made of
brass and in accordance with the new
wrinkles in gun making. The Melrose
carries thirty guns, eighteen of which
are rapid firers. All of her broadside
guns have been fired simultaneously ON
several occasions, and this is also true
of the Claremont. AT Ilsesford, on
Penobscot bay, the Moodys have a sum-
mer villa, and there the young naval
constructor has been spending the sum-
mer months. His ships have cruised
about in the vicinity, under his guild
ing hand, of course, and much of the
time have been anchored in the offing.
Between picked ships of the fleet
some exciting sea fights have taken
place. Nor We're these mere make be-
lieve engagements, The ships We're real,
and SO were the guns, and there was
much maneuvering and some cracker
jack gunnery. In one of these fights a
well directed shot from the second class
battleship Farragut pierced the after
deck of the second class cruiser Angus
ia, the cruiser Milwaukee peppered the
Claremont'S funnel with small shot,
and the battleship Claremont was dam
aged by the firing of the monitor Ken
duskeag, Young Moody's fleet is as
seaworthy as any afloat. Of the two
dozen or more warships built by him
only one has been sunk. That was the
first one constructed, and the disaster
was due to the lack of watertight COM
partments. She was a protected cruiser
and foundered in a Bangor mill pond.
The battleship Claremont has outrid-
den storm on the Penobscot, in which
her bridge was swept away. all of her
wardroom furniture smashed to flinders
and one of her lifeboats wrecked