The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-30
CHANGES ~ RJILDING SHIPS.
Successive Steps OF the Craft as Shown by the
Models In the Scwall Plant.

B,TH, Me sept 90 Few slipbuilding firms
I'm the L uitcd States possess 80 large or valuable
a collection Of models a. that which ornaments
the W IL If the office of Arthur Sewall 4 Co in
This city. These models serve as an object
less on. showing a. they do the many changes
which the styles in vessels have undergone in
tho last s,venty-Gvr years. In tie early years Of
the century we find that the vessels were ccm-
parativcly small. with rounr, full bows. heavy
quarters md rI' rrn Compared with ships
OF to-day they were clum-ily built. were dun
sailors and though safe. we're uncomfortable
~ra boats. Up 10 about 1897 they !ad flush
decks the cabin and crew quarters being unteI
the deck, The galley or .coakhor-"", a~ il
was then called. va- "a -iS-by--iN box la-lcd
aba,t the foremost
About that time our -iipbuildor- adopted
the torrallunt fore. a,rlc which was soon fol-
lowed b, the d,ck house, a square structure
huilt ON the open dock near tho stem of tire ship,
covering tho gausway leading 70 the cabin
and used ~ q lining room for the CAPTAIN and
officers during me weather Tie vessels In
the coa-r,nG and cubs trade ranged from
20 TO 700 tons burden They v"rr single deck
with a high poop, under which were quar-
tor- for the officers aud crew. They were
lar,c carriers for their tonnage and were eN-
Cellcnt 4rn boats. but very duil sAIlrrS
The first Improvement noticed in marine
architecture was In the tSDlng ileet. The
square stern WIS adopted, the bows were built
on sharper lines ana the breadth Of beam was
Increased, making them better boats and
-wittcr Sailer>. lLcu the ~c"a~'uIg trau" BEGAN
to feel the need Of a better class Of vessels
| The high poop deck became a tliug Of TIE past
and a half deck t~o called ct lighter COnStruC-
! ton than the other parts was built over the main
dcrk. from the stern to the maiumaSt. and sur
rounded 10y u light but strong oIcu rail Even
tually those liGht locks weEe c~NtcuGed To ne
topgallaMt i"rcoa-tle, ,thli, making the vessel
practically double-dccked
These improvements had The eject 10 sIplr
NJ tho inventive genius 81 I'M" shiI builders and
naval architects, and 1t soon became apparent
iu the many new departures. nom the old eN-
istiug types, uthc improved models and greater
tonnage. The sLiUhulldor~ rapidly increased
the tonnage of their ships built for III" foreign
trade. In ls4l the RaupahaIuoCk register ing
300 tons was built by the Scwalls and was the
wonder Of the world a. being. M to that time.
the largest ship ever buit ior me merchant
vious models. Her cabins were built ON the
upper deck and were lofty and spacious and were
uitpd M in a style previously unknown. She
was what was then known A. fl igat" built, a
round bilge, tumblc-in top-idrs aud very wide
double channels.
sidcrnd models Of strength and beauty. Their
large poop cabins Were fitted w with an cle-
gance and a view To comfort never before at
tempted on q sailing ship, Their gracefully
nariug bow, their tru" sheer and light counter
were distinctly American. But they wor" built
expressly for capacity, not speed. aud II re-
manned for the exciting news Of the discovery
Of gold In California to stimulate the genius Of
our naval architects and the result was the
American clipper OF the So. one Of which.
tho FLYING Cloud made the ua-~ag" from New
York TO san Francisco in "ighty-two days and
her time has never been beaten. But these
MAGNIFICENT ships soon proved 20 bo not eN-
actly what was wanted. and NJ once our ship
builders turned out tn" medium clipper. a
shin combining the uuai' is of largo C]qrryiug
~cauacity with spced. safety and comfort. These
Clippnrs we're very sharp NJ the bow and some
Of them were 50 much so that every plank was
nut on without once r%eSorting 10 toaming
The coming of steam vessels into the foreign
trade drove the builders into continually in
]Creasing the carrying capacity Of their shirs.
mud the sharp limos had 'O civ" plnc" 10 more
rounding ones which, while thoy tended 10 do
crease the speed. materi1liv increased tLeir
CAPACITY and to-day We see still another change
that Of building ships Of steel instead Of wood