The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-20
FURNITURE OF STEEL.
Safe but Expensive Equipment for
Vessels of the Navy.

Brooklyn Eagle.
The cruiser Baltimore, which has been
rebuilt at the Brooklyn navy yard during
the past three years, will be equipped with
steel furniture. The staterooms and the
crews quarters will alike be furnished in
a new kind of metal furniture, which has
been manufactured at the local navy yard
and which will, within the course of five
years. be used exclusively on all warships
of the United States navy.
This decision has been reached after
several months of experimenting and after
long discussion in the Navy Department
as to the relative merits Of wooden furni-
ture and the new kind. The Baltimore
will be the first man-of-war from this coun-
try that has been made entirely fireproof
She will be the first ship on the sea which
has not carried large amount of infiam-
mable furniture and numerous decorative
articles.
The adoption of steel furniture i'm the
navy Is an important step in the develop
ment of the naval architecture and of
naval equipment 1t is considered by far
the most important advancement toward
the perfection of a perfectly equipped fight
ing craft that has been made for several
years.
The furniture is made of thin sheet STEEL
1t is welded together in such a manner that
cabinets and chiffoniers are patterned
after the wooden articles that are generally
in use in private homes. Rolltop desks are
made by using narrow strips of steel for
the flexible portion of the top. One of the
most novel articles that has been turned
out is the extension table This is really
an Improvement over the article in general
use. When closed the table is four by six
feet in size. 1t may be opened to several
times that size. The central portion OF
the table, which opens and closes, is made
frt,~ ,fl.ar thDca
used in the rolltop desks, and the strips
wind and unwind on roll.
The furniture has been painted a deep
brown, in imitation of mahogany and oak
wood. The steel does not admit of a very
fine polish and ii is at once noticeable
that the article is not wood. The entire set
Is artistic.
The chief objection to it is its weight.
times as much the wooden. This fact
will have TO be taken into consideration in
equipping a ship, as the weights placed in
the various parts of the ship are figured
to a nicely. An attempt will be made to
counterbalance this added weight by elm
mating some heavy parts of the ships out
| hit.
The steel furniture will cost the govern
ment at least double what it has been ac-
customed to paying for wooden furniture.
The cost is not considered essential. for If
| materially to the fighting capacity of our
| vessels it is said that Uncle Sam will read
| lily stand the difference in cost. 1t is
thought that the cost may be considerably
reduced when the articles are manufac-
| tured in large quantities.
1t will cost $50. 900 TO fit out the Baltimore
| with the new kind of furniture. 1t is about
| three times as much as IL would have cost
| to refit her with wooden articles. The
| furniture which is now in use will not be
| discarded all at once. 1t is thought that
| the new plan will be to gradually intro
duce the steel as the present equipment
! wears