Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-01-29
ALL FURNITURE OF STEEL.
Safe But Comparatively Expensive
Equipment for War Vessels.

The cruiser Baltimore, which has
been rebuilt at the Brooklyn navy yard
during the last three years, will be
equipped with steel furniture. The
staterooms and the crews quarters
alike will be furnished in a new kind Of
metal furniture, which has been manu-
featured at the local navy yard, and
which will, within the course of five
years, be used exclusively on all war
ships of the United States navy.
This decision has been reached after
several months OF experimenting. and
after a long discussion in the navy de-
partment as to the relative merits OF
wooden furniture and the new kind.
The Baltimore will be the first man-of-
war from this country that has been.
made entirely freproof. 1t will be the
first ship on the sea which has not car
ried large amount of inflammable fur
niture and numerous decorative arti-
cles
The adoption of steel furniture in the
navy Is an important step in the devel-
opment of the naval architecture and
OF naval equipment. 1t is considered by
far the most important advancement
toward the perfection Of a perfectly
equipped fighting 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 the seams do not show,
The writing desks, cabinets, and chif'
foniers are patterned after the wooden
articles that are generally In use In pri-
vate 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 turn
ed 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 OPP
ems and closes, Is made Of narrow strips
of steel, similar to those used in the
rolltOp desks, and the strips wind and
unwind on a roll.
The furniture has been painted
deep brown, In imitation of mahogany
and oak wood. The steel does not admit
of a fine polish and it is at once no.
ticeable that the article Is not wood.
The entire set . artistic.
The chief objection to it Is Its weight.
The steel furniture weighs about three
times as much as 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 nicely. An attempt will
be made to counterbalance this added
weight by eliminating some heavy
parts of the ships outfit.
The steel furniture will cost the gov
eminent at least double what it has
been accustomed to paying for wooden
furniture. The cost Is not considered es-
sential, for if an article has been pro-
duced which adds materially to the
fighting capacity of our vessels 1t is
said that Uncle Sam will readily stand
the difference In cost. 1t is thought that
! the cost may be considerably reduced
when the articles are manufactured In
large quantities.
1t will cost $4,000 to fit out the Bal
/ timore with the new kind Of furniture.
/ 1t is about three times as much as 1t
would have cost to refit 1t with wooden
Enthusiastically Eagle.