Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-09-06

| Re ~sSA '~eAOAAS GSSOAuAA6AyD W0 OA CAA I abled to have more extensive, 8
 larger, broader, and more com
 prehensive idea of the Viking voy-
 agers, than any of the written rec
 ords still extant, could give us. It
 rarely happens that tombs or grave
 mounds, consist of a substance in which wood can be pre-
 served for centuries, accordingly,
 very little of the wood work vas found remaining in any of the ship
 tombs or burial places hitherto ex-
 amined, except two, one of which
 was discovered in the parish of Tune,
 between the Christiania fjord and the Swedish frontiers; the length of
 its keel slightly. exceeds forty feet.
 It was found in the year 1867 and is now preserved in the museum of Kiel. AS near as is known, 1t was probably buried or entombed about the fifth century after Christ.
 The other Morse vessel, or pi- ratical craft or Viking warship which
 was found, is considered and thought
 to be of much more importance and consequence, and of greater moment
 because 1t is in a much better state of preservation. It is built wholly, completely and entirely of oak, about seventy feet in length, the
 boards connected with nails and the seams calked with oakum made from cows hair spun into a three strand
 cord. The connection of the blanks with the frame is produced and effected in a peculiar and singu- lar manner. In the top only have nail fastenings been used, part of wood and part of iron; elsewhere the plank and frame are tied together through the holes in the underside of the latter and corresponding holes in the cleats which project from the planking. The cleats and the plank ing are in one piece. The planking Is fastened or linked or affixed to the frames with ties made of the roots |lol trees. Such mode of, fasteniAg 'or. linking or affxing was possibly adopted or used to counteract the injurious effects of expansion and contraction in the wood when alter nately wet and dry. The planking has an average thickness of one inch, but Is not uniform. The ship had both oars and sail to propel her. but had only one mast. The mast was oftentimes lowered; for instance. when striving against head wind or when preparing for battle. The oars. of which several have been preserved. are about eighteen feet long, the length varying slightly ac- cording as they had to be served amidships or in the extreme end of the vessel. They were piled through holes bored in the third plank from the top, and those holes were pro- vided on the inside with sliding covers, which when the oars were un- shipped, could be pushed over them to prevent the sea water from enter ing. From the number of holes, the vessel is shown to have carried six teen oars on each side. as many as thirty-two men would therefore be required to serve the oars alone. There is no deck, only loose boards resting on shoulders cut in the frame. These boards, particularly in the midship's section, are placed at some distance from the bottom, thus affording space or room for slowing away beneath them a good many of the articles belonging to the ship or to the sailors. The rudder is hung by a rope a little forward of the stern post on the right hand side, hence, "starboard" or steeringboard, to indicate the right hand side of the ship. The mode or method or manner of fastening and guiding this ancient style of side rudder was not satisfactorily and convinc- ingly known previous to the discov- cry of this ship.
 Numerous and various articles of antiquarian value were found in. around and about the vessel. such as fragments of three boats made en- tirely of oak. the stock of the anchor, a landing stage or gangway. frag- ments of sleeping berths. parts of wooden chair finely and beautifully carved. that would appear to be the seat of the commander of the vessel, and a great variety and intermixture of utensils for kitchen use.
 Something now remains to be said or related of the tomb or burial place in which the ship was dIscov- cred. The hillock or mound was very large; the ship had been inferred in the middle of 1t on her keel. deco rated with shields hung close to- gether along the rail on both sides of the vessel A few of these shields have been successfully restored and renovated. and placed in the proper position A large grave chamber of wood Is built In the middle of the ship from the mast towards the stern. rt has the form of a rable roof. the sides consisting of round logs and the gable ends of planks placed on end In this chamber the remains of the dead were deposited 4 great number of animals must have been sacrificed on the occasion of the burial orentombment. because the bones of at least twelve horses and six dogs were collected from dff- ferent parts of the hfllock Of mound The articles of antiquarian value found in the tomb or mound. to- gether with the style of ornamenta- tion of the carving of different parss of the ship prove or attest to the cor rectnes that H beIongs either to the tonth or eleventh c<utury aftnr