Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-06-07

Of small boats-so called, for some Of
them are not very small--ever seen in
the vicinity
The beauty and fine lines of the
nsyy's small boats can be appreciated
by view of the lot All are built to
the most minute specifications, and
represent the best attainable stock
and the highest boat building skill
Almost 200 boats, representing a
total expenditure of more than $780,
coo in labor and material, are on the
great. storage floors, arranged sys-
tematicalIy in regular lots and rows
Of streets, or piled in tiers three and
four high.
Oars, masts, booms, boat stretchers,
gratings, water and provision casks,
bailing kits and other fittings, in great
numbers, are Systematically arranged
in racks around the walls, or on over
head platforms In the bodybuilding
shop, a separate building On the up
per floor of the shop the old mold loft
of the navy, where the patterns of
many of the most famous of the old
wooden ships were worked out and
laid down, are stored i'll more boats,
an overflow from the main storage
building.
There are all kinds of launches,
both Steam and electric, from the
smaller, natty, speedy and more mag
nificently finished ones for admirals
and commanding officers to the great
40-feet-long service launches Of ire
mendous power, especially adapted
for towing the ships sailing launches
and cutters for landing men, and the
rapid-fre field artillery and shore guns
carried on every ship.
There are plain, cheap, tiny little
dinghies for use in working around
the sides of a ship, and side by side
with them are couple of the magnifi-
cent 12-oared mahogany rowing barges
Of rear admirals.
This is the barge of the highest
state, used practically only for the
most ceremonial occasions, and for Of
fetal visits in foreign parts. The hand
some carved eagles, U S seals, and
stars on the stretchers of these craft
are works of art, and represent a con-
siderable outlay in themselves.
There are here also massive, heavy,
sturdy 40-foot-long sailing launches,
that can conveniently land 100 men
and couple of small cannon. They
are equipped with gun circles and
standards for using their guns in boat
attacks. The great rowing barges are
Of the same size and almost the same
type, and Of equal capacity.
These also are rugged for sails. If
sail propulsion is desired, but like the
sailing launches are generally towed
by steam launches In ordinary landing
work nowadays. Both are fitted with
towing bits and gear.
But the worth Of the boats as sailing
launches have again and again been
demonstrated in the navy, and rec
ords of more than 1000 miles in one
enforced voyage for succor have been
made
1t was in such a type of boat that
men from the famed Kearsarge made
1,500-mile journey after her wreck
in the Caribbean.
Each of these boats, while variously
designated sailing launches and row
ing barges, are equipped for ten and
twelve oars on either side, and with
each oar double banked, as they in
variably are, they can be driven
through the water with tremendous
speed by the muscular strength of the
40 or 4s men who can bend on the
oars.
There are in the collection gigs and
cutters, whaIeboats and whaleboat
gigs, and every other service type of
boat. In addition there are a half
dozen of the trim regulation 12-oaTed
racing cutters OF the navy In these
days every ship has special reguIa-
ton racing cutter for the encourage
ment OF boat efficiency among the men.
The bodybuilding shop, in an ada
cent building, generally has from 90 to
40 steam, sailing or rowing launches
and boats set up along the long Aoor
under construction, and probably a
half-dozen more boats under repair.
Robert NJ. Robinson of Charlestown.
formerly a well-known yacht and boat
builder Of the north shore, is in
charge at the boat shop.
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