New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-13
Blu Gherardi Davis

Pawnee, third class sloop Of war, Of about
1900 tons displacement. She had twin-screws.
These screws were driven by gearing from
one large gear wheel, which itself was driven
by horizontal engine, the gearing being
arranged so as to increase the engine speed,
not decrease it, as is the case to-day. Or
course, under this system both screws went
fheeG or astern at the same time, but, crude
az il was, the ship was handy and proved
very useful, and as has been so often the
case, our Navy was far ahead Of the mer-
chant marine in this use of twin screws.
will add that a number of our screw vessels,
especially the faster ships, were driven by
gear-system Of power transmission, but, fur
thcrnore, many of our larger ships were sup
piled with two-bladed screws, which could be
hoisted up into well, forward of the rudder-
post, so that the ships speed under sail
should not be impeded by the drag of the
screw.
Still Wooden Navy
Iron in ship construction at this time was
almost unknown with us, and our Navy in
1851 was a wooden navy, with only auxiliary
lower on the larger ships. The hulls were
modelled on the lines of sailing vessels, and
with speed as such considered an all i'm
portant feature. Beautiful clipper bows were
the rule, the lines of which no European
naticn ever surpassed. The sterns on most
American ships were usually far from hand
some.
To return, however. to the fleet which was
built between 1850 and 1860, the following is
brief outline of what was done. In 1903
the Niagara was launched, a vessel rated at
800 tons, ship rugged, with two tunnels and
a battery of XI-inch guns. She is best known
as having been the American cable-laying
ship in 1857. The Niagara was very large
sloop of war-that is, her guns were all on
her spar deck. Next came the Colorado class,
consisting Of five frigates of about 4,7OO
tons displacement, and Of only about nine
knots speed under steam. These splendid
ships, with raised poops and torecastles,
heavy spar deck and main deck batteries OF
IX-:nch guns, were, for their day, very for
nidable. They were full rugged ships, with
every sheet ballard brace and stay that
ever a sailing ship carried Under sail they
mus. have been as glorious a sight as any
ships that ever sailed on blue water. The
York Navy Yard in 1879 and later. Her gun
deck was not so very different from those Of
Nelson's frigates, except that the guns were
very much heavier. l can recall distinctly
the after part of the gun deck, with the huge
capstan with shot and water buckets on its
upper rims) near the gangways leading to
the spar deck; the bright brasswork on the
guns and their shining, well vanished bar
rels; the deck as white and clean as ever a
lady's parlor floor was kept; the fire buckets,
handspikes, capstan bars and all the other
indictments of an old fashioned sailing ship
many now forgotten, even on wind-jam-
mers, where motors do much of the work
once done by hand. She was then near her
end her timbers were infested with ants,
and it was not long before she was broken up
or burned for the metal that was in her.
First Class Shops
In 1857 were launched number of first
class "sloops," as they were then called, of
which the Hartford is the best known. She
still exists, and will, it is hoped, last with
the Constitution as long as she can be kept
together, like the Victory, in England. She
was far more of a real cruiser than were the
frigates, for she and her sister ships tthey
were not all exactly the same) were OF about
:, OOc tons displacement, and had speed OF
over nine knots. Their batteries were heavy
for vessels of this size, but in this respect
the Navy was carrying out its policy OF the
Var of 1912. 1t was sight to delight a
sailor, as it astounded landlubber, TO see
one of these ships approach the Brooklyn
Bridge and lower her lofty topgallant masts
to get under, and then raise them again.
Tho next year came the famous Iroquois
class, of over 1900 tons and with eleven
knots speed. Known as second class sloops,
they were the ablest of the smaller vessels in
the old navy. They had very substantial bat
teries, good speed and could keep at sea a
very long time. | cannot help mentioning
here that the Kearsarge, built after the war
a duplicate Of one of this
class. These vessels originally were rather
and, as matter Of fact, the
Kearsarge, as she is most usually pictured
is not shown as she appeared in the &C
ton with the Alabama. Her masts, subse
duent to that event, were considerably
lengthened and topgallant yards added. Later
still she was given a raised poop and fore
castle a change made in a great number OF
the smaller ships, as it made them dryer and
increased the cabin-space considerably.
In this same year, 1883, was launched the
NacraGanSeLt CLASS. lHuCH slHdlIcI sHlPo, VI
exceedingly graceful lines and very efficient.
After Twenty Years
This. then, was the result Of twenty years
of naval construction. We had developed
very excellent small navy of steam propelled
ships. nearly all Of which were full-rigged
sailing vessels, many of them quite capable
of making as much speed under sail as under
steam. Many old sailing ships of war were
IN commission, the best known being the
and Constellation. The Navy
was now to enter in on a period as terrible
as e was exciting, for war was at hand
When, in 1861, the storm of the Civil War
burst upon the country, there were in the
Navy twenty-sx steam warships, many Of
them thousands Of miles away from the At
lantic Coast They constituted the entire
active United States Navy. For, of course,
the sailing vessels were of very little value,
although on occasion, under tow, in the early
J,ys Of tho war thew rendered service as