Evening star., 1937-07-11
Rv Malincke Macev0y.

snip IlUlelS Is no uOuDI Jlc
Spirit Ship" model boat
a constructed by the ancient
Egyptians and buried with their dead,
because they believed that the human
soul after death, while capable of
traversing land. needed assistance in
crossing the waters of the Nile
There is something fascinating about
models of ships, and for those to
whom ship models beckon, the Navy
Department is recommended. There
one will find interesting craft modelled
in minute detail from early sailing
vessels down to the most recent
streamlined masterpieces, such as the
heavy cruiser U. S. S. New Orleans
and the handsome airplane carrier
U. S. S, Ranger. The heavy cruiser
New Orleans has two stacks, nine
big 8-inch guns in turrets. combined
anti-aircraft and torpedo defense
guns so arranged that in case OF
attack by enemy aeroplanes they may
be trained skyward, and by the same
token, if suddenly taken unaware by
enemy submarine, they may be shifted
to a horizontal position and trained
upon the underSea craft.
Another interesting detail is the
two-plane catapults plus extra space
for the carrying Of two more planes.
Then there are two boat and plane
cranes that are used to hoist the
latter aboard as soon as they come
alongside and signal. The vessel is
painted the proverbial battleship gray
and draws about 20 feet of water and
makes 35 knots an hour. The model
of the U. S. S. Ranger is very new
and carries II planes on the top deck
and more chat are visible) under
meath the deck.
THE models of the U. S. S. Houston
and the U. S. S. Mississippi have
been loaned to the State of Texas for
the Centennial. Mention of Texas
brings to mind the astonishing diff
ference between the comparative costs
of the original U. S. S. Texas and the
battleship Texas of today. The old
Texas was an ironclad ram, captured
from the Confederates at the fall OF
Richmond on April 4, 1865. and con-
f1scated by Rear Admiral Porter for
the use of the Navy" She was built
of wood and iron, first rate in those
days, and cost s126,848. On the other
hand, the new Texas is an armored
steel battleship of 27,000 tons and cost
$4,000, 900, launched in 1912 and COM
mssioned in 1914. Her first duties
we're in Mexican waters, and upon her
return in the Summer of 1914, she was
assigned to her present duty with the
First Division of the Atlantic Fleet.
The meaning of the name Texas"
Is derived from an Indian word mean
ing friends or "allies" In compar-
ing the old Texas" with the new, it
is possible to understand how, in the
old days, even before the advent OF
the ironclad, it was simple to burn
ships to prevent the possibility Of their
falling into enemy hands. The first
New York" small sailing ship, was
one example of this procedure. Today
it would be an impossible task because
of the steel armored construction.
T OOKING at the elaborate work.
manship on these models, the
carving, spans, blocks, lines, ropes,
cutters, longboatS and many other
details, ones imagination is chal-
lenged by the model makers ability
to obtain such magnificent results.
Among the many interesting models
to be found in the large glass cases
are the old sail training ship Cum
berland and the U. S. S. Kearsarge, |
a picturesque three -masted sloOp OF
war whose speed was II knots an |
hour. She sank the Confederate |
cruiser Alabama. Not far away is the |
miral DeWeys flagship at Manila.
Later it transported the body of the
unknown soldier from France to the
United States. Also may be seen
model of the famous U. S. S. Consti-
tuition, or "Old Ironsides" This his
torical ship was restored to its original
condition by an act of Congress and
is now at the Boston Navy Yard
Nearby is the U. S. S. Maine (old),
which was launched in 1890 and later
blown up in Havana Harbor. For
those who like undersea craft, there
is long, sleek model of q submarine,
the SAB. For those whose modern
interest wanders from marine ships
for an instant, there are dirigible
models OF the Akron and Shenandoah
and models Of airship mooring masts
OF the self-propelled, telescope type
that run by their own motive power
on tracks. Then one may study the
U. S. S. San Diego which was sunk
during the World War by mine laid
by German submarine. It is pro-
tectiye cruiser type OF vessel cruiser
That Is faster than a battleship and
not as heavily armored. The San
Diego model has four stacks no tur-
rets, and carries light armor.
THE U. S. S. Brooklyn is a most in
teresting model of very old cruis-
er. unique because Of the shape of its
sides, rounded out, gondola-like, from
the water line to the deck line; in
Navy parlance" called the tumble
home form. She has three stacks, in
common with the majority of the old
type OF vessels. The U. S. S. Rochester,
which was known as the u S. S. New
York when it was Admiral SIMPSONS
flagship at Santiago. The U. S. S.
Oregon also may be seen, a model of
the famous battleship Oregon that
made the historic trip around Cape
Horn in 86 days, in order to join the
Atlantic Fleet operating in Cuban
waters.
There is, too, an unusual model of
the battleship U. S. S. Iowa that hoist
ed the signal Enemy coming out" at
Santiago. While one is looking at the
model of the U. S. S. Connecticut a
mental comparison with the U. S. S.
New Orleans is Of interest Cumber-
some chains streW the deck of the
Connecticut, it's open bridge, winches,
exposed anchors and the startling
sight of three one-stack steamers