Propeller <I>Indiana</I>’s Capstan
date: label: date made
content: mid-1800s
notes: label: Description
content: The capstan, most commonly found on the decks of early steamboats, was used as a vertical winch for raising or lowering anchors, hoisting sails and cargo, hauling heavy lines, or other jobs where individual manpower was not enough.
label: Description
content: It was operated manually, by putting timbers into the holes and using the resulting leverage to wind a line wrapped around the center of the device more easily. Sea chanties, or rhythmic songs, were often employed by ship crews to ensure that everyone hauled at the same time. Later in the 19th century, steam capstans and donkey engines replaced human muscle on the larger vessels.
topic: label: related event
content: Expansion and Reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Work
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content: Energy & Power
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
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content: Transportation
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content: On the Water exhibit
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: John Steele and William Cohrs
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1984.0359.02
label: accession number
content: 1984.0359
label: catalog number
content: 1984.0359.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: capstan
label: Other Terms
content: capstan; Maritime
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 34 in x 28 in; 86.36 cm x 71.12 cm