We can now begin hewing out our ship, and if we please putting her together until she looms up to the very skies, and if we do not please, we can number our timbers and planks from one to twenty thousand, and send them to Japan or Patagonia, where they shall, by competent hands, be put together, making a stately ship that shall carry the Japanese or Patagonian stars and stripes all over the world. If we conclude to make this ship here, we must prepare blocks whereon to lay the keel. This is a simple matter, being only the placing of short, thick pieces of timber, so arranged as to allow for the declivity of the ship, which is equal to ths of an inch for every foot of her length-this inclination being made, as I shall hereafter show, for the purpose of launching. We now proceed to lay what is termed the First or False Keel of our ship, being pieces of wood from four to six inches in thickness, and of the same breadth we intend our keel to be. Elm is the best wood for this purpose, seasoned by immersion in water rather than exposure to air. The object of this false keel is to prevent the ship making lee-way when sailing upon a wind, or should she go ashore, to relieve her by forcing it off and thereby lessen her draught of water. We come now to the laying of the keel, which, supposing we are about to build a first-class ship of 2500 tons, will be composed of pieces of timber about twenty inches square. As one piece of timber will not stretch the length of this great ship, some certain means must be found to join them. This is done by doweling. FLOOR KELL I have said that the keel is a piece of timber twenty inches square; but I will make a reservation in this so far as to say that a groove is cut through its whole length on either side, just deep enough to receive the planking. Our keel being laid, it becomes necessary to go on and set up our timbers, the most important of which is the stem. The stem of our ship is of the soundest and most solid pieces of oak we have in the yard. Pieces, I say, for the reason that no single piece can be found of sufficient size to make the stem. We therefore, by our doweling, or scarphing, as it is termed, join together three pieces to make the size required, allowing the top, or piece farthest away from the water, to be somewhat the largest. Directly behind this we place another piece, which is doweled to the stem and denominated the apron. Once more, behind the apron we place another timber, which we call the stemson, intended to strengthen the stem. These three pieces, acting one upon the other by the aid of bolts, dowels, and scarphing, form a solid mass of timber calculated to resist heavy thumps, and, if need be, walk through an iceberg. APRON STEM Having that important part of our ship erected, we will turn our backs upon it, and proceed to put up our stern-post. The stern-post is—if timber can be found sufficiently large-in one piece. This is a matter of vital importance, from the necessity of great strength, the stern-post being the piece whereon the rudder hangs, and on the safety of which the very existence of the ship depends. This also is of the most solid oak, and is grooved, like the keel and stem, for the reception of planking. The fastening to the keel is made by teeth in the post, fitting into a mortice in the keel. To strengthen the main-post there is also an inner post doweled to it, as in the stem, making a solid combination of timber of such size as can not be had without joining. In the round stern ship timbers are worked out from this stern-post to form the shape required, and are called post-timbers. We will now proceed toward setting up the frame of our ship, or that portion of the structure that gives it form and shape. This frame will be a numerous family of timbers, rejoicing in the names of cross-pieces, futtocks, top-timbers, floors, half-floors, short and long armed floors, and a few others too tedious to mention, and not at all necessary to our work. We will repudiate all technical terms, and go on with our building or laying the floor. The floor of the ship is composed of square timbers, laid at right angles across the keel, and fitted to it by a groove. These timbers are not laid upon the keel with an equal balance, but reach alternately to the right or left; whichever end reaches farthest from the keel being termed the long arm, the other end of the same timber, on the opposite side of the keel, being called the short arm. 24 LONG ARM 12 FUTTOCKS SHORT 2° LONG ARM FUTTOCKS SEDET LONG ARM SHORT & FUTTOCKS LONCARM SHARTI FUTTOCKS LONG ARM SHORT ALS FUTTOCKS tomical preparations of the human frame which you have possibly seen in some doctor's office or museum. The futtocks are straight or bent timbers, as the curves of the ship may demand, and are fastened with a dowel upon the end to the end of each half-floor, cross-piece, or arm, carrying up the sides of the ship to the required height. According to the position in which they are used, they are termed first, second, third, and so forth, the first and second futtocks being nearest to the keel. To explain this still more minutely, let me say that the first futtocks are attached to the ends of the half-floor or the long arm; the third futtocks on the ends of the first futtocks; the fourth futtocks on the ends of the second futtocks; and the fifth futtocks on the ends of the third futtocks. In the building of the ship, after speed is considered, lightness, which is the parent of speed, must be sought, as by attention to that point the carrying powers of the ship will be increased. TOP TIMBER 41 FUT HEAD HEAD To insure this lightness we must use as little timber as possible consistent with strength, every stick of the frame being set at such distance apart as will admit of this strength. Three feet nine inches is the regulated distance in which shall be placed one cross-piece and one floor or half-floor, with the futtocks necessary to carry up the frame. This section of the ship, as here chalked SZFUT out, being put together on the ground and hoisted to the required position on the growing vessel by means of 3 FUT sheers or tall masts with necessary tackle. Now these floors and futtocks must vary as the building of the ship approaches the stem or stern. This is done by cutting off the floors, as well as giving them a greater cant upward, that they may meet the futtocks, which, as they approach toward either end of the ship, have a greater desire to run straight up, making the ship at those points more of the wedge form. 2FUT HEAD HEAD SIT FUT HEAD As all these futtocks are raised to the places they are to occupy they are shored up. Shores are sticks of timber acting as props to keep the sections of futtocks in their places, the upper end resting against the ribbon or piece of wood fastened temporarily across the futtocks for the purpose of staying. Our stem, stern, and side timbers being all up, the next job must be to introduce the keelsons. The principal keelson is a piece, or pieces, of timber joined the same as the keel and laid directly above it, acting as a strengthener of the vessel lengthwise, and as a means of securing the floors in their proper places. The keelson is laid directly over the keel from stem to stern, and secured by copper bolts driven through the SIDE KEELSON KEEL ST CROSS PIECE floor and keel, and by wooden dowels to the floor. Besides the main keelson there are side keelsons, sometimes two, and sometimes four, according to the size of the ship, secured through the floors, futtocks, and outer planking. These side keelsons not only aid in making the ship more strong, but in staying for the timber that makes the stepping of the mast. Another important point is the filling or closing of all space between the futtocks and below the water-line with timber. This is done that the ship may still be water-tight should she chance to strike upon rocks or ground, and tear off her outer planking. These timbers are fitted closely in the open spaces between the floors and the futtocks, and are well calked before either outer or inner planking is put upon the ship, making her so that without any outside planking whatever she will still float. The next point is of the internal trussing or bracing the ship with iron. These braces or trusses are bands of iron from three to six inches wide, running across the timbers at acute angles from the side keelsons to the upper timbers and fastened to them by bolts. These tend to give the frame great strength; in fact, if properly ap plied, making it impossible for the ship to go to pieces or to become what is technically termed hogged—a difficulty produced by the falling of the stem and stern and the rising of the keel, making it curve, and destroying the sailing properties of the vessel. We have now the frame or outer shell of the ship ready for her decks. These decks will be in number according to the size of the ship. For one of the size we are now building three decks will be necessary, which we must put in as the carpenter puts in the floors of his house. We first, at the height we intend these decks to be, run a rib of timber longitudinally the whole length of the vessel, securing it to the side timbers by bolting. This is called the shelf, and on it rest the beams that stretch across the ship, on which beams the floor of the deck is laid. OUTSIDE PLANKING FUTTOCKS BEAM SHELF The same rule that applies to the keel, the stem, and the stern-post applies equally to all these vast timbers, whether they be shelves or beams: they must all be joined and made up from small pieces by scarphing or doweling, or both. These beams, as well as the shelf, are | bear, that the timbers, especially those of the made from the very best of pine, and the deck planking of the same wood, taking care to select it as pitchy as possible. In speaking here of decks I do not mean to say that we must lay them yet. There is other work to be done first. We have the frame all up, trussed, and bolted, and now we must draw the skin, as it is termed, over the ribs of the great monster and put in the timbers and inside ceiling. This inside planking, which is generally worked on at the same time as the outside or skin, is called the limber strakes or ceiling. The limber strakes are a little over half the thickness of the keelson, and are worked on to the futtocks inside, in the same manner that an ordinary room floor is laid, with iron or copper bolts reaching only into the futtocks, not through them. Between the keelson and the first limber strakes an open space or gutter is left, called the water-course, intended as a con LIMBER PLATE forward and aft parts of the ship, may be easily bent to the required curves. In a ship of the size we are now building, the lines being so near straight in comparison to the shortness of the pieces of strakes or plank, the steam-box is of little use. And now we will proceed to put the skin upon our ship, premising a few words upon the difference between English and American modes of planking. The English ship-builders, in planking a ship's bottom, use both English and Dantzig oak, with sometimes fir and elm, below the water-line, on account of its non-liability to split. The English oak being cut from trees largest at the lowest end, the planks come out in such shape as to make it imperatively necessary that the builder, for the sake of saving much stuff, must use them in this angular style. The American plan dif veyance for what-fers from this in so far that we always use straight ever water may outside timbers, except in such cases as where find its way into the form of the ship demands otherwise. Before putting the planking upon the ship it is the duty of the master-builder to see that his frame stands perfectly true and perpendicular. If it should not do so, he must slacken his shores and ribbons on the one side, and tauten them on the other, until that end is attained according to the plumb-line. the ship from leakage to the wells, that the pumps may get at it. It will be the intention of the ship-builder with these limber strakes or inside planking to make them as tight upon the seams as he would outside plank, so that in the event of any injury to the skin of the ship leakage would not ensue. In small These outside planks, or skin, in a ship of vessels it is upon this planking and upon the the size we are now building, vary in thickness skin that the steam-box is mostly brought to from four inches to ten, the thickest plank being about the wales-or that part of the ship above mast-hole is composed The fastening of this skin to the futtocks, or frame, is done by wooden pegs of locust, called tree-nails, the holes for receiving which should be bored several days previous to using, that the sap remaining in the wood may thoroughly dry out. The tree-nail is then introduced, by a plan called double and single fastening-being the alternate driving of one and two treenails into each futtock. The next item for consideration is the water-ways, an internal hoop of timber, passing longitudinally along the ship, just above the decks, serving the same purpose on top that the shelf serves below. The inside planking just under the lower side of the shelf is called the clamps; and the same, just above the water-ways, the spirketing. Both the clamps and spirketing are LOWER SIDE OF SHELE INSIDE PLANKING more strongly fastened to the timbers of the frame than any other part of the ceiling, that they may lend their aid to the support of the shelf, water-ways, and beams. WATERWAY Before I go farther, let me say a word in reference to breast-hooks and crutches. These are timbers or iron, as the choice may be, intended to unite the ship together at both stem BREAST HOOK CRUTCH and stern, where the are called coamings, while those athwart-ship are called head-ledges. Included in the framing of the deck are the riding-bitts, which are intended to receive the cable when the ship is lying at anchor. It is usual, on a ship of the size we are now building, to have two pair of riding-bitts or four. These bitts, for their better security, run through two decks. Sometimes the ridingbitts are dispensed with, and the windlass, of which I shall speak presently, is used instead. We have nothing now but to lay our deck, which is a simple work-care only being had, in putting on the outer planking, or skin, to bend and fit the plank well and carefully, avoiding all flaws and strains, that the decks may be perfectly tight, without a chance of springing or straining from the fastenings. There must be next to the water-way a single plank, laid down and fitted ANER WATERWAY into a rabbet in the water-way, and then gradually cut down on the outer edge until it meets the deck plank; this is called the inner water way. Upon our ship we shall put three decks-the upper deck, the main deck, and the lower deck; but in vessels of war the names of decks are numerous beyond mention. The most important parts yet to be considered are the rudder, the wheel, the capstan, the finishfloors do not crossed bow and stern, and the calking and copperthe keel. When ing of the ship. used forward they The rudder is the instrument are called breast-used to guide the ship-the brain hooks; when aft, of the great mass. On the concrutches. They are struction and proper hanging of intended to fit upon this portion much depends. It the keel, stretching out their arms, which are is made from the very best of oak bolted to the side-timbers. They form a part and elm, the head being round, of the general system of strengthening the ship. while at its foot is worked a piece We come now to the laying of the deck-or, of plank about six inches thick, as technically termed, the framing of the deck; so that should the ship touch the marking out the hatchways and openings, ground, this sole-piece, as it is the most important of which are the mast-holes. called, will come away, like the These mast-holes are always made from three false keel, and perhaps free her. to six inches larger than the masts that are to The rudder is hung to the ship go in them, the overplus of space being arranged by pintles and gudgeons, the first by the insertion of wedges, which keep the mast attached to the rudder, the last to in its proper position. The frame about the the stern-post. SOLE PIECE HEAD Our rudder being now hung, we will turn our attention to the wheel-the power that holds the rudder in subjection. When the rudder is hung, the circular head coming above the deck is morticed to receive the tiller, or piece of wood intended to act as a lever in forcing the rudder to the right or the left, as circumstances may demand. Attached to the end farthest from the rudder-head are the tiller TAFF RAIL WINDOWS OR DEAD LIGHTS PLANK OF THE BOTTOM MAIN DECK THE STERN. And now the artist must explain the bow or head of the ship, and her stern. We now have our ship, only excepting calking and coppering. The first is generally done upon the outside skin while the ship is upon the stocks; but the inside timbers are often left uncalked until the ship has been several years in use, as it is supposed that as calking tends to stiffen the fabric of a ship, the inner calking comes to her aid in that way after she has been racked and strained. After Calking is the making of the seams impervious to water, and is accomplished by forcing into them, with sharp iron wedges called calking irons, oakum, which is old rope, cut into short pieces and picked into threads. these seams are all filled melted pitch is put over them with a small broom. A mixture is then made of pitch and tar, which is spread over the entire bottom of the ship, as far as the copper is intended to come, as smoothly as possible. The decks are calked in a similar manner, but instead of pitch, marine glue is used to close the seams. We have now our ship ready for the copper. In many cases this coppering is not done until after the ship is launched, perhaps not until she has made several voyages, when she is taken out upon a dry dock, calked and coppered. It was not until the beginning of the present century that copper was used upon the bottom of ships, previous to that time a coating of pitch and tar being thought sufficient protection. The clogging of the ship's bottom with vegetable matter, and the ravages of the sea-worm, soon taught the mariner better, and copper sheathing was the result. It is customary in coppering a ship to use sheets measuring four feet in length by fourteen inches in breadth, and weighing from twenty to thirty-two ounces per superficial foot. These different weights are used upon the same ship, the heaviest about the bows and along the load water-line. A ship of the size we are now building will require about five thousand sheets, weighing a fraction over thirty thousand pounds. POR LOAD WATER LINE Having reached that point where our ship is ready for launching, let us proceed to launch her. But do not deceive yourself with the idea that our ship is ready for sea; she must first go into the hands of the spar-makers and riggers. We have built the ship; the riggers' duty is |