1. The earliest notice we have of the construction of a building to
float on water, is that which relates to Noah's Ark. This was the
largest vessel that has ever been built, and the circumstance proves
that the arts, at that early period, had been brought to considerable
perfection; yet, as several centuries had elapsed, after the flood,
before the descendants of Noah had much occasion for floating vessels,
the art of constructing them seems to have been measurably lost.
2. Early records, which perhaps are worthy of credit, state that the
Egyptians first traversed the river Nile upon rafts, then in the
canoe; and that, to these succeeded the boat, built with joist,
fastened together with wooden pins, and rendered water-tight by
interposing the leaves of the papyrus. To this boat was, at length,
added a mast of acanthus, and a sail of papyrus; but, being prejudiced
against the sea because it swallowed up their sacred river, which they
worshipped as a god, they never attempted to construct vessels adapted
to marine navigation.
3. The Phoenicians, a nation nearly as ancient as the Egyptian, being
situated directly on the sea, without the advantages of a noble river,
were compelled to provide means for sailing on a wider expanse of
water. It is said, however, that they first traversed the
Mediterranean, and even visited distant islands, with no better means
of conveyance than a raft of timber. This is rendered somewhat
probable, from the fact, that the Peruvians, even at the present time,
venture upon the Pacific Ocean on their _balza_, a raft made from a
spongy tree of that name.
4. The vessels first constructed by the Phoenicians, were used for
commercial purposes. They were flat-bottomed, broad, and of a small
draught; and those of the Carthaginians and Greeks were similar in
shape. The ships of war, in early times, were generally mere
row-boats, in which the combatants rushed upon each other, and decided
the combat by valor and physical strength.
5. By successive improvements, the ships of antiquity were, at length,
brought to combine good proportion with considerable beauty. The prows
were sometimes ornamented with the sculptured figures of heathen
deities, and otherwise adorned with paint and gilding, while the
sterns, which were usually in the form of a shield, were elaborately
wrought in carved work. The approved length of a ship of war, was six
or eight times its breadth; and that for mercantile purposes, four
times the breadth; hence, the distinction of _long ships_, and _round
ships_.
6. Both the long and round ships had a single mast, which could be
taken down or elevated at pleasure. These vessels were, however,
propelled with oars on occasions that required it; and the former, in
their improved state, were properly galleys with one, two, or three
banks of oars, which extended from one end of the vessel to the other.
The rowers were all placed under the deck; and, in time of battle, the
combatants contended above, being in part defended from the missiles
of opposing foes by shields carried on the arm, and by screens and
towers placed on the deck. The bow of each vessel was armed with a
brazen or iron beak, with which the contending parties often stove in
the sides of each other's vessels.
7. The general size of vessels in the best days of antiquity, was not
greater than that of our sloops and schooners; but there are instances
on record, which prove that they occasionally equalled in capacity the
largest of modern times. In the early ages, they were very small, and,
for several centuries, were drawn upon the shore at the termination of
every voyage. Stranding, however, became impracticable, after the
increase in size, and the addition of the keel. The anchor and cable
were, therefore, invented, to confine the ship at a suitable distance
from the shore. At first, the anchor was nothing more than a large
stone. Afterwards, it was wood and stone combined; and, finally, iron
was the sole material.
8. The invasion of the Roman empire by the northern barbarians, caused
the operations of war to be almost exclusively conducted on the land.
This, together with the destruction of commerce during the general
desolation of those ruthless incursions, and the barbarism of the
conquerors, occasioned a retrogression, and, in some parts of Europe,
nearly the total destruction of the art of building ships.
9. The active trade which arose in the Mediterranean, during the
middle ages, and the naval enterprises connected with the Crusades,
occasioned a revival of the art of constructing ships; yet, it did
not advance beyond the condition in which the Carthaginians had left
it, until about the middle of the fourteenth century. At this era, the
inconsiderable galleys of former times began to be superseded by
larger vessels, in which, however, oars were not entirely dispensed
with.
10. The great change in the general construction of vessels, arose
from the discovery of the polarity of the magnet, and the application
of astronomy to nautical pursuits; for, by these means, the mariner
was released from his dependence on the sight of the land, in guiding
his vessel on its course. Larger ships were therefore constructed,
capable of withstanding more violent storms and loftier waves.
11. To the Italians, Catalans, and Portuguese, was ship-building most
considerably indebted, in the early days of its revival. The Spaniards
followed up their discovery of the New World with a rapid improvement
in both the form and size of their ships; some of which even rated at
two thousand tons burden. In more modern times, it is said, that the
Spaniards and French are entitled to the credit of nearly all the
improvements which have been made in the theory of the art, the
English having never contributed essentially to advance it, although
the greatest naval power of this or any other time.
12. In the United States, very great improvements have been made in
the construction of vessels, since the commencement of the present
century. Our builders, however, are less guided by scientific rules
than by experience and a practised eye; yet, it is generally conceded,
that our ships of war and first-rate merchantmen, are superior in
swiftness and beauty to those of any other country.
13. In Europe, the first thing done towards building a vessel, is to
exhibit it in three distinct views by as many separate drawings; but,
in the United States, the builder commences by framing a complete
wooden model of the proposed construction--the thing itself in
miniature. From this practice of our naval architects, have arisen the
superior beauty and excellence of our vessels.
14. The timber generally used in the construction of American vessels,
is live-oak, pine, chestnut, locust, and cedar. The trees of mature
growth are chosen, and girdled in the beginning of winter, at which
time they contain but little sap. When sufficiently dry and hardened,
the trees are felled; and, after the timber has been roughly hewn, it
is carefully stored in some dry, airy place, not much exposed to wind
or sun.
15. In collecting ship-timber, the greatest difficulty is found in
procuring the crooked sticks, which form the sides or ribs of the
skeleton of a vessel. In countries where ship-timber has become an
object of careful cultivation, this difficulty is anticipated by
bending the young trees to the desired form, and confining them there,
until they have permanently received the proper inclination. The
timber is brought to market in its rough state, and sold by the foot.
16. The timber having been selected, the workmen proceed to fashion
the various parts of the proposed vessel with appropriate tools, being
guided in their operations by patterns, which have been made after the
exact form of the various parts of the model. Much care is taken to
avoid cutting the wood contrary to the grain, that its strength may
not be impaired.
17. After all the parts of the frame have been made ready, they are
put together. The several blocks of timber on which the vessel is
raised, are called the _stocks_; and to these pieces, the foundation,
called the _keel_, is temporarily fastened in an inclined position.
The keel is inserted into the _stern-post_ at one end, and into the
_stem_ at the other. The _floor-timbers_ are next fixed in the keel,
every other one being there firmly bolted and riveted. Each of these
timbers is a branch and part of the body of a tree; and, when
composing a part of a vessel, they bear the same relation to it as the
ribs to the human body. With equal propriety, the keel has been
compared to the vertebral column, or back-bone.
18. The next step is to apply and fasten the planks, which serve not
only to exclude the water, but to bind all the parts firmly and
harmoniously together. Simple as this part of the operation may seem
to be, it is the most difficult to be effected, and requires a
pre-concerted plan as much as any other part of the fabric. When it is
necessary to bend a plank at the bow or stern, it is heated by steam,
and then forced into place with screws and levers. The planks are
fastened with iron or copper bolts.
19. The planking having been finished, and several particulars
attended to, which cannot be well understood from description, the
vessel is ready for the work of the _caulker_, who carefully stops all
the seams with oakum, and smears them with pitch. After the
superfluous pitch has been cleared away with the _scraper_, water is
pumped into the hold, to ascertain if there is any leak.
20. The bottom of the vessel is next sheathed either with sheets of
copper or pine boards, to protect it from the worms. The latter
materials are employed when the planks have been fastened with iron
since the copper would cause the bolt-heads to corrode, if placed
against them. In either case, sheets of paper, soaked in hot pitch,
are interposed between the planks and the sheathing.
21. The vessel is now ready to be removed from the stocks to the
water. This removal is called _launching_, which, in many cases,
requires much skill in the preparation and successive management. If
there is no permanent inclined plane in the slip, on which the vessel
may glide into the water, a temporary one is prepared, consisting of
two platforms of solid timber, erected one on each side of the keel,
at a distance of a few feet from it, and extending from the stem into
the water. Upon this double platform which is called the _ways_, is
erected another set of timbers, and the space between these and the
vessel is filled all along with wedges. The whole of this
superstructure is called the _cradle_, and the extremities of it are
fastened to the keel, at the bow and stern, with chains and ropes.
22. Every thing having been thus prepared, the wedges are
simultaneously driven on both sides. By this means, the vessel is
raised from the stocks, and made to rest entirely on the cradle. After
the _shores_ have been all removed, the cradle, with its weighty
burden, begins to move; and, in a moment, the vessel is launched upon
its destined element.
23. Among the ancients, a launch was ever an occasion of great
festivity. The mariners were crowned with wreaths, and the ship was
bedecked with streamers and garlands. Safely afloat, she was purified
with a lighted torch, an egg, and brimstone, and solemnly consecrated
to the god whose image she bore. In our less poetic times, there is no
lack of feasting and merriment; although the ceremony of consecration
is different, the oldest sailor on board merely breaking a bottle of
wine or rum over the figure-head--still, perchance, the image of
father Neptune or Apollo.
24. The vessel, now brought to the wharf, is to be equipped. The mode
of doing this, is varied according as it may be a ship, brig,
hermaphrodite brig, schooner, or sloop. The masts are first erected,
and these are supplied with the necessary apparatus of spars, rigging,
and sails. The latter are furnished by the sail-maker, who is
sometimes denominated the _ship's tailor_.
[Illustration: MARINER.]