File:The romance of the ship; the story of her origin and evolution (1911) (14798889903).jpg

Identifier: romanceofshipsto00chat (find matches)
Title: The romance of the ship; the story of her origin and evolution
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Chatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble), 1878-1944
Subjects: Ships Shipbuilding
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott company London, Seeley and co., limited
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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r 500 B.C., which shows the mast placedamidships, the sail close-reefed, a stern still resemblingthat of the Egyptian vessels, but a bow that is somodern in its appearance that it is almost identicalwith what was customary on the famous sailing clippersof the second half of the last century, or indeed to beseen on almost any steam-yacht of to-day. The vesselis seen to be decked-in, while the steersman sits asusual in the stern, where he can easily trim the sailas well as govern the steering. Whilst the galley, aswe have just remarked, was really a rowing ship withsails only as auxiliaries, the merchantman or round-ship was primarily a sailing vessel, and carried oarsonly for emergency in calms, in entering harbours, andfor accelerating her speed to escape the attacks ofpirates. With regard to the building of Greek and Romanships (for we may continue our study of them to-gether, since their resemblance is so close), the merchant-men were usually of pine, while the warships were also 42
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O ^? THE MEDITERRANEAN made of fir, cypress, or cedar. When we recollect thatthe shores of the Mediterranean, at any rate aroundGreece, were rich in timber, red-lead, iron, and copper,it is not surprising that the shipbuilding industry inthese early days was so extensive. The keels of thegalleys, in order to withstand the rough usage of beinghauled ashore at night, were of oak, this being selectedwith great care. The masts and other spars and oarswere made out of fir or pine. When setting to workto build these ships, the regard which to-day is paid tothe due seasoning of the wood was ignored in the earlycenturies, for the reason that otherwise the wood becametoo hard to be pliable. Nowadays a shipbuilder is ableto bend his wood to the required shape by placing itfirst in steaming-boxes. The seams were caulked withtow, and when the hull was made quite water-tightshe was coated below the water-line with tar or waxusually, the wax being first melted and then laid onwith a brush. Afterwar

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