578

SHIPBUILDING.

Of the Construction of Ships.

During tlie construction of a ship she is supported in the dock,or upon a wharf, by a number of solid blocks of timber placed atequal distances from, and parallel to, each other, (see Lanch)she is then said to be on the stocks. The first piece of timberlaid upon the blocks is generally the keel: we say generally, be-cause of late, a different method has been adopted in someof theroyal dock-yards, by beginning with the floor-timbers ; the artistshaving,found that the keel is often apt to rot dining the long pe-riod of building a large ship of war. The pieces of the keel arescarfed together, and bolted, forming one entire piece, AA,which constitutes the length of the vessel below. At one ex-tremity of the keel is erected the stem. It is a strong piece oftimber incurvated nearly into a circular arch, or, according to thetechnical term, compassing, so as to project outwards at the upperend, forming what is called the rake forward. In small vesselsthis is framed of one piece ; but in large ships it is composed ofseveral pieces scarfed and bolted together, as expressed in the ex-planation of Plate CLXX. fig. 16 , and in those terms separately.At the other extremity of the keel is elevated the stern post,which is always of one entire straight piece. The heel of it is letinto a mortise in the keel, and having its upper end to hang out-wards, making an obtuse angle with the keel, like that of the stem:this projection is called the rake abaft. The stern-post, whichought to support the stern, contains the iron-work, or hinges ofthe rudder, which are called googings, and unites the lower partot the ship’s sides abaft. See the connection of those pieces in the.Elevation, Plate CLXVIIL fig. 2. Towards the upper end ofthe stern-post, and at right angles with its length, is fixed the mid-dle of the wing-transom, where it is firmly bolted. Under this isplaced another piece parallel thereto, and called die deck-transom,upon which the after-end of the lower-deck is supported. Paral-lel to the deck-transom, and at a proper distance under it, anotherpiece is fixed to the stern-post, called the first transom ; all ofwhich serve to connect the stern-post to the fashion-pieces. Twomore transoms, called the second and third, are also placed underthese, being likewise attached to the fashion-pieces, into which theextremities of all the transoms are let. The fashion-pieces areformed like the other timbers of the ship, and have their heelsjesting on the upper part of the kelson, at the after extremity ofthe floor-ribands. All these pieces, viz. the transoms, the fashion-pieces, and their top-timbers, being strongly united into oneframe, are elevated upon the stern-post; and the whole forms thestructure of the stern, upon which the galleries and windows, withtheir ornaments, are afterwards built. The stem and stern-postbeing thus elevated upon the keel, to which they are securelyconnected by knees and arched pieces of timber bolted to both;and the keel being raised at its two extremities by pieces of deadwood, the midship-floor-timber is placed across the keel, wheretoit is bolted through the middle. The floor-timbers before andabaft the midship-frame are then stationed in their proper placesupon the keel; after which the kelson, which, like the keel, is com-posed of several pieces scarfed together, is fixed across the middleof the floor-timbers, to whicli it is attached by bolts driven throughthe keel, and clinched on the upper part of the kelson. The fut-tocks are then raised upon the floor-timbers, and the hawse-pieceserected upon the cant-timbers .in the fore-part of the ship. Thetop-timbers on each side are next attached to the head ot the fut-tocks, as above explained. The ribs of the ship being now sta-tioned, they proceed to fix on the planks, of which the wales arethe principal, being much thicker and stronger than the rest; as isrepresented in the midship-frame. The harpins, which may beconsidered as a continuation of the wales at their fore-ends, arefixed across the hawse-pieces, and surround the fore-part of theship. Tlie planks that enclose the ship’s sides are then broughtabout the timbers; and the clamps, which are of equal thicknesswith the wales, fixed opposite to the wales within the ship: theseare used to support the ends of the beams, and accordingly stretch

from one end of the ship to the other. The thick stuff, or strongplanks of tlie bottom within board, are then placed opposite to tlieseveral scarfs of the timbers, to reinforce them throughout theship’s length. The planks employed to line tlie ship, called theceiling, or foot-waling, is next fixed in the intervals between thethick stuff of the hold. The beams are afterwards laid across theship to support tlie decks, and are connected to the side by lodg-ing and hanging knees; the hanging ones, together with thebreadth, thickness, and position, of the keel, floor-timbers, fut-toe.ks, top-timbers, wales, clamps, thick stuff, planks within andwithout, beams, decks, &c. are seen in tlie midship-frame, PlateCLXX, fig. It). The cable-bits being next erected, tlie carlings,(short pieces of timber ranging fore and aft, from one of the deck-beams to another, into which their ends are scored; used to sus-tain and fortify the smaller beams of tlie ship) and ledges, (certainsmall pieces of timber placed athwart ships, under the decks of aship, in tlie interval between the beams,) which are represented inPlate CLXX. are disposed between tlie beams to strengthen thedeck. The water-ways are then laid on the ends of the beamsthroughout the ship’s length, and the spirketing fixed close abovethem. The upper-deck is then planked, and the string placedunder the gunnel or planslieer in the waist. The disposition ofthose latter pieces on the timbers, viz. tlie water-ways, spirketing,upper-deck, string, and gunnel, are also represented in the mid-ship-frame. They proceed next to plank the quarter-deck andforecastle, and to fix tlie partners of the masts and capsterns withthe coamings of the hatches. The breast-hooks are then boltedacross tlie stem and bow within board; the step of the fore-mastplaced on the kelson; and the riders, exhibited in the midship,frame, fayed on tlie inside of the timbers to reinforce tlie sides indifferent places of tlie ship’s length. The pointers, if any, are after-wards fixed across tlie hold diagonally to support tlie beams; andtlie crotches stationed in the after-hold to unite the half-timbers.Tlie steps of tlie main-mast and capsterns are next placed ; theplanks of tlie lower-decks and orlop laid; the navel hoods fayedon the hawse-holes; and the knee of the head, or cutwater, con-nected to the stem. The figure of the head is then erected, andthe trail-board and cheeks are fixed on tlie sides of the knee.The talfarel and quarter pieces, which terminate the ship abaft,the former above and the latter on each side, are then disposed,and the stern and quarter galleries framed and supported by theirbrackets. The pumps, with their well, are next fixed in the hold ;tlie limber-boards laid on each side of the kelson; and the gar-board-strake fixed on the ship’s bottom next to (lie keel without.The hull being thus fabricated, they proceed to separate tlie apart-ments by bulk-heads, or partitions; to frame the port-lids, tofix the cat-heads and chess-trees; to form the hatch-ways andscuttles, and fit them with proper covers or gratings. They nextfix the ladders whereby to mount or descend the different hatch-ways ; and build the manger on the lower deck, to carry off thewater that runs in at the hawse-holes when the ship rides at anchorin a sea. The bread-room and magazines are then lined ; and thegunnel, rails, and gangways, fixed on the upper part of tlie ship.Tlie cleats, kevels, and ranges, by which the ropes are fastened,are afterwards bolted or nailed to tlie sides in different places.The rudder, being fitted with its irons, is next hung to the stern-post; and the tiller, or bar, by which it is managed, let into amortise at its upper end. The scuppers, or leaden tubes, thatcarry the water off' from the decks, are then placed in holes cutthrough the ship’s sides; and the standards, represented in themidship-frame, bolted to the beams and sides above (lie decks towhich they belong. The poop-laniliorns are last fixed upon theircranes over the stern: and tlie bilge-ways, or cradles, placed underthe bottom, to conduct the ship steadily into tlie water whilstlaunching. Our limits prevent from entering into a more parti-cular description of tlie several parts and construction of ships;but what has been advanced, together with the figures, may serveto give a general idea of the subject; which is all that can belooked for in this work.

SHIP COVE»