Famous Hudson River Steamer Francis Skiddy. Launched in 1849, she was capable of steaming 23-24 miles 

 per hour. Wrecked in 1854. Rigged model USNM 316204. {Smithsonian photo 4^666-h.) 



Steam blower. Paddle wheels were 40 feet in diameter 

 and had 26 buckets 11 feet wide and 33 inches deep. 

 The vessel was 1,235 tons, old measurement. 



Built for the Museum from the builder's lines by 

 F. Van Loon Ryder. 



SCREW STEAM FRIGATE, 1858 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 160139 



General Admiral 



The single-screw, wooden steam frigate General 

 Admiral was built on the lines of this half-model at 

 New York by William H. Webb in 1858 for the Im- 

 perial Russian Navy. .She carried 64 guns and at the 

 time of her launching was one of the largest and 

 most powerful ships of her class in the world, being 

 then considered the finest man-of-war to have iDcen 

 built in the United States. She was full ship-rigged 

 with a large spread of canvas and was intended to 

 steam fast and sail swiftly. Her lines and other draw- 

 ings are shown in Weblo's Plans of Wooden Ships. 



The half-model shows an auxiliary steam frigate 

 hull having little sheer, a straight keel with little or no 

 drag, straight and slightly raking stem rabbet, slightly 

 founded at forefoot, upright post, short counter with 

 round stern, long and sharp entrance, short body, 

 long and easy run. Midsection shows a slightly rising 

 straight floor, a low hard bilge, and a slight tumble- 

 home in the topside. Model mounted with long- 

 head, billet, trail, cutwater, keel, post, and rudder. 



The model is for a frigate 316 feet 6 inches moulded 

 length at rail, 302 feet 10 inches load waterline 

 length, 54 feet 6 inches extreme beam, 34 feet depth, 



22 feet draft loaded, 4600 tons measurement. Scale 

 )i inch to the foot. 



Given by William H. Webb, shipbuilder, New York, 

 N. Y. 



WOODEN, SCREW STEAMSHIP, 1864 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 76045 



Meteor 



The ship-rigged, wooden, single-screw clipper 

 steamship Meteor was built on this model at Ports- 

 mouth, New Hampshire, and was launched May 

 21, 1864, apparently under the name of U. S. Grant. 

 She was designed by Dennison J. Lawlor and her 

 building was financed with funds raised by subscrip- 

 tions from vessel-owners and merchants of Boston, New 

 York, and other ports. She was built for the purpose 

 of destroying the Confederate States' raiders like the 

 Alabama, then preying on American shipping, and 

 it was intended to present her to the United States 

 Navy as an armed seagoing cruiser of great speed 

 and heavy armament. The vessel was the result of 

 a designing competition in which were entered three 

 of the best known American ship designers and build- 

 ers, Henry Steers and William H. Webb of New 

 York City and Dennison J. Lawlor of East Boston 

 and Chelsea, Massachusetts. Lawlor's design was 

 considered most suitable but he did not build the 

 vessel himself; she was built by Tobey and Little- 

 field, at Portsmouth, N. H. 



The ship was designed to have a large cruising 

 radius and to be capalile of great speed under either 

 steam or sail or both. She was to carry one heavy 



130 



