496 
FOHEST AND STREAM. 
IJvm 84, 1890, 
Government Model=Making. 
The following interesting description of the model 
of warships and their construction is from the New York 
Times. The business is an art in itself, delicate and ex- 
pensive beyond the ideas of the casual spectator who 
sees these models on exhibition: 
■Not many days ago the Washington papers gave an account of 
the accidental death from asphyxiation of James A. Marceron, an 
aged modelmaker employed for many years at tlie Washington 
JNavy Yard. Interest in the announcement was increased by the 
statement that he had constructed many of the models of warships 
shown in the halls of the Navy Department, most of which have 
been seen at the different expositions in the country since the 
department began to make a collection of models to illustrate 
types of ships added to the navy. 
Marceron had been employed by the Navy Department for 
many years. Long before the full 'models now made were man- 
ufactured, he helped to construct the half models formerly con- 
structed, but since the custom of making full models, complete 
in every particular, was adopted, and the force was increased 
from two or three modelmakers to a force sometimes as large 
as twenty men, he had been only one of many model constructors, 
some of whom are very skillful. 
The model shop, which is a part of the Bureau of Construction 
and Repair, and under the direction of Rear Admiral Hichborn, 
Chief Constructor of the navy, is a part of an ancient shiphouse 
in the Navy Yard. It is in the northwest corner of the house 
sheltering the marine railway, up which is now and then hauled 
a small vessel needing to be docked and renovated. There is a 
suite of rooms, running alongside the new model tank on one 
side and overlooking the lofty interior, of the shiphouse on the 
other side. Once there was a smell of oakum and clutter of 
stores about the place, but the odor of the oakum has departed, 
and there are few stores about now to make a clutter. At the 
end of the dock the Fern, a little vessel that was greatly in evi- 
dence a year ago, is tied up to wait the use of the DisU-ict Naval 
Militia, and not far away are the battered trophies brought 
from the wrecks of Cervera's fleet. 
Two of the rooms in this model department are ordinary offices, 
with an odd cupboard or two that seem to be old. Further back 
are the workshops. Against the walls of the workshops there are 
some old half models of Jiulls, one an unnamed large vessel, de- 
signed for steam, but having the lines of a sailing ship. Near by 
is the model of the Jamestown, now a training ship, her fighting 
days long passed. Upon a bench is another model, the oldest 
in the place. It is a finely made half model of the old ship-of-the- 
line United States, with a proud bow and elaborately carved 
stern, her sides pierced for twenty-eight guns, and room aboard 
for fifty. This is a fine specimen of the oldentime model. Upon 
another bench, drawing near to completion under the hands of 
the latter-day modelmaker, is a miniature battleship Iowa, glisten- 
ing with red below, and creamy white above the waterline. From 
keel to truck, from stem to stern, she is in little an exact copy 
of the warrior cruiser that alone left 4in. marks on three of the 
armored cruisers of Cervera. 
It is a beautiful piece of work. As it is still in the workman's 
hands, not yet protected by the glass case soon to be put over 
it to exclude the dust and the curious fingers of admiring crowds, 
it may be examined closely, and it is seen that the features to be 
found on the designer's drawings are all to be found in the model. 
Bilge keels, hawse holes, gangways, sponsons, shutters, armor, 
stanchions, auxiliary engines, cranes, davits, skylights, steam 
launches, the whole outfit of boats, everything to be found on the 
real Iowa, is faithfully reproduced here, so that one might not be 
surprised to find that the model was a practicable one, and that 
the wicked little 4in. guns might presently bark out a salute or a 
disastrous broadside. 
This little battleship, so pretty in its red, white and buff, with 
brasswork all aglow, is almost as fine a piece of construction as 
a watch. Indeed, much of the minute work upon it was con- 
structed with jewelers' tools and put together with all the care 
of a timepiece. The hull is made of pine wood, carefully selected 
for the purpose. With the blue-print designs from the Bureau 
of Construction before him, and working on a scale of %in. to the 
foot, . the builder lays first the keelpiece, then car^'cs out anotlier 
plank to make a horizontal section of the hull and glues it firmly 
above the keelpiece, and by successive layers, each carrying ap- 
proximately the shape of the hull for a new section, wood is 
added until the hull model is completed. As the solid hull would 
be unnecessarily heavy, parts of it are made hollow, but enough 
is solid to give the hull immunity from shrinking. 
Rough edges remain after the shaping and building up of the 
hull, and these are carefully finished oE with knife and plane 
and glass and sandpaper before the paint is applied. Meanwhile 
other modelmakers are at work. The guns of different calibers 
are made from the finest steel. Their mounts are built in e.xact 
imitation of the big mounts constructed in the gun foundry. The 
stays, cables, awning and other fixtures are prepared, as none of 
these articles can be purchased from any trade stock. No one car- 
ries imitations of anchor cables in stock. A laughable story is told 
by Chief Constructor Hichborn concerning the first attempts to get 
men to work skillfully upon the minute parts of the models. A 
man was assigned to make the chains for the anchors of the 
Charleston, the first of the modern models made for the Navy- 
Department. He received material and tools, and with instructions 
as to how the cables were to be made, he went at his work. 
Three days afterward he went to the Chief Constructor. "Chief," 
said he, "I want to be discharged." "What is the matter?" in- 
quired Mr. Hichborn. "Well," said the man gloomily, "I don't 
like my job." "'Why do you dislike it?" inquired the surprised 
Chief. "Well," explained the man, "I started three days ago 
to make chains. I had finished up a lot of links and left them 
on a paper on mj' bench. Last night somebody left the window 
open, and the wind blew the papers and links out, and I can't 
find them. I want to be discharged." The Chief laughed at 
him, and asked him to go back and begin over again, but to see 
thereafter that his window was shut when he was away. 
Just "off the ways" in the model ship is a miniature copy of 
the new Kearsarge. The hull is made, and cavities in the deck 
show where the double turrets will be inserted that will carry 
the 12in. and Sin. guns. When the Iowa is off the bench and 
out of the hands of the finisher the Kearsarge will take her place, 
and before the Paris Exposition is ready for opening it is possible 
that the whole miniature fleet of the United States vessels will be 
across the ocean, to show the visitors to that exhibition some of 
the vessels which won for the navy in 1898 the prestige it is now 
enjoying. The model fleet is one of types rather than a complete 
reproduction of the ships of the navy. It includes in the com- 
pleted and incomplete list the battleships Kearsarge, Iowa, Massa- 
chusetts, Maine and Texas; the armored cruiser New York, the 
ram Katahdin, the monitors Monterey and Miantonom.oh, and 
the cruisers Atlanta, Baltimore, Charleston, Columbia, Newark, 
Olympia, Yorktown, Bancroft, Helena, Nashville, Petrel, Annapo- 
lis and Wheeling. There is also a model of the torpedo dynamite 
vessel Vesuvius, and one of the old Kearsarge. 
The models are expensive. The largest (like the New York 
and the Columbia) cost -$7,000 each, the smallest about $2,000, in- 
cluding the cases. While the expense seems to be a good deal, 
amounting up to date for the fleet of models, something like 
$75,000, the Navy Department does not consider it money wasted. 
From the time the first model was made, and it was shown at dis- 
tant interior points, the models have been the best exhibit to the 
people of the growing navy. Talk about "big ships" is all very 
well, but not until a large number of people in the interior saw 
the models of the battleships did they seem to be anything more 
than mere names and expensive promises of power. Some of the 
Representatives in Congress from interior States would have pre- 
vented the construction of the expensive battleships if they could 
have had their way. The exhibition of the models and their ex- 
planation l3y naval officers who exhibited them, weaned the 
Western voter from the idea of economy at any cost of National 
pride, and as they have traveled about the country the models 
have 'proved to be eloquent lecturers to and proselyters of the 
men -who had been led to believe that this country had no use 
for battleships, and was not likely to get into war with those who 
were spending money for such expensive_ luxuries. Pride in 
names, too, has had something to do with increasing interest in 
"our" ' ships, so that before Dewey and Schley and Sampson 
had made the fighting record for the navy the inland citizen was 
prepared to take a very keen interest in the movements and 
achievements of naval vessels, small and great. 
The completed models are to be seen, ordinarily, in the hall 
in the main entrance to the Navy Department in this city, and 
in the hall above, just outside, the door to the reception room of 
the Secretary of the Navy. The New York, Massachusetts, Col- 
umbia and Maine have the most conspicuous positions. The 
model of the Maine is not quite satisfactory, as it was made before 
the final changes in the vessel and therefore is not a correct repro- 
duction of the battleship as she was when blown up in Havana 
Harbor. The model has three masts, while the Maine had but 
two, The models of the Maine, Yorktowtt, Petrel, Baltimore and 
Newark were made before the order was given by Secretary 
Whitney for painting the ships white. They are painted black 
above and red below the waterliiie, -while all^ tjie later vessels are 
in white, red and buff, 
Larchmont Y, C. Springs Regatta* 
LARCH MONT — LONG ISLAND SOUND. 
Saturday, June 17. 
The annual spring regatta of the Larchmont Y. C. on 
June 17 promised to be a fine race, with the new Acushla 
11. entered against Syce and Kestrel and good entries in 
other classes. Unfortunately there was so little wind that 
the fleet barely covered the shortened courses, and the 
times show nothing of the merits of the boats. 
Schooners — Class B. 
Length. Elapsed. 
Colonia, C. A. Postley 93.13 6 45 54 
Schooners — Class D. 
Amorita, W. S. Brokaw M 74.92 
Ouisetta, R. L. Lippitt.... 71.17 6 56 35 
.Schooners — Class F. 
Clorita, P. F. Dodge 51.46 6 20 35 
Uncas, Chas. Buchanan 7 14 05 
Sloops — Class K. 
Svce Fred Hoyt 50.86 4 31 06 
Kestrel. J. B. Miles 48.37 4 15 19 
Acushla II., Wilmer Hanan 51.00- 4 30 11 
Sloops — Class L. 
Hussar, L D. Baird 39.05 7 11 57 
Liris, C." B. Hendricks 48.00 5 10 55 
Sloops — Class M. 
Anoatok, O. Sanderson 34.00 4 35 30 
Possum, H. L. Maxwell 35.00 5 32 21 
Memorv, E. H, Morton 34.17 Did not fin 
Sultan," T. SomerviUe 37.10 
Albicore,' S. J. Hyde 41.00 5 29 21 
.Sloops — Class N. 
Newasi, A. H. W. Johnson 28.03 
Narika, J T. Cornell 5 32 33 
30ft. Class. 
Hera, R. N. Ellis 30.00 4 41 10 
Esperanza, H. O. Havemeyer 30.00 4 49 56 
S.loops — Class P. 
Skimmaug, L, Durs^ea. 24.00 
Mainsail Yachts — ^Class S. 
Kit, M. E. Bellows 30.00 5 25 47 
Dot, C. T. Pierce 29.58 5 28 12 
Mainsail Yachts — Class T. 
Idler, P, J. Kane... 21.30 3 12 57 
Win or Lose, I. S. Appleby 23.50 2 89 06 
Florence. O. M, Olker 22.04 3 52 50 
Mainsail Yachts— Class V. 
Mvnab 15.15 2 59 15 
Lobster, T. T. S. Flint 8 12 05 
Ox, W. N. Bovier 19.02 3 18 46 
Spunk, C. E. Silkworth 19.00 3 06 23 
Kazaza 3 52 00 
Miriam 19.86 3 08 45 
Constance, C. CowieV. .'. 20.00 3 09 56 
25ft. Knockabouts. 
Alyce, W. Hennen 25.00 5 01 48 
Oiseau, J. R. Maxwell 25.00 4 38 02 
21ft, Knockabouts. 
Cockatoo, H. L. Eno 21.00 4 57 29 
Kittie, H. Morse 21.00 5 05 47 
Speedrift, S. E. Pirie. 21.00 Did not fin, 
21ft. Knockabouts (S. C. Y. C). 
Midge, F. W. Boyce 21.00 4 59 48 
Tosto 21.00 Did not fin. 
Lucille, Daniel Bacon 21.00 5 08 13 
Shacfcamaxon Y. C. Annual Regatta. 
PHILADELPHIA — DELAWARE RIVER, 
Sunday, June 11. 
The twelfth annual regatta of the Shackamaxon Y. C. 
was sailed on June 11, the course being arotlnd the Wheat- 
sheaf Buoy, twenty-nine miles, with a time limit of seven 
hours. A'fresh N.W. wind hurried the yachts down the 
river and a shift to the south brought them home. The 
times were : 
Fourth Class — Duckers — Start, 11:53. 
Outer Mark. Finish. 
McGinty, W. Claussen 2 41 00 5 15 00 
Albert S., C. Shallcross 2 43 00 5 15 15 
John Hirst, J. Hirst 2 47 00 5 21 30 
Third Class— Duckers— Start, 11:59. 
Howard G., H. Anderson 2 40 00 5 12 12 
George B., George Post 2 45 00 5 13 15 
Woodman & Florrie, J. Herr 2 46 00 5 16 00 
Freda K., H. Quinn 2 44 00 5 17 15 
Second Class— Duckers— Start, 12:07. 
Lottie W., E. Winters 2 42 00 5 13 30 
Anna, J. E. Brewer 2 43 00 5 15 30 
Igidius, D. B. Sharp 2 44 00 5 17 00 
Second Class— Tuckups— Start, 12:15. 
Emma H. Blatz 2 42 00 5 11 00 
Millie,' B. Wilson , 2 46 00 5 15 00 
Sallie B. J. Ormrod -. 2 53 00 5 24 00 
Maggie, L Jones 2 53 00 5 25 00 
Open Yachts— Start, 12:18. 
John Engle, J. Hassenphat ..2 26 00 5 46 00 
Rovden F. Barrett ..2 42 00 4 54 00 
Two Harrys, J. Ritter .,,,,-2 40 00 4 54 15 
^ « 
WmdwsLtd Y. C 
BROOKLYN — NEW YORK BAY. 
Sunday, June 11. 
The Windward Y. C. sailed its first race on 
in a fresh south wind, the times being: 
Class A — Sloops and Cabin Cats Over 25ft. 
Start. Finish. 
Miranda ....11 56 15 2 16 30 
White Cap U 57 30 2 41 10 
Curlew 11 56 30 2 14 45 
Class B— Cabin Cats Under 25ft. 
Chin 11 56 20 2 21 30 
Dolphin"-' ..11 56 18 2 26 55 
Florence 11 56 45 2 22 50 
Class C— Open Cats Over 18ft. 
Bonito 11 59 35 2 43 25 
Etta 11 59 55 2 41 20 
In It".'.'.'. .-11 59 30 2 24 00 
Class D — Open. Cats Under 18ft. 
Coot ...12 00 00 1 33 00 
-Ra<xs "■ 12 01 08 1 31 15 
Ruth ■ ' 12 01 45 1 31 25 
June II 
Elapsed. 
2 20 15 
2 43 40 
2 18 10 
25 10 
30 37 
26 05 
2 43 50 
2 41 25 
2 24 30 
1 33 00 
1 32 07 
1 29 40 
Queen City Y» C. 
On June 10 the Queen City Y. C. sailed a race for the 
17ft. class on Toronto Bay in a light south wind, the times 
being, start 2 :45 : 
Finish. Elapsed. 
Mayfly 5 05 00 2 20 00 
Turtle ■ 2 09 00 2 24 00 
In It '• 2 09 03 2 24 03 
Block ' Did not finish. 
Hall—Ma-s-saehusetts Y* C» 
NAHANT— MASSACHUSETTS BAY. 
Saturday, June 17. 
The annual race long ago instituted by the old Dor- 
chester Y. C. on Bunker Hill Day and perpetuated by the 
Massachusetts Y. C, was sailed this year on June 17, by 
the newly-joined Hull-Massachusetts Y. C, over the old 
course off Nahant. The wind was S.E., light at the start, 
but freshening until there was almost a reefing breeze at 
the finish. The times were: 
30ft. Class. 
Elapsed. 
Ashumet, William F. Bache 2 1113 
Meemer, R. C. Nickerson 2 11 45 
Elfreda, Hall and Johnson 2 22 34 
25ft. Class. ' 
Windora, W- L. Ward 2 11 47 
Hermes, A. W. Chesterton 2 12 35 
Little Peter, Henry Moebs 2 15 27 
Thordis, Thomas B Wales 2 16 16 
Eleanor, Davis B. Clapp 2 16 49 
Jeanette, Walter Burgess 2 24 49 
Helene, W. S. Burgess 2 38 42 
21ft. Class— Open. 
Heiress, C. D. Mower 1 58 28 
Thelma, F. L. Pigeon 2 05 16 
Bud, S. N. Small 2 12 18 
21ft. Class— Cabin. 
Privateer, A. H. Doble 2 24 15 
Harriet, L. T. Harrington 2 26 57 
Dafila, H. E. Fowle 2 27 40 
Spartan, W. C. Lewis ., " .2 48 45 
Arab, W. F. Scott Withdrew 
18ft. Class. 
Dauntless, Benner & Paften.. 1 50 31 
Duchess, Charles Hayden 1 52 09 
Alice, F. Hi Cheetham 2 17 30 
15ft. Class. 
Ray, S. A. Freeman 2 03 20- 
Attilla, A. L. Lincoln 2 2105 
Bedbug, F. D. Lawley. ,.4,.. .4 . Witdrew 
Eleanor protests Hermes and Hermes protests Windora. 
The judges were E. C. Jewell, W. E. Sheriffs and T. E, 
Jacobs, 
Beverly Y, C 
wing's NECK — ^BUZZARD-'S BAV, 
Saturday, June 17. 
The Beverly Y. C. sailed its 274th race, the first of the 
season, on June 17, starting in a fresh N.E. breeze that fell 
to a drift. The times were: 
21-Footers. 
Cyrilla, R. W. Emmons 2 53 26 
Quakeress, W. C. Harrison 2 55 16 
R^^'^^T, Not timed 
Edith C. M Baker ...Not timed 
Amanita, J. Crane, Jr , Not timed 
18ft. Restricted Class. 
Poltoos, L. Bacon. ..... 2 09 06 
Esther, E. N. Farnsworth 2 11 26 
15ft. Restricted Class. 
Uarda, J. Parkinson 2 09 57 
Next, Paul Jones 2 10 08 
Fhckamorr, N. F. Emmons 2 10 14 
Peacock, Robert Winsor...,,-^.^;,..-;-.-,^. -., ' ""' 2 15 56 
Vim F. W. Sargent, Jr :;:!::;"":2 18 24 
Go-Bj'e, L. G. Kmg , 2 2151 
The judges were F. E. Cabot and David Rice. 
Plymouth Y. C 
PLYMOUTH., MASS. 
Saturday, June 17. 
The Plymouth Y. C. sailed its second regatta on June 
17 in a light breeze, the times being: 
Third Class. 
Lobster C. C Ciapp j gg gg 
ijobolmk, L. B. Goodspeed -r kt ns 
Maud, W. C. Hathaway.. .\ :. Withdrew: 
First Special Class. 
Grace, M. S. Weston, Jr 2 13 20 
Dolphin, N. Morton. 2 24 40 
Amie, Bittinger Bros. . . \ ^'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.2 29 iO 
"-e Here, Oliver L. Edes Withdrew. 
Ideal, W. T. Whitman Withdrew, 
Second Special Class. 
Froljc, J. C Dawes , 1 31 51 
Kittiwake II., H. M. Jones 1 ^2 47 
Veritas, Alex. Holmes 1 35 05 
Scrap, A. Holmes ....Mi!!!.'!!!!!il 30 00 
American Y, C 
NEWEURYPORT, MASS. 
Saturday, June 17. 
The American Y. C. sailed its first 
June 17, the times being : 
Handicap. 
Susie, T. Huse scratch 
Toddie, J. C. Todd 0 03 00 
Dewey, R. Jacoby 0 04 00 
Indian, A. M. Moody 0 06 00 
Quickernawink, Little & Stone 0 06 00 
Crackajack, Rodigrass Bros 0 06 00 
Night Owl, E. A. Amend 0 07 00 
Voodoo, M. Currier 0 07 00 
Ragtime^ E. T. Noyes 0 07 00 
Friskv, H. Moody 0 07 00 
Lobster, P. A. Creeden 0 10 00 
Celeno, H. S. Noyes 0 07 00 
handicap race on 
Elapsed. 
31 28 
37 35 
37 25 
50 25 
47 20 
53 50 
Did not 
1 57 15 
1 57 44 
2 06 20 
2 27 35 
1 58 05 
Corrected. 
1 31 00 
1 35 00 
1 35 00 
1 44 00 
1 41 00 
1 48 00 
finish. 
50 00 
51 00 
59 00 
18 00 
51 00 
Hempstead Bay Y. C. 
FREEPORT — GREAT SOUTH BAY. 
Saturday, June 10. 
The opening race of the Hempstead Bay Y. C. was 
sailed on June 10, starting in a hght N.E. wind, which 
soon fell to almost a calm. The times were : 
Class 2 — Catboats, 
Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 
Beulac 11 21 32 2 10 28 2 48 36 2 48 86 
Mardi 11 20 50 2 18 53 2 58 03 2 55 56 
Class 3 — Catboats. 
Little Minister 11 20 19 2 29 23 3 09 04 3 09 04 
Lillie M 11 21 31 2 41 49 3 20 18 3 15 21 
Grade .11 21 10 2 45 39 3 24 29 3 22 09 
Victoria Y. C 
On June 10 the Victoria Y. C. sailed a race on Burling- 
ton Bay for the 25ft. and knockabout classes, the times 
being, start 2:30: 
Finish. Corrected. 
Rosemaryn — 4 39 06 2 09 06 
Koko 4 42 17 2 12 17 
Zannetta .4 48 06.: 2 15 06 
