532 Scientific American

THE VESSELS AND GUNS OF THE OLD NAVY, ment at Nantes. The 32-gun frigates were built as guns or else guns of moderate length. There were no 1775·1850. follows: The "Raleigh" at Portsmouth, N. H., the carronades in the Continental navy. The frigates BY DR. CHAULES OSCAR PAULLIN. "Hancock" and "Alliance" at Salisbury, Mass., the mounted 12·pounders, 9·pounders, and 6-pounders, and The American armed vessels that cruised against "Warren" at Providence, the "Confederacy" on the the smaller craft 6's and 4's. A few 18-pounders were the ships of the enemy during the revolutionary war Thames River in Connecticut, and the "Randolph" and in use, and on some of the galleys guns of still larger were fitted out by either the federal size were to be found. In the fight government, one of the State govern­ between the "Bon Homme Richard" and ments, or by private persons. With the the "Serapis," the American vessel exception of New Jersey and Delaware, mounted on her lower deck six long, each of the States owned one or more old-fashioned 18-pounders, on her main vessels. The fieet of Virginia, which deck twenty-eight 12-pounders, and on consisted of some fifty ships, was the her forecastle and quarter-deck eight largest, but it was poorly equipped, and 9-pounders. The "Alliance," rated as a rendered little service. The most effi­ 32, is believed to have carried in her cient State navy was that of Massachu­ fight with the British brigs "Atalanta" setts. It contained sixteen vessels, of and "Trepassey" twenty-eight 12's and which the largest was the frigate "Pro­ Section Showing Construction of a Section Through a -eight 9's. The "South Carolina," of the tector," mounting 26 guns. The largest Frigate. Sloop-of·War. South Carolina navy, carried an extra- ship in the State navies was the "South ordinarily heavy battery for a frigate­ Carolina," mounting 40 guns. The principal fleet of "Washington" at Philadelphia. The "Bon Homme twenty-eight 32-pounders, and twelve 12·pounders. This the revolution wa,s that of the privateers. It comprised Richard," 42, the largest ship that sailed under Ameri­ was the heaviest armament mounted by an American some 1,200 or 1,500 vessels. They were privately can colors during the revolution, and the flagship of vessel during the war. owned, and sailed under letters of marque issued either John Paul Jones, was loaned to, Jones by the French Probably the finest vessel in the revolutionary navy by the State governments or by the Continental Con- government. The revolutionary vessels mounted long was the "Alliance." She was a fast sailer, and when

Gun Deck of 44·Gun Frigate" Santee." Side Elevation of a Typical Smoothbore, as Mounted in the Revlliutionary War.

gress. They were generally small she visited Europe in 1778 was craft. Only a few of them mount­ greatly admired. She was in John ed as many as twenty guns-more Paul Jones's fight off Flamborough 'than one-half of them ten or a less Head, but was compelled to play number of guns. The crews of a most ignominious part, owing to the smaller privateers consisted the weakness of her captain, of fifteen to fifty men. Pierre de Landais, an eccentric Some eighty or ninety ships be­ Frenchman. In 1780 the com­ longed to the Continental Con­ mand of the "Alliance" was given gress, the federal government of to Capt. John Barry. He was of the revolution. About one-third, Irish descent, and next to Jones of these were rated as galleys, was the most celebrated sea officer half·galleys, or small sailing craft of the revolution. His most carrying less than ten guns. The famous fight was that of May 28, galleys and half-galleys were pro· 1781, when he captured two Brit­ pelled partly by oars_ Of the ish naval vessels. This engage­ ships carrying more than ten ment has been describr' for us by guns, there was one line-of-battle one of Barry's officers: ship, the "America," 74. She "Toward evening discovered a never went to sea under American sail on the weather bow standing colors. Shortly after she was for us, and which, after coming launched in' 1782, our government near enough to be kept in sight, gave her to Louis XVI. to replace hauled to wind and stood on our the French ship "Magnifique," course. Toward day it became which had been accidentally lost quite calm. After it became light, in Boston harbor. Eighteen Con­ it appeared that they were an tinental vessels, mounting from armed ship and a brig about a 24 to 32 guns, were rated as league distant. At sunrise they frigates. The dimensions of one hoisted the English colors and of the largest of the frigates, the beat drums. At the same time the "Hancock," 32, were as follows: American colors were displayed Length of gun deck 137 feet, keel by the "Alliance." By little puffs 116 fect, beam 34 feet, and depth of wind we were enabled to get 11 feet; per tonnage was 730 tons. within small hailing distance. At The "Boston," 24, measured 114 11 o'clock Capt. Barry hailed the feet on the gun deck, 94 feet keel, ship, and the answer was 'the 32 feet beam, and her depth was "Atalanta," ship of war, belonging 10 feet; her tonnage was 514 to His Britannic Majesty, and tons. The burden of the "Alfred," commanded by Capt. Sampson Ed­ the first ship in the Continental wards.' Capt. Barry replied that navy, was only 200 tons. The we were the Continental frigate "VI'asp," 8, and "Fly," 8, were 'Alliance,' commanded by John still smaller than the "Alfred." Barry, and advised him to haul The 74-gun ship "America" was down his colors. Capt. Edwards built at Portsmouth, N. H. John answered: 'Th::l.llk you, sir; per­ Paul Jones was superintending haps I may after a trial.' The her construction when she was firing then began. But unfor· launched in 1782. All but two of tunately there was not enough the Continental frigates were wind for our steerageway. Being built in the United States in the lighter vessels, by the use of chief Atlantic ports to the north sweeps they got and kept athwart The largest wooden three-decker ever bnilt in America, of 3,241 tons and can'ying 120 guns. of Virginia. The "Deane," 32, our stern and on our quarters, so that we could not bring one-half was purchased in France, and the First·Class Battleship " Pennsylvania." "Queen of France," 28, was con­ our guns-nay, ofttimes only guns structed for the American govern- THE VESSELS AND GUNS OF THE OLD NAVY, 1775.1850. out astern-to bear on them. And Scientific American 533

thus we lay like a log the greatest part of the time. "About 2 o'clock Capt. Barry received a wound by a grapeshot in the shoulder. He remained, however, on the quarter·deck until by much loss of blood he was obliged to be helped to the cock­ pit. Some time after, our colors were shot away. It so happened that at the same time such guns as would bear on the enemy had been fired, and were then loading. This caused the enemy to think we had struck our colors. They manned their shrouds and gave three cheers. By that time the colors were hoisted by a mizzen brail, and our firing began again. A quartermaster went to the wheel in place of one just killed there. At the same time a small breeze of wind sprang up. A broadside was brought to bear and fired on the ship, and then on the brig, when they struck their colors at 3 o'clock." After the close of the revolutionary war in 1783 the few ships that remained in the navy were gradually disposed of, and the officers and crews were discharged. The "Alliance" was the last vessel in the Continental navy. She was sold in August, 1785, for $14,400. Her purchas-

.Fight Between the United States Ship " President" and the "Endymion," January 15, 181ij.�

30 to 55 guns, on two decks. Well-known vessels of this type were the "Constitution," "United States," and "Constellation." The tonnage of the line-of-battle ships was 2,200 to 3,200 tons. They mounted 74 to 120 guns, on three or more decks, and carried 800 to 1,100 men. As their name indicates, they were intended to bear the shock of battle between opposing fleets. After the building of the "America" during the revo­ lution, no line-of-battle ship was constructed until the war of 1812, when five of them were placed upon the stocks: the "New Orleans" and "Chippewa," at Sack­ etts Harbor, on Lake Ontario; "Independence," at Bos­ ton; "Franklin," at Philadelphia," and "Washington," at Portsmouth, N. H. The "Independence," which went to sea in 1815 as the flagship of Commodore Wil­ liam Bainbridge, was the first line-of-battle ship to fly Capture of the " Java" by the"Constitution," December 29, 1812. the American colors. The "Washington" was placed in commission in 1816, and the "Franklin" in 1817 or ers afterward disposed of her to Robert Morris at a sloops were rigged as sloops, brigs, schooners, or ships. 1818. The "New Orleans" and "Chippewa" were never great profit. In June, 1787, she sailed for Canton as Their tonnage was about 500 tons. They mounted six­ launched. In 1883 the "New Orleans" was sold upon a merchantman, being one of the first American ships teen to twenty-two guns, on one deck, and carried 140 the stocks for $527. to make ;': ' voyage to China. to 175 men. The "Peacock," "Frolic," "Wasp," and Shortly after the war of 1812, the construction of From 1794, when the construction of a new navy "Hornet," which were in the navy during the war of nine new line-of-battle ships was begun. Of these, the was begun, until 1850, when steamships first began to 1812, were of this class. The frigates were ship-rigged first to be completed was the "Columbus." She was supplant rapidly the sailing ships, the American navy vessels, of 800 to 1,600 tons burden. They mounted launched at the Washington navy yard 'in 1819. In contained some 600 vessels. Of 1820 three other ships were these, about one hundred and launched-the "Ohio," at the eighty-five were sailing vessels New York yard; the "North of ten or more guns, about Carolina," at the Philadelphia twenty were steamships, and the yard; and the "Delaware," at rest were gunboats, galleys, the Norfolk yard. The next ves­ barges, and small sailing craft sel to be completed was the of less than ten guns. The "Pennsylvania." She was launch­ building of gunboats was a fad ed at Philadelphia in 1837. The of President Thomas Jefferson, "Vermont," building at Boston, and during his administration was not completed until 1848; one hundred and seventy-six of and the "Alabama," building at these small craft were construct­ Portsmouth, N. H., not until ed, at a cost of $1,584,000. They 1864, when her name was varied in size. One of average changed to the "New Hamp­ dimensions was 60 feet long, 17 shire." The "New York" was feet wide, and 6 feet deep. They destroyed on the stocks at Nor­ carried one or two large guns, folk in 1861 by the Unionists usually 24-pounders or 36-pound­ when they abandoned the Nor­ ers, and from fifteen to forty-five folk nav� yard, and the "Vir­ men. The gunboats were adapt� ginia" was sold on the stocks at ed only for coast defense. Sev­ Boston in 1874. eral of them, however, made the The number of line-of-battle trip across the Atlantic and took ships in the old navy, all told, part in the Tripolitan war of was fifteen. The size of these 1801-1806. vessels may be seen from the In the early part of the nine· dimensions of the "Ohio." She teenth century our larger naval was 198 feet long, 54.6 feet beam, vessels belonged to three classes and 22.5 feet hold. The largest -"sloops," frigates, and line-of­ of these vessels was the "Penn­ battle ships. These were distin­ sylvania." She mounted 120 guished from each other by size, guns. Her tonnage was 3,241 the number of guns carried, and tons. Her complement of officers Capture of the" Serapis" by Paul Jones in the" Bon Homme Richard," September 23,1779. the number of decks upon which and men was 1,100. Her cost of the guns were mounted. The VESSELS OF THE OLD NAVY, REPRODUCED FROM CONTEMPORARY PRINTS. construction was $694,500. The 534 Scientific American

cost of the line-of-battle ships of our navy usually active cruiser on the Southern coast, mounted long 6's and Europe. This ideal was in large part realized in varied from $425,000 to $550,000. President John and 12-pounder carronades. Generally speaking, the France in 1829, in England in 1839, and in the United Quincy Adams, who went aboard the "Pennsylvania" American ships were better built and better armed States in 1845. In the latter year the Navy Depart­ in 1827, wrote that she was "said to be the largest than the British .ships of the same classes. During the ment adopted the 32-pounder as the unit caliber of ship that will float upon the ocean. She is built chiefly war a third kind of gun, the columbiad, was coming our navy, and directed that in the future the battEilries of live oak, and looks like a city in herself." into. use. In size it was intermediate between the of our naval ships should consist of 32-pounders and The first 44-gun frigates in the American navy, the long gun and the carronade. The projectiles in com· 8-inch shell guns. The latter type of ordnance had rate next in size to the line-of-battle ships, were the mon use at this time were solid shot, shrapnel, canis­ come into use in our navy about 1840, when the Paix­ historic vessels "Constitution," "United States," and ter, bar shot, and chain shot. There were no explosive hans shell guns had been introduced. The improve­ "President," whose construction was begun in 1794. shells used in the navy. ments that were made in ordnance during the decade No additional vessels of this rate were built until the The principal sea duels of our sailing navy during preceding the civil war again complicated our naval war of 1812, when five of them were placed upon the the nineteenth century were fought during the war of batteries, and brought into use the 9-inch, lO-inch, and stocks-the "Plattsburg" and "Superior," at Sacketts 1812. The latter part of the year 1812 and the winter ll-inch Dahlgren guns, 64-pounders, and rifled cannon. Harbor, N. Y.; the "Guerriere," at Philadelphia; the of 1813 will ever be memorable in our naval annals. ••• • "Java," at Baltimore; and the "Columbia," at Wash­ The five naval engagements of this period all resulted BERTILLON'S NEW SYSTEM OF ANTHROPOMETRY. ington. The latter vessel was burned by order of the favorably to the Americans. The "C onstitution" cap­ BY JACQUES BOYER. Secretary of the Navy when the British were advanc­ tured the "Guerriere" and the "Java"; the "Wasp," the Dr. Bertillon, chief of the department of identifica­ ing on the capital in August, 1814. The "Plattsburg" "Frolic"; the "United States," the "Macedonian"; and tion of the Paris prefecture of police, has devised a was never completed. The "Superior" was the largest the "Hornet," the "Peacock." The first severe reverse photographic apparatus, by the aid of which valuable naval sailing ship ever on the Great Lakes. of the Americans was the capture of the "Chesapeake," evidence can be obtained in the investigation of crimes. After the war of 1812 the construction of nine 44·gun Capt. James Lawrence, by the "Shannon," Capt. Philip The new method is based on an ingenious application frigates was commenced-"Potomac," "Brandywine," Vere Broke, in May, 1813. This well-known engage­ of the laws of perspective to photography. "Columbia," "Cumberland," "Savannah," "Raritan," ment, off Boston, in which the American captain was The apparatus, invented by Bertillon and constructed "St. Lawrence," "Santee," and "Sabine." The comple­ killed, lasted but a few minutes. It was an artillery by Lacour, furnishes an elegant solution of the fol­ tion of several of these ships was long delayed. Two fight at close range, and was decided before the board- lowing problem: Given an object of a thickness not of them wer e exceeding 40 cen­ still on the timeters (16 stocks in 1850. inches), with its About 1828 the median plane at " Hudson, " 44, a fixed distance was purchased, (2 mete r s or and in 1841 the about 61h feet) "Congress," 44, from the lens, it was launched. is required to Altogether the make photo­ old navy con­ graphs of the ob­ tained nineteen ject on various 44's. They were scales of dimen­ very serviceable s ions, without and efficient ves­ moving the cam­ sels. During the era or displacing war of 1812 the the optical cen­ 44-gun frigates ter of the lenses, were the largest so that the real vessels in the dim ensions of navy, and they the object can be were u sua I I y calculated from successful measurements of in their engag' the photographs. ments with the Theoretically the British vessels. problem is sim­ For frigates they ple, but in prac­ were very heav­ tice it is compli­ ily b u i I tan d cated by several strongly armed. difficulties. I n Thei r cost of the first place, construction wa:i> in order to ob­ A Photograph Surrounded by Perspective Scales. $300,000 to $430,- tain a number of 000. Their size photographs 0 n may be judged different scales from the dimen­ of a n object sion� of the placed at a fixed "Constitu­ distance from tion." She was the camera, it is 175 feet long, necessary to use 43.6 feet beam, an equal num­ 14.3 feet hold, ber of lenses, or and 21 feet draft combinations of forward. lenses, of differ­ Several his· ent and appro­ toric vessels of pri ate focal the 0 I dna v y len g t h s. The were rated as change of the 36's. This was entire combina­ the rating of the The New Bertillon Apparatus for Photographing Suspected Criminals A Photograph 'laken Obliquely. tion for each "Constel­ for Identification. change in focal lation," "Chesa' BERTILLON'S NEW SYSTEM OF ANTHROPOMETRY. length would in- peake," "Phila- volve great ex­ delphia," and "Macedonian." The "sloops" were di­ ing of the "Chesapeake" took place, as the result of pense for lenses as well as probable displacement of vided into first, second, and third class, rating respec­ the superior discipline of the British crew. The the optical center. tively 20, 18, and 16 guns. The sloops tended to in­ American ship was manned with raw recruits. The In Bertillon's apparatus as constructed by Lacour tl'ease in size. The "Saratoga," one of the later sloops, engagement between the "Constitution," Capt. William the back lens remains fixed and may be combined with carrying twenty-two guns, had a tonnage of 882 tons. Bainbridge, and the "Java," Capt. Henry Lambert, off any one of six front lenses of graduated focal length, Her complement of men was 210_ Her dimensions the Coast of Brazil, lasted about three hours. Here without displacing the optical center of the entire were as follows: Length 150 feet, beam 36.9 feet, and the maneuvering of the ships played a most important combination, which in each case is anastigmatic and hold 16.6 feet. A 20-gun sloop cost about $170,000. part. The "Java" was too much injured to be worth perfectly corrected, with a depth of focus of about 16 During the war of 1$12 our naval vessels mounted taking to the United StateS. Bainbridge therefore or­ inches. Hence, as the focal center is a fixed point of two Idnds of guns, th') long gun and the carronade. dered her to be burned. known position, the compound lens may be treated, in The former was very long and thick-barreled in com· A typical line-of-battle ship of our navy of the date calculation, as if it were reduced to this point, and parison with its bore. E possessed great range and 1820 mounted thirty-two long 42-pounders, thirty-four the distance required can be computed very simply by penetrative power. The carronade was introduced into long 32-pounders, and twenty-two 42-pounder carron­ means of the well-known elementary formula p = t the British navy in 1779, and into the American navy ades. The weight of its broadside was 1,710 pounds. (g + 1)' in which p is the distance between the cbjecc about 1798. It was a short, light gun; it had a large The long 42-pounders had great range and penetrative and the optical center of the lens (2 meters in this caliber, but a short range; it had little penetrative, power. About 1845 the "Pennsylvania," the largest case), g is the ratio of the dimensions of the object to but great smashing power. In the war of 1812 our ship in the navy, mounted sixteen 8-inch guns and one those of its image, and t is the foca.llength Of the com· '14-gun frigates were underrated. They usually car­ hundred and four 32-pounders. During the early part bination employed to produce that image. Consequent­ ried fifty-two or fifty-four guns. These consisted of of the nineteenth century there was a "chaos of cali· ly the reduction (or magnification) can be computed thirty long 24's on the main deck, two long guns as bers" in our navy. For instance, a line-of-battle ship if the focal length is known, and vice versa. :b�or ex­ bow Chasers, and twenty or twenty-two carronades, might require "three sizes of shot and four classes of ample, let us suppose that we wish to obtain a photo­ 32-pounders or 42-pounders. The brig-sloops carried full charge, with as many reduces as caprice might graph of dimensions 1/5 of those of the object. In this 24-pounder or 18-pounder carronades. Long 12's and suggest." A uniform caliber throughout the fleet be­ case the formula becomes 2 = 1(5 + 1) = 6t, whence = 18's were common. The schooner "Nonesuch," an came the ideal of the naval officers of both this country t 2/6. The required focal length, thtlrtl�Q.e; W �/6