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484 they did not want to be left behind. This awakening was first manifest abroad, where a new order of things had been created, where the engineer, through his connection with the build- ing of the metal vessel, founded the new order of naval achitecture in place of the old-time one where wood was the basis. Engine Builder Leader in the Metal Vessel. The engine builder had to lead in the construction of the metal vessel, as the ship carpenter was not pre- pared either by inclination, or equipped with the necessary knowledge of the new art, and without the facilities re- quired in connection with it, conse- quently the construction of - the hull had to fall largely upon the boiler maker, whose line was nearest to it and as he was accustomed to accu- rate workmanship, to fit close, and to rivet tight, he was just the man to take it in charge. If many of the vessels were fearful specimens of naval architecture, it was not due to this man or his workmanship, but to the model, which in many cases was ob- tained from the ship carpenter follow- ing the uncertain method of whittling and sand-papering said model into such shape as pleased the* eye, who did not work out the lines on the drawing board, so it is reasonable to assume that if the vessel failed to ac- complish what was desired, the failure could not be charged up against the builder of the hull but to the one who furnished the model, for if the workmanship was good it is more than likely that the lines were much nearer those of the model than if the vessel had been built of wood, or by a method from which as a rule no two vessels off the same model would be alike, whereas in the metal construc- tion there is, we know, a much closer resemblance or following of the model. Building Good Sized Vessels. Some other vessels constructed by these engine builders were of no mean size or of inferior design, running in those days up to sea-going ships 225 ft. long, with frames. of angle iron, as the mills had begun to turn out this shape. One iron screw ves- sel 210 ft. long started in 1860 was from the plans of an engineer and pioneer naval architect, John Baird, of this city, who was assisted in the work by his daughters. He was a man who designed and built the ele- vated railroad on Greenwich street, the first, if | am not mistaken, of its kind in this or any other country. TAE Marine REVIEW The old note book in my hand shows how elaborately the details of the construction of the hull were carried out, particularly the foundation for en- gine, which was a single expansion in- verted cylinder, one with a cylinder 60 in. diameter by 54 in. stroke of piston. The beams of the vessel were built up of plate and angle irons as the mills were not yet prepared to roll outside of angles and H beams. The strength of the vessel and the care taken to build her is shown from the fact that the butts of some of the sheets of the outside plating were double-strapped, the 9/16-in. plating being a strap of the same thickness on the outside and a 7/16-in. one on the inside. The time taken to build was 14 months and two days. This vessel was, as stated above, started in 1866, so you see the facil- ities could not have been so bad at this early date. We later built the "Havana," an- other iron screw ship, also designed by Mr. Baird. She was 225 ft. long, fitted with a single expansion inverted cylinder engine, with a cylinder 60 in. diameter by 60 in. stroke, driving a four-bladed screw propeller 14 ft. 5 in. diameter. This vessel was on the stock at the time of the battle of Gettysburg and took over 17 months to build on account of the disturbing conditions at the period. Prejudice Had No Weight. It is my belief that prejudice did not to any great extent. prevent the early departure from the old to the new engine--that it was not respon- sible for the continuance of the em- ployment of the paddle wheel in reference to the screw propeller, but that it was due to the ability of the former to accommodate itself or to be more readily realigned to meet the change of shape of a lighter and less rigid hull, whether made of wood or iron, and that the general adoption of the direct connected screw propel- ler engine had also to wait until it had been found to fill all that had 'ibbeen accomplished 'by the 'paddle wheel. It was also perfectly natural at first that those who built paddle wheel. engines, consequently perfectly familiar with them, should, when a screw ship was desired, prefer com- bining the above engine with the screw propeller through the medium of gearing instead of employing the direct connected one with which they had limited or no. experience, The latter engine had' its, peculiarities which had to 'be learned before it could be successfully installed,as the December, 1909 one which would 'work satisfactorily on land would not do so on ship- board, if provision had not been made to meet the different conditions found there. The higher speed engine also demanded fastening to the hull dif- ferent from what had been the cus- -- tom in the case of the slower side wheel as the area of the foundation was smaller and the vibrations more frequent, so the builder of the side wheel engine went slow, but eventual- ly adopted the direct connected, like' the builder of the wooden hull adopt- ed the metal one after he had found himself. Mr. Edwin A. Stevens. Edwin A. Stevens: It will give me great pleasure to suggest that some of the . drawings, referring to the Stevens battery, would be of interest to the members of the so- ciety in their reference to the paper, and if such is the fact, I will be glad to contribute such drawings as part of the discussion. I will show that Col. John Stevens abandoned the use of the propeller after his experiments of 1804, for the reason that he was led. by the experiments on a vessel at-~that date: a small launch 20° 'ft. long, to conclude that the diameter of the propeller necessary for the commercial navigation of the Hudson river would be so great as to prevent the boat from passing over the Over- slaugh shoal, and thereby bar the ves- sel from access to Albany, and the statement that he was influenced in passing from the use of the screw propeller to the side-wheel, by his son, Robert S. Stevens, is perfectly correct and accurate. That I believe to be the fact, but Col. John Stevens, to the end of his days in the late 30's was always a constant advocate of screw' propulsion. He always claimed that screw ipropulsion would eventually supersede propulsion 'by side wheels, and merely waited for the perfection of the steam engine to allow the use of propellers of small enough diameter to become practic- able. Chairman Taylor: I am sure the society will agree that these drawings Col. Stevens has referred to will make a valuable addition to the papers of this society, and if there is no ob- jection we will accept his invitation with pleasure. William Conant Church. William Conant Church: (Com- municated.) Depending, as he appar- ently does, upon that most fallible of all records, the memory, Mr. Camp