The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Eee aie WOR History of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers HE substitution of iron for wood in the construction of ships, a development which acquired ma- terial proportions about the year 1860 was very nearly co-incident with the beginnings, in practical application, of the modern science of naval archi- tecture. The design of vessels, as well as their construction, was, up to the middle of the last century an art rather than a science. While some of the underly- ing principles of scientific naval archi- tecture, as it is today known, had been enunciated, but little in the way of practical application of these princi- ples to the art of designing and build- ing ships had been accomplished. Ma- thematical investigation of the proper- ties of floating bodies had, particular- ly by the French, been developed to an advanced degree, but the influence of mathematical analysis upon ship design was very limited in extent, nor was it needed to produce successful vessels. The development of the sailing ship to its ultimate perfection in the fa- mous clippers of this country and Great Britain was a course of gradual improvement based upon hard won experience—of trial and error. The ability and technical skill of the con- structors of these ships was of the highest order, but the science of naval architecture as it is today known, played a very minor part in the work. The transition from sail to steam, gaining headway at about the same time, brought new problems, the an- swer to which could only be derived from patiently analyzed experience. Advent of Steam Propulsion So long as wood remained the prin- cipal material of construction, the size of vessels was limited to rela- tively small dimensions. The advent of iron and with it the application of the steam engine to propulsion not only moved the limits of size far into the future but with accompanying changes of type and_ proportions, brought forward questions of strength, Stability and resistance—in_ short, shipbuilding, from being a work of the specialized artisan, became, gradually, _ a branch of engineering. As one result of the developments which have been outlined, there met in London in January, 1860, with the object of forming a society for the Promotion and increase in knowledge of the art of shipbuilding, a body of 18 men. Among these were some of the leading shipbuilders, engineers BY JAMES SWAN and mathematicians of Great Britain —Woolley, Scott-Russell, Barnaby, Penn, Grantham, Reed—names fa- miliar as household words to the trained naval architect of today. The new society, the Institution of Naval Architects, had its first meeting on March 1, 1860. Its proceedings, published regularly since that time, form a compendium of the science and practice of naval architecture. In this country but few iron ships were built until after the Civil war period. Some few iron war vessels were constructed during the war, but after its close, for many years ship- building of any sort was at a low ebb, the activities of the country being turned to the development of the west and the building of railroads. Up to 1880, wooden vessels continued to be in the majority, built, mainly for the coast trade. Iron steamers were also built in considerable number for this same trade and a few for Atlantic and Pacific services. As in Great Britain, shipbuilding was becoming an engi- neering problem, but not until the birth of the new navy in the eighties, was there, in this country, a recog- nized beginning of the twin profes- sions of naval architecture and marine engineering. There being at the time no schoor of naval architecture in America, the navy department in anticipation of the building of the new fleet sent abroad for courses of study in the schools of Great Britain and France, certain young officers of particular ability; this practice being continued until recognized courses in naval ar- chitecture and engineering were avail- able on this side of the Atlantic. Thus, at about the period when steel was commencing to replace iron in ship construction, and modern ship- building and marine engineering were by way of being established in this country, there was formed a nucleus of technically trained men which, as years have gone on, has grown in numbers and accomplishment and to- day forms the backbone of American shipbuilding. Community of interests and of train- ing, as well as a clear foresight of what the future held for shipbuilding in this country, indicated to the for- eign-trained construction officers of the new navy, the desirability of form- ing a society for the discussion of their work and the advancement of their art, modeled after the British insti- tution. The idea was first advanced at a MARINE REvIEw—November, 1931 dinner given by Assistant Naval Con- structor (now Rear Admiral) D. W. Taylor to brother officers of the con- struction corps of the navy. This dinner was given at the University club in Philadelphia on July 26, 1892, the day of the launching of the cruiser CoLumBiA, in her day a very notable vessel. There were present at this dinner, besides the host the following officers of the construction corps: Francis T. Bowles, Thomas F. Ruhm, Washington L. Capps, Richard M. Watt, and Lewis Nixon, a former member of the corps. During the dinner, Constructor Bowles gave a talk emphasizing the desira- bility and importance of establishing a technical society of naval archi- tects, engineers and shipbuilders. The idea met with a most favorable and hearty response and _ Constructor Bowles .was asked to undertake the preliminary work of organizing such a society. Asistant Naval Constructor Capps was delegated to act as pro- visional secretary and to prepare let- ters to be sent to shipbuilders, marine engineers, naval constructors and oth- ers professionally interested in ship- building. Constitution Adopted by Society The original constitution of the so- ciety was drafted by Assistant Con- structor Capps, and approved by Con- structor Bowles prior to its adoption by the society at large. The articles of incorporation were drawn up by Harrington Putnam, a distinguished admiralty lawyer, who later became a judge of the supreme court of the state of New York. The actual sign- ing of the certificate of incorporation took place in Mr. Putnam’s office at 45 William street on April 28, 1893. The incorporators, among the most prominent men of the time, and for many years previous connected with shipbuilding and ship operating were the following: William H. Webb, Chas. H. Cramp, H. T. Gause, George E. Weed, W. T. Sampson, Horace See, Francis T. Bowles, W. L. Capps, E. D. Morgan, George W. Quintard, Har- rington Putnam, J. W. Miller, F. L. Fernald. Messrs. Quintard and Mil- ler, being absent at the meeting of April 28, signed the certificate later, and it became effective in due legal form on May 10, 1893. A brief sketch of the distinguished gentlemen who signed the certificate of incorporation is of interest: William H. Webb, one of the fore- most shipbuilders of the United States. 51