Evening Star Newspaper, July 26, 1931, Page 76

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JULY 26, 1 The Mauretania in Miniature Navigates the Lincoln Memorial Pool—A Luxurious Toy That Would Thrill the Average Boy’s Heart Is in Fact a Skillfully Made Steam- Powered Replica of the Famous Ship Designed and Constructed by a Marine Expert. BY G. H. DACY HAT masterly likeness of Abraham Lincoln from its throne in one of the world's most visited and revered memorials overlooks the intriguing mirror pool where Washingtonians, who are familizr with the fascinating pastime, delight to congregate on sunny Sun- day mornings to watch the aquatic antics of model sailing craft. The statue of Lincoln reviews what the Great Emancipator never saw in person—the accurate replicas of sloops, sailboats, schooners, motor boats and even liliputian steamships plying to and fro in either straight or zig-zag- ging courses over the Lincoln Memorial reflect- ing pool, just a few blocks from the White House. Naval officers, lay-craftsmen, amateur me- The exhaust stecam is vented as simu- lated smoke through the stacks. chanicianc and school boys foregather there regularly to test the nautical proficiency of the boat models, which they have designed and made in homz workshops. These “pool-faring craft,” which are abbreviated simulations of regulation coramercial, professional or pleasure ships, run the gamut frcm maritime simplicity to nautical ccmplexity. Some were made in a few short hours while others represent mon.hs and even one or two years of spare time crafts- . manship—labors of love. Some are valued at only a few dollars, while others are worth as much as zutomobiles. There is a latent liking seated in the most of us for the lures of the sea, the enticements of its ships, the desire to travel the waterways to new places and to taste the fruits of foreign lands. These and akin motives stimulate Woashington amateur modelmakers to reap in effigy what they are deterred from enjoying in actuality. That is, they gain pleasure in mak- ing and sailing model boats because for one reason or another they are denied the joys of building palatial yachts and cruising in them to the corners of the compass. One craft which navigates the Lincoln _ Memorial pool regularly is different from all others in that it runs by steam power, is a faithful simulation of the famous Mauretania, de luxe ocean liner, and was designed and constructed by a seasoned engine expert who turned for fun to the fabrication of a model after he had participated in the productiom of submarines and cruisers for the U. S. Navy and passenger and freight ships for commercial owners. ll" you are a yacht owner and belong to one of the popular yacht clubs of the Nation's Capital, you probably have shaken hands prev- iously with Mr. C. A. Swanteson, for he is a specialist on maritime engines and seafaring power plants. This little piece, however, pre- sents him in a new and different light—as a home shop craftsman who dedicated the leisure of one year to the development and perfection of the finest midget ship which ever churned local waters. Altogether, his first adventure in - amateur boat building consumed some 400 hours of his evening leisure. If some Sunday morning when you motor around the Lincoln Memorial, you observe an interested audience grouped at one border of the pool or strung out like a golf match gallery trooping along the bank, you can rest assured that the Swanteson steamship is on hand for another cruise. Despite that only several spec- tators may be precent when the model is first launched, it does not take long for the crowd to gather. And once it gathers there, it re- mains to watch a remarkable performance. When Mr. Swanteson motors to the reflect- . ing pool, he has to bring along & relative or friend to assist him in carrying the “little Mauretania” from where the automobile is parked to the bank of the pool. The model ,18 5 feet 2 inches in length, approximately one- ninth as wide and weighs 50 pounds. On reach- " ing the water after steam is gotton up—this takes about three minutes—the pair launch the ~ boat stern foremost. A forked stick with rub- ber guards is used to prevent the little ship from running into the concrete border of the pool. The bow or prow of the model is also equipped with a rubber bumper, such as is used commonly on the tip of a crutch. Before the steamship is launched, her rudder is set for straightaway cruising. Which signifies that the boat propelled by steam power will travel from one end of the pool to the other— a distance of some 600 yards—over a beeline course. There is some tendency for the model to zig zag a bit during her cruises. This neces- sitates the patrol of both sides of the pool dur- ing her water rovings. Usually his friend or relative walks along one side of the pool while Mr. Swanteson paces the opposite exposure. These “patrolmen” not infrequently have to dog trot after the midget steamship, as at nor- A faithful replica in miniature of the famous Mauretania, de luxe greyhound of the seas. cial practices in the construction of full size, marine boilers. It accommodates six tubes, each of which is three-eights of an inech in diameter. These tubes are held in proper posi- tion by the use of silver solder. The tempera- ture to which they are exposed is so great that such heat would melt ordinary solder. The boller is equipped with a diminutive steam dcme, safety value and steam pressure gauge— all splendid specimens of expert craftsmanship. The tiny water glass used in this steam system The upper deck is removable so as to expedite the servicing of the power plant. mal cruising speed she operates at a speed of from four to five miles an hour. The invariable query from every newcomer who first sees the “Mauretania Junior” in action is: “What makes her run?” Neither marine magic nor legerdemain have been yoked for that purpose. An efficient steam boiler, which is 4 inches in diameter and 16 inches long and accommodates 3 quarts of water to the charge, is the hub of the ac- curately designed and rugged built power plant. The steam boiler is made of copper soldered and riveted together in simulation of commer- The “Mauretania Junior™ at full steam ahead, clipping was salvaged from a discarded pipe fitting and harnessed for its new and novel task. The coil is so placed that it can be heated with an alcohol-burning blowtorch. Practical tests have demonstrated that the steamship model operates most satisfactorily when the steam pressure aggregates from 35 to 40 pounds. Her owner has adjusted the safety value to release when the pressure mounts any higher. Mr. Swanteson, in ex- perimental runs, has stepped the steam pres- sure up to as much as 65 pounds. Under such conditions, the speed of the beat is increased greatly at the sacrifice of gracefulness and seafaring symmetry, so to say. The model tends to elevate her bow considerably above her normal waterline under high steam pres- sure. She apparently tries to “kick up her prow” like a speed boat. In such posture, the little boat looks ungainly, unwieldy and out of proportion. The weight of her hull, fittings and fixtures is not sufficient to hold her on an even keel at uniform waterlfie when the boiler is run to peak capacity with “open throttle.” NGINEERS and mechanics are interested particularly in the miniature gasoline engine installed in the model. It is one of the finest pieces of idle-hour Ilathework ever exhibited in the District. It is a double-acting reciprocating marine-type of midget engine, equipped with bronze piston rings, which are only 1/32 of an inch in width. Mr. Swanteson machined out the small gray iron casting into the remarkably efficient dwarf engine on a small lathe. The gasoline supply is stored in an eight-ounce recertacle, that amount of fuel being adequate for a cruise of approximately 45 minutes. The specifications of this small engine are one-inch bore and one-inch stroke. Although the hull of the steamship is made of white pine, the bridge or hurricane deck is constructed of sheet iron and is removable in order to provide easy access to the power plant installed inside the hull. The owner can thus dissemble and remove both the marine engine and boiler in five minutes whenever the occasion arises fcr repair work. The after deck, on the other hand, is a permanent fixture, being built as a fixed part of the hull. The hull, which is a facsimile in shape and contour to that of the Mauretania, was built from an official “set of lines” such as are used in the building of the mighty transatlantic liners. The model is provided with a rigid keel, while the hull is planked in authentic imitation of full scale marine construction of that type. Because of the permanency and durabilily of brass wire, it has been used for rigging. All this rigging is attached with spring bases so that it is less fragile and susceptible to serious damage when handled. This model runs exactly as well by night as by day. It is outfitted with three dry cells, concealed in the hull, which furnish the cur- rent that illuminates the battery of eight tiny incandescent bulbs, placed at stragetic points in the hull. Each bulb is one-eighth candle- power. The hull of the steamship is speckled with" 560 realistic port holes, all of which are glazed with isinglass. The effect is very pleas- ing when the miniature ocean liner is operated on the reflecting pool at night. The illuminated model races over the still water while the rhythmic purr of her engine provides the ma- rine melody by which she “marches forward.” Mr. Swanteson told this reporter that one of Continued on Fifteench Page