MECHANICAL SHIPS.
Another method of imitating a ship riding the waves is shown herewith. The hull, A, is a plain piece of board, and the masts are strips of wood nailed to this. Purchase a common bed spring and attach it to the center of the keel, as at B, and attach the lower part of the spring to a piece of wood on the window floor. If the balance is right it will be simply necessary to tip the ship a little to set it rocking to and fro in imitation of riding the waves. A little wheel can be set at C, and a cord put under it and connected with the hull. The cord can run to a point inside the store, where it can be pulled occasionally by hand, thus setting the ship to rocking. Or this cord can be connected to a door or to an electric motor. Next, the ship is trimmed. The hull, railing, mast, etc., are covered or wound with white or colored stuff, and the sails are made of lace or any desired fabric. The surface of the sea is represented with appropriate cloth. A slit should be cut, into which to put the hull, and the edges are tacked to the wood several inches below the ship’s rail. The cloth will then follow the motion of the ship, and closely represent waves.