CSS George Page

**ct ertz** · #1 06-12-2012, 02:23 PM

Another little gun boat. I am unsure what the tower thing behind the stack is.

**legion** · #2 06-12-2012, 02:44 PM

Probably a lookout?

It looks nice though!

**Kazziga** · #3 06-12-2012, 02:48 PM

Well, it looks like a the part of the walking beam engine, but there is no beam visible.

**Royaloakmin** · #4 06-12-2012, 02:48 PM

Corey it looks it could be part of a walking beam engine. Do you have a photo/sketch you are working from?

**Vermin_King** · #5 06-12-2012, 03:20 PM

Hmmm ... my grandma's cousin George Page passed away a couple years back, but his son Ronnie would probably get a kick out of a boat with the same name as his dad. I hope this comes together.

**sporticus** · #6 06-12-2012, 03:22 PM

Cool. Little gunboats, ideal!! In this sketch...File:CSS George Page.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it's not at all obvious what it is. I guess it could be a bad drawing of a walking beam engine. or maybe an housing for a walking beam engine.
This other sketch of her won't help much. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/i...000/h73988.jpgIt takes a while to even spot her in it!

**sporticus** · #7 06-12-2012, 03:35 PM

Just had a closer look. I zoomed right in and looked at the shading etc. I don't think it is a tower behind the stack at all. I think it is actually a small tower on the top of the paddlewheel box. It could indeed then be a lookout and would kinda explain why there is a flag on top. The indentations could well be footholds. In reality it may have been exaggerated by the artist.
I presume there would be one on each paddlebox.

This may be a radical idea, but I'm 90% sure that it is what the drawing shows. If you look at the leading edge of the tower and teh paddle box, the shade is the same and the tower appears to come out of the paddelebox. If you look at the shade of the tower and the side of the paddlebox theya are the same as well, but both differ from the sides of the rest fo the superstructure.

**sporticus** · #8 06-12-2012, 03:42 PM

Hmm,....the cutouts could jsut be decoration to match the paddle wheel boxes. Also there may be the trace of a handlerail to the rear of the tower and down the paddlewheel box's afte curve.

**sporticus** · #9 06-12-2012, 06:38 PM

Found picture on this page Photo Gallery II: Ships - 2 of the USS Lafayette. It has small similar structures on it's paddle wheels. I take these to be protected observation platforms. I've convince myself. What does anyone else think?

**Darwin** · #10 06-12-2012, 08:33 PM

Sporticus, I agree with your interpretation of the drawing...it does appear that it is a tower built on the paddlewheel enclosure. Maybe the steamship version of fighting tops?