A guide to the William Wallace Hanscom papers, 1875-1915

Series 1. William Wallace Hanscom papers,

Extent: 26 folders

Arrangement

25 files housed in 6 boxes and 1 oversize folder.

Box 1

File Unit 01. Project scrapbook Vol. 1, 1890-1910

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition. Bound ledger used as a scrapbook, binding is breaking. Tabbed index section. Use book cradle.

Scope and Content Note

Scrapbook of project notes, small electrical and mechanical engineering blueprints, specifications for various vessels built by Union Iron Works (San Francisco), including but not limited to U.S. Navy vessels: USS Kentucky, Kearsage, Ohio, Maine, South Dakota, and Tacoma, as well as the electrical panel for the Columbia Theater.

Box 2

File Unit 02. Project scrapbook Vol. 2, 1887-1911

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition. Bound ledger used as a scrapbook, binding is fragile. Tabbed index section. Use book cradle.

Scope and Content Note

Scrapbook of project notes, small electrical and mechanical engineering blueprints, specifications for various vessels built by Union Iron Works (San Francisco).

Box 3

File Unit 03. Project scrapbook Vol. 3, 1902-1906

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition. Bound ledger used as a scrapbook, binding is fragile. Tabbed index section. Use book cradle.

Scope and Content Note

Scrapbook of project notes, small electrical and mechanical engineering blueprints, specifications for various vessels built by Union Iron Works (San Francisco).

Box 4

File Unit 04. Project scrapbook Vol. 4, 1902-1903

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition. Bound ledger used as a scrapbook, binding is fragile. Tabbed index section. Use book cradle.

Scope and Content Note

Scrapbook of project notes, small electrical and mechanical engineering blueprints, specifications for various vessels built by Union Iron Works (San Francisco).

Box 5, folder 5

File Unit 05. Subject notebooks: electrical equipment, 1893-1904

Extent: 2 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. Two leather-bound notebooks. First notebook is bound in dark red leather with a gilt "cash" on the front cover. It measures 10 x 7 x 1.5 cm (4 x 6 1/2 x 1/2 inches). Second notebook has "W.W. Hanscom" inscribed on the front cover, and measures 13.8 x 21.9 x 2.5 cm (8 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 7/8 inches).

Scope and Content Note

First notebook is untitled, but includes electrical data for various vessels, including the United States Naval vessels Monterey, San Francisco, California, and Olympia, among others. The second notebook is marked on the spine as "Calculations and tests No. 3" and includes "specifications for the illumination devices...for ships of the U.S. Navy."

Box 5, folder 6

File Unit 06. Subject notebook: tests of gun turrets and hoists, 1903

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor to fair condition, requires book cradle for use. One bound volume with weakened boards, measuring 13.5 x 21 x 2.5 cm (5 1/2 x 8 /1/4 x 1 inches).

Scope and Content Note

Volume 1

Box 5, folder 7

File Unit 07. Subject notebooks, 1901-1903

Extent: 2 EA.

Physical Description: Fair. Use book cradles. Two bound volumes. First measures 12 x 19 x 1 cm (4 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 3/8 inches). Second measures 13.5 x 21 x 2.5 cm (5 1/2 x 8 1/4 x 3/8 inches).

Scope and Content Note

Two volumes. The first is titled "Navy standard apparatus price list commencing with [USS] Wisconsin." The second volume is "Spare parts Navy construction."

Box 5, folder 8

File Unit 08. Specifications for USS Ohio electrical apparatus, undated

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. blueprint copies of document.

Box 5, folder 9

File Unit 09. Specifications for USS Ohio detail plans, 1905

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. Blueprint copies of document.

Box 6, folder 10

File Unit 10. Specifications for U.S. Navy vessels, 1897-1915

Extent: 12 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. Some oversize material needs rehousing.

Scope and Content Note

12 items, including but not limited to specifications. (1) Navy Department, Bureau of equipment, "Specifications for wiring appliances for ships of the United States Navy," (GPO, Washington D.C, 1897) (2) Department of Commerce, "Circular # 37 of the Bureau of Standards: Electrical wire and cable terminology," (GPO, Washington D.C., 1915). (3) "USS Oregon illuminating panel and panel box," 1903 March 10. Oversize blueprint, folded. (4) "USS Oregon electrical illumination," 1902 November 5. Oversize blueprint, folded. (5) Navy Department, Bureau of equipment, "Specifications for illuminating outfits for ships of the U.S. Navy," (1903 May). (6) "USS Tacoma booklet no. 12," 1904. Includes some oversize material. (7) Navy Department, Bureau of equipment,"Specification for motor generator sets," 1903. (8) "Ship test laundry motor [for] USS California, USS South Dakota, and USS Milwaukee," 1906 June 25. (9) "Ship test [for] deck winches [for] USS California, USS South Dakota, and USS Milwaukee," 1906 June 25. (10) Ship test [for] FW pump motors [for] USS California, USS South Dakota, and USS Milwaukee," 1906 June 25. (11) "Navy standard interior communication cables," 1905 . (12) "Specifications for motor generator sets for gun elevating equipment," 1906 January.

Box 6, folder 11

File Unit 11. Trial of steam machinery for U.S. Revenue steamer Gallatin , 1875

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition. Pencil annotations. dis-bound from a notebook or scrapbook.

Box 6, folder 12

File Unit 12. Specifications for electrical lighting, undated

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. Carbon typescript dis-bound from a notebook or scrapbook.

Box 6, folder 13

File Unit 13. Notes on electrical engineering, undated

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition. Handwritten. dis-bound from a notebook or scrapbook.

Box 6, folder 14

File Unit 14. The rise and progress of rifled naval artillery", 1899

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 40th Summer session of the Institute of Naval Architects, July 1899.

Box 6, folder 15

File Unit 15. Novelties in ship fittings, 1899

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 7th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1899 November.

Box 6, folder 16

File Unit 16. The electrical plans of the battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky, 1899

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 7th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1899 November.

Box 6, folder 17

File Unit 17. Tests of the electrical plan of the battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky, 1899

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Poor condition, torn.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 7th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1899 November.

Box 6, folder 18

File Unit 18. Methods of handling material over shipbuilding berths in American shipyards, 1902

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 43rd Spring session of the Institute of Naval Architects, March 1902.

Box 6, folder 19

File Unit 19. Two professional papers presented to SNAME general meeting, 1902

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

"Technical training for shipbuilders," and "Why it takes so long to build and equipt a naval vessel for the United States Navy," both from the proceedings of the 10th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1902.

Box 6, folder 20

File Unit 20. The development of modern ordnance and armor in the United States, 1902

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 10th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1902.

Box 6, folder 22

File Unit 21. Remarks on the design of naval vessels, 1902

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 10th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1902.

Box 6, folder 23

File Unit 22. The building of valve gears, 1902

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 10th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1902.

Box 6, folder 24

File Unit 23. Simple methods in warship design a necessity , 1904

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Fair condition.

Scope and Content Note

From the proceedings of the 12th general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), New York, 1904.

Box 6, folder 25

File Unit 24. Catalog No. 1 Union Iron Works, undated

Extent: 1 EA.

Physical Description: Good condition. Photocopies of title pages, table of contents, and introductions only.

Box 6, folder 21; Oversize folder

File Unit 25. Oversize plans,

Extent: 1 folder 2 blueprints; separated print illustrations and graphs.

Physical Description: Folder 21 contains a separation sheet for oversize plans.

Scope and Content Note

Oversize plans: USS Colorado tests; Experimental model basin, 1904; multiple sheets of plate illustrations and graphics separated from published proceedings, with original file numbers on versos.

Collection Contents