SPRING, in mechanics, denotes a thin piece of tempered steel, or other elastic substance : which being wound up, serves to put several machines in motion by its elasticity, or endeavour to unbend itself; such is the spring of a clock, watch, and the like. The spring of a lock, gun, pistol, or the like, is a piece of steel violently bent ; which, being set at liberty, beats back the bolt of the lock, or strikes down the cock.
Seat-r°, in naval affhirs, a crack run ning transversely, or obliquely, through any part of a mast or yard, so as to ren der it unsafe to carry the usual quantity of sail thereon. Spring is also a rope passed out of a ship's stern, and attached to a cable proceeding from her bow when she lies at anchor. It is usually perform ed to bring the ship's broadside or bat tery of cannon to bear on some distant object, as another ship, a fortress on the coast, lite. When a ship rides by anchors which are only attached to one end, she will move like a weather-cock, according to the direction of the wind or tide. Noll ,
if a rope be extended from the other end to the same anchor, it is evident that By slackening one of these ropes, and keep ing fast the other, her side will lie more or less obliquely to the wind or tide, as occasion may require,so as to be opposed to any distant object to the right or left. For instance, if a ship ride with her head northerly, and it is required to cannonade a fortress lying on the south or a.mth-east, a hawser is run out of the stern, and be ing carried forward without her fid, is at tached to t I.r cable at a competent distance a-In el of ship ; toe hawser is then tightened by the capstain or tackles, and the cable being slackened, the ship imme diately turns her side towards the object intended to be battered.