Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-02

M'Taa omaer Nmxaae S&1lossu RoMmaDlAAs
ties a. Emm& oennm ExnVuAamMs

ties "a Fms& ocean I9aVwaamMs
The oneeriv.boilt litsle yacht Stiletio
has ast0nished nautical people BY easily
racing away from tho Mary Powell, the
fastest steamboat On the Hudson river
md probably she fastest Id the world
The Stiletfo was built from i model fur
nishcd by i blind man. IN al account
81 the little aquatic WONDER the New
York World says:
Looking at her from the barge Office
she rceemblcd somewhat torpedo boat.
Her long black hull rose about four feet
out 81 the water and was surmounted by
white-paintcd bulwarks or . house, on
which the deck Wis placed.
When the StilettO came toward the
barge Office her motion was graceful and
the waves caused BY passing ferry boats
aud steamers did not cause her TO roll
unusually. She appeared 70 gather way
imperceptibly and the disturbance Of the
water was not SO great as made by such
yachts rs the Stranger and Others Of her
class. Sharp as d knife forward, her
lines are symmetrical and terminate In =
clean run and counter, which drags no
sea after Il. Her wake is a long straight
line Of whitiSh water and its length
illustrated the wonderful speed ut which
she goes through the water Her deck,
commencing az the knighthcads, rises
gradually until tic center il the highest
point and tapgrs away to the sternpost.
All her machincry ard boilers are slowed
amidships and take up about thirty feet
Of room, leaving a forward and SITTER
cabin.
sls,..., -. .,,asts ,,;th fanoasfa and
gals, compose her top hamper, evidently
placed Us signal stalls and not intended
for canvas. As she steamed away. with
party Of ladies and gentlemen on board,
the large crowd which had assembled on
the dock was enthusiastic In its admira-
ton Of her general appearance. Grad
ually gathering way, she soon became a
thin line with sticks like matches, show
ing above the water. Mr.. Frederick
Brandrcth was on board and seemed
happy ia the possession of the fastest
piece Of naval architecture afiOat. He
saws the Stilletto can safely carry two
hundred pounds of steam If required,
but with one hundred and twenty pounds
she can show clean pair of heels 90
anything now built.
An interesting question among steani-
boat men at present is whether it is posi-
bic for Mr. HerFesh0tf, or s'the blind man,
as he is usually called, tO apply tho prin-
ciple which has been successfully intro
duced into the yacht Stilletto TO vessel
of larger size. If he can, it is believed
that it may revolutiOnize ocean steam
navigation Practical men say that this
will be impossible; that in large vessel
any attempt to materially increase the
number Of revolutions will inevitably
result in heated journals, which have
proved so embarrassing to John Roach
in his trials with the Dolphin. So much
boiler and engine space as would be re-
CURED cannot be spared, 1t Is said, in q
vessel designed for freighting purposes
Probably the most astonished man at
the regatta of thu New York Yacht
Club was Mr.. r. s. Jatfray, the owner of
the steam yacht Stranger. His yacht was
just off the Hospital islands, in the lower
bay, when the Stiletto ranged up
alongside. Immediately the engine
of the Stranger was opened wide, aud
she begun to forge ahead at the rate of
thirteen miles an hour For five minutes
the boats ran side by side. Soon the
little picbald blew her whistle shrilly
aud forged ahead, leaving the Stranger
far in her wake"
The "blind man" is q genius. In 1876
he came to this city, bringing with him
nondescript craft, which he entered in
the Centennial regatta about to be
sailed in the open boat class. Owners
of opened boats were warned on the
morning of the race and advised to pro-
test against the craft as nondescript,
racing machine and not a boat; but
they said: ooh, let her enter, nothing
can beat our sand baggers" The result
was that the catamaran AmaFyllis went
over the course twice while flyers like
Susie s. aud W. r. Brown were making
it once.
Almost every year at the regatta of the
New York Yacht club. Mr.. Herreshoii
appears with some marine curiosity All
will remember his celebrated .No. 1907
q couple Of years ago, which was then
as much faster than anything which APP
peared as the Stiletto is at present. The
question now Is. can boat FIVE hundred
feet long be built which can be equipped
with an engine and boilers equal to those
in the StiIetto In proportion to her sizei
If this can be done. the voyage to Eu
rope may be accomplished in three days.