Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-09
VANDERBILT's YACHT.
The Finest Pleasure Ocean Steamer
in the World.


in the World.
WILMINGTON, DEL, Aug. THE new
steam pleasure yacht Alva, which is being
built by the Harlan & Hollingsworth
Company, OF this city, for William K.
Vanderbilt, ls rapidly approaching com.
pletIon and the hull will be ready for
launching about the middle of next MONTH
Meanwhile her machinery and fttinga
are we'll advanced in the shops. The ves-l
sci will be the largest and probably thel
most elegant and costly private steam
yacht in the world. SURPRISING Jay
Gould's Atalanta, James Gordon Benz
netps Nourmahal or the late Mr.. Tilden's
Yosemite.
The vessel is built entirely of the best.
quality OF steel. both ribs and sheathing.
She is 2S5 feet long over all, 252 feet on the
load line. 32 feet inches beam, and u
feet inches depth OF hold. She Is built
tor classification in the highest class of
the English Lloyds. She will be rugged
as a three-masted schooner, with square
topsail on the foremast. The propelling
machinery Will consist of an inverted
double action surface condensing
three cylinder compound engine, the
high pressure cylinder being placed
in the centre and the low pressure oylin-,
ders at each end. The high pressure cyl
inder is 81 inches in diameter and the low
pressure cylinders each 40 inches; the
stroke is AZ inches. Besides this, there,
will be reversing engines, pumping en-
glnes, turnover engines, engines for
working the steam steering gear, wind
lasses and electric light machines, and for
numerous other purposes IN handling the
ship.
A GREAT BRONZE PROPELLER.
The propeller is a solid casting OF man.
ganese bronze made in Scotland, and ar
rived at the yard few days ago. 1t has
four blades and is about ten feet in diam
eter. There are two boilers Of the clrcu.
lar single end, horizontal tubular pat.
tern, with four patent corrugated fur.
naces In each. They are made OF the finest
steel plates, one inch thick, and are II
feet in diameter and 10 feet long. They
will stand back to back, with a fire-room
at each end. They are built to stand a
working pressure of 100 pounds to the
square inch. Besides these there is a
donkey boiler OF steel for working the
donkey and hosting engines when steam
is not on in the main boiler. The deoh
houses OF the vesselare of steel, bOlted
and framed into the main deck.
THE VANDERBILT CABINS.
The accommodations for the owner ant
his friends will be forward of the ma.
chinery and will be OF the most luxurious
in chaste and elegant designs, but with
out an over display OF elaborate carving
in hard woods. There Will be much pine
used in the jOinery work, that being con-
sidered by the builders as one of
the best kinds Of lumber for sea-going
service. This will be finished mainly
in white, with gold relief. The cabins
will be fitted with mantels, freplaces,
electric incandescent lights, electric bells
and every convenience TO be found In the
rooms Of the most elegant mansions. There
will De more than a dozen bathrooms and
closets, the plumbing OF which will be of
the very best character, and an air pres
sure will be kept on all the water tanks SO
that water will run from the faucets with
strong head without requiring pumping
The carpets, upholstery, bedding. furnI-
ture and all the fittings and furnishings
will be OF the most luxurious character.
The accommodations for officers and
crew will be aft the machinery. The
officers quarters will be fitted up ele-
ganJly and With every appliance for COM
fort and convenience, while the sailors
will have such quarters as will make the
old-fashiOned fOrecastle seem like the
memory Of nightmare.
This splendid pleasure boat Ia not built
especially for speed. AS one OF the build
ers said "She Is not intended as harbor
racer, but for a safe, strong, comfortable
cruiser, in which her owner and his
friends may go in comfort and security
around the world II they choose. She will
probably develop about fourteen knots per
hour in ordinary weather."
The builders, by instruction OF Mr..
Vanderbilt, arc not to make public the
cost OF this magnificent pleasure craft.