New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-11
YANKEE YACHTS BUT NOT WAR-sHiPS

Americans will do well to make the most OF
their success in defending the Americas cup.
Yacht building is almost the only branch OF
maritime architecture in which they retain their
old-tmc supremacy. Forty years ago the best
designs for clipper ships and vessels OF war
we're fashioned by American hands. To-day
an Administration is in power that so far DIS
credits the ability Of naval designers and archi-
| tects as to dismiss them as hopclessly behind
| the times and TO order the construction OF new
war-shps from models and designs purchased
In England. 1t is well, therefore, for Amer
leans to derive what comfort they can from the
international yacht races. If the Mayflower
outsails and outpoints her English antagonist
in any weather and any sea, as she has done on
the two DAYS when sloop and cutter have been
pitted against each other, 1t Is dlstincuVely an
American triumph. The Yankee sloop was not
built from English designs in servile imitation
of an English model
The time was when the commercial marine
of every maritime nation was modelled alter
American ships, which were the strongest and
the fastest ahoat. The crack ships of the
United States Navy were once famous through
out the world The Congress in 1912 was con-
sidCrcd by European naval designers the finest
frigate ahoat The Portsmouth, when she was
built, was rated by English architects as the
hest type Of corvette The Mcrrlmac and
Franklin, when put in commission in 1856,
were Immediately initiated in England, France
and other countries; and the Hartford and
Kcarsarge, which were launched soon after
ward, were also reproduced abroad. During
this period American naval architects took the
lead in introducing new types of construction
and every maritime country in Europe was con-
tent to copy their designs. During the civil
var the Monitor and the New Ironsidcs wrought
a revolution in the whole art of naval architect
urc The Monitors victory over the Mcrrimac
and the scaworthy qualities of other vessels of
the same type led to the introduction of tur
rctcd floating batteries in every foreign navy,
while the facility with which the New lronsidcs,
with her four-inch armor plates, withstood
COMMANDMENT from powerful batteries of
Charleston, encouraged foreign designers to
build the heavily annOrcd ships Of war now
flying the English, French, Italian and German
flags. >
Such "reminiscences as these show what
cause Americans have had in the past for enter
tanning feeling of honest pride in the genius
ity of their ship-budcrs. How keen must
nc the sense Of modification Of her present
naval designers, when they reflect that they arc
TO longer considered by the Government of the
day competent for work which their predeccs-
sols eXcced the world in doina The compile
ton of the Atlanta. Chicago, Boston and
Dolphin the first American vessels built en-
tircly of rolled steel plates of domestic man
ufacturc, has been followed by the purchase of
foreign designs. This is slight which
American naval architects as the history Of
their art proves, have not deserved. They have
kept pace with the modern art Of war; they |
can design ships and engines as well as their |
predecessors could in their day; they COM
pete with foreign talent as successfully as the |
designer of the Mayflowcr has We'd with Eng |
lish yacht builders but they are dlscrcditcd |
and Inundated by the action of the Navy De-
partment.