New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-16
YACHTS FOR THE NAVY.
THE SCHEME LOOKED UPON FAvORABLY.
THE ELECTRA WOULD BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL
WINTER GOSSIP ABOUT YACHTS IN GENERAL

WIN lex bOsSlP ABOUT
The Naval Reserve question is still topic OF con
versaton among yachtsmcn I'm general, though u -
practically of direct interest to the owners OF steam
yachts. 1t is feature of the discussion that naval
officers giving It their attention. In fact some
Of Uncle Sans sailors to be by far more ahNiou
for the passage of the bill than the yaohsmen anu
the reason for this may be sought in their desire 10
get taste Of active duty. This sitting about bureaus
is undoubtedly pleasant for time. but snccures wear
a Tho Naval Reserve would give scores VI
officers opportunities in the Of instructins inc
naval militia and Of cruising and manoeuvring as tenn
porary commanders of Naval Reserve vessels ii INC
latter be yachts OF the Electra, susQuchanna vi
ATLANTA STYLE there would undoubtedly be addiloha
attraction for the Naval Reserve instructor Perhaps
there is suggestion in the remark of naval ohcer'
who after Inspecting of the finest Newly ork steam
yachts, said Well. she'd make good torpedo poa'
with few changes. Whatever changes / should
make, however wouldn't touch the sideboard.'
In this connection IT may be interesting to know
that Aaron Vanderbilt chairman OF the Committee on
Naval Reserve OF the Board Of Trade and Tanspor'a
ton appointed at a meeting OF tho Board on OCTOBER
10. has distributed circular, seeking information ana
suggestions touching the necessity and feasibility Oh
establishing naval militia for the United states Dy
legislative enactment. Among those who have been
communicated with the subject arc Major General
John NJ schofcld. United states Army Admiral Por
ter. General r. p Jackson General i. D. 'qons ,On
L.
Major Asa Bird Gardner, Commodore Elbridge T.
Gerry Adiu;ant- General Josiah Porter Governor fln
Hugh Lee of virginia Governor, JONI on Gem
eral Louis Fitzgerald Hamilton f,sh' Iorhcus , ar
sprcckies, of California. and Herman Oelrlchs
In room No. 81 on tho second floor of tho Post
Office Captain Henry Erben, L. 5. N. with board OF
other officers makes his headquarters. 1t Is the pur
rose Of this board 10 make surveys Of available mer
chant steamships and yachts for the purpose OF liking
the adaptaby Of the craft for the service In case Of
emergency This commission has examined a num-
Der of the large steam yachts OF these waters among
them the Nourmshai, ATLANTA, Electra and susque
hanna II is astonishing to note from the surveys
what unmportant changes would be required to make
yachts useful additions to mo countrys forces
Captain Erben looks upon the Nourmahali william lin
regular cruiser The Nourmahal is three MASTER Of
900 tons and has three decks. Is 221 feet on me
would easily carry broadsde of four brcech loading
rifles besides stern and bow nre. Inc, Ataant ~
owned by Jay Gould. would make TORPEDO boat: while
Joseph Stckney's Susquchanna Is recommended for
dispatch boat The little BUZZ proDaDl{ me ias'cSe
launch afoat, Is looked upon by Captain Erben as an
ideal torpedo launch.
The flagship Electra, of the New-York Yacht Club
however, IS undoubtedly the best Of the lot. She
seems TO be adapted for almost any use, and since
Captain Zalnsh cruised on her last summer the In
ventor of the dynamite gun is anxious for an OPP
portunity make another Vesuvus out OF Commodore
Gerrys handsome yacht Some extrac%s from Oap'ah
Frbens survey will give idea Of the perfect work
manship and equipment Of the Electra, as well as OF
the slight changes necessary TO 1T her for service
The Electra is four years old, was built by Harlan
& Hollingsw worth at Wilmington Delaware, and has
tonnage of 3o4 gross. She has steel frames iron
floors a hammered iron keel, and an iron stern ana
stern post She IS equipped with six bulkheads OF
$40 inch plates with inch By LIZ inch by 6-16
inch spaced iron scanlngs and will float with any one
cd Hcr two boilers
of steel return tubular cylindrical and are even now
protected by the cOabunlers laterally Her engines
are compound overhead and all the connecting and
reversing gear Of steel The journals are all sup
piled with phosphnr bronze boxes Notable IN her
SgaudHred 10 candle lights and scarchght Of
5000 candle power. Leister Allen ce-machlne, OF
fifty pounds an hour capacity and TWO IONS s19raes
and sysicm Of annunciators In the tommodores
cabin. whereby the proprietor has always before MN
and number OF knots made The annnnc aor ~ soom
was invented specially for the Electra and Is recon-
mended by the Board for introdue'"" IN 'he Navy.
In his resume of data Captain Hrben says, in sub
stance This ship has vcllbuilt and proportional
hull Is fairly economical at her different SPEEDS ana Is
a remarkably good sea boat. She needs no additional
bull1heads, STRENGTHENING Of decks or additional
cooking facilities She wouG mako good scout
dispatch or torpedo boat, and could be changed into
any one Of these in three days Her coal endurance
IS 200 knots at ten knots hour and, she Is es-
leciay adapted for the torpedo service account OF
her easy handling, made possible by peculiarly curved
reversing link and her steam steering apparatus She
turned her port helm in 4 minutes and 90 seconds
starboard minutes full speed ahead to stop TOOK
err IS SECONDS stop full speed astern Do seconas
full speed astern to stop 35 seconds and stop TO full
sIecd ahead. ships head TO wind and sea, ~ sec
Onds The engines reverse instantly. As TO changes
necessary ! should advise clearcutting everything
forward Of the after bulkead I'm the state rooms OF
the forward saloon. and the building OF magazine
and sheilroom of $50 cubic feet above the engine.
rOom in the hold below the water inc. she should
be armed with two IIotchkss revolving cannon for
stern and bow fire. and four rihed guns, two 10 each
hroadsidc. The crew absolutely required would be
fifteen men In the engineers department total forty
seven. Her machinery, boilers ana steam steering
gear must be protected with steel shields
CAPTAIN Zalnsld Is at present engaged IN perfect
ing several new dynamite guns or tubes
which will be especially adapted for use on such yachts
as the Electra The great advantage Of the latter Is
her cc-machine which IS necessary for the cooling
chamber essential TO the COMPRISING Of air for pneu
mato discharges. Captain Zalinsk thinks the Elec-
ira could be Transformed into a formidable dynamite
cruiser IN two weeks. lie viii make some important
experiments with the new guns at Fort Hamilton this
week.
not only tic New York Yacht Club members, but
vachtsnen throughout the city, agated recently
by the rlmor published in several papers that
Commodore Ebrdge T. Gerry intended TO resign at the
end of the clubs fiscal year There was not the
trace Of a foundation for such suggestion, and 1t
looked just little as II some HedhIer OF o'her hdu
been at work. The Commodore himself never dreamed
Of rcsgning and the talk created by the publication
Of the bogus rumor was therefore. TO the least
annoying II was the gratifying for Mr. Gerry
and his friends, when. on December u, ne re-
ceivcd from the nominating committee OF the cIuD'
the announcement that he had been unanimously re-
nominated as commodore. As the club abides by the
selection the nominating committee, the Electra
will continue as flagship for al least ahother season.
The New-YOrk Yacht Club has laid out a pro-
cramme for social intercourse among the members
during the season. stephen Peabody, Il. II. Iiender'
son, r. s Bovine and Thomas i. Asten are conf
mItee appointed to arrange subscription dinners to be
held every two weeks In the model room OF the club
\ musical programme will be arranged for each din
ucr Another interesting innovation was made by the
club recently II has been decided to set aside
the first Thursday OF every month as Ladies' Day."
On December the model room was tastefuy decorated
md all tho snlendld nrzcs In the custnhy OF the