The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-16
WHERE YACHTSMENL LEARN. |
ACollege Where Amateurs and Own
ers Of Famous Boats Study the
Navigator's Art.
An Ex.Commander Of the Hay
tien Navy Who Turns Out
Expert Sailors.
ladies Who Have Acquired Remarkable
6kill and Knowledge In the Princi.
pies of Yachting.

Especial Correspondence of The INDErENDENr.l
New YORK. June 12.-"Navigate my own
yacht? OF course do"
''And dispense with sailing master?"
asked further.
sOh, we'll; the fact is that some of US
have sailing masters; but I don't think
there is a man in the club owning q single
Or double sticker who isn't capable Of tax
ing her anywhere just as handily - any
old professional" replied my friend, who
Is a well-known member of the New York
Yacht club.
''But in races?" persisted.
''Ah, there now; it's different when you're
racing. One wants to get all the good
points out Of his yacht he can. and there's
where the sailing master comes in useful.
But in cruising and pleasuring about
American waters, and even farther,
yachtsman's navigation ought to stand
him in good stead. He must be a oertihcated
man, Of course
by . government navigation board?
Why, that would take years of study
"Quite unnecessarily exclaimed the
clubman, laughing. "How could busy
man spare the timer He simply supple
1u00tS QA6 OAkCIlOllOo Oh UOdEU Ills own OF
his friends yachts by taking course at
the admirars, and he comes out in a few
weeks with q diploma, a warranted navi-
gator, able to sail his boat around the globe.
knowing everything he may even take few
extra lessons, and ne needn't lose a day
from This business while he is studying,
either"
Blow my tarry toplights! as old Marryat
would have exclaimed, but here was q reve-
lation. Able shippers, full of the ancient
lore of the sea, turned out to order in a
few weeks! All the art of Vasco de CANA,
Captain Kidd, Paul Jones and Farragut
concentrated and taught in a twinkling
while you wait.
With little inquiry found the admir-
ais. On an upper floor In very modest
looking brick building in Burling slip, is
the nautical college where, for a consider
alton, hard-fsted and bow-legged sailor
men and wealthy amateurs are taught sea
mathematics and the theory of navigation.
It isn't very pretentious college, this
merely plain snug main room fitted up
with desks on two sides, the walls hung
with charts and covered with book shelves.
and the evidences of marine studies lying
about in the form of sextants and quad
rants and various instruments that would
puzzle landsman to put to use. Here, for
years past, the admiral has trod the board
ed floor as proudly as many another CON-
mander might tread his own quarterback.
and ordered his crew of studious tars to
shape course and distance, make dead reck-
oning, take an observation or strike the
meridian altitude from the fire escape,
with the Brooklyn bridge cables as the hor-
lion line.
But the admiral commands there no
longer. he has not gone aloft like Tom
" sowing, but he has surrendered his log and
speaking trumpet to the first officer, Cap
tain Richard j. Bennington, who now steers
the college craft with a hand scarcely less
skillfql than that of his predecessor. Adj
mander. is sea dog with rather remark
able history. Originally occupying a
rather humble position in the United States
navy, his smartness soon won him pair OF
epaulettes By and by the ambitious
came from Port au Prince that Howard
Patterson had been appointed admiral of
the navy Of the dusky little republic: 1t
was the Haytien man-of-war, the Dessa
lines, that gave SO much annoyance to
American trading vessels a few years ago,
until sharp monition from an American
warshlp brought President Legltime to his
censes. and compelled his coffee-colored
saPtains and marines to respect the Stars
Admiral Patterson's Office, like every
thing else in Hayti, was distinguished by
great amount of dignity and gold lace; but
owing to the depleted condition of the Hay
able one, ,pecuniarily:. He was doubtless
obliged, like other officials of the black re-
public, to take his salary in stacks of cur
rency as big as cotton bales. The Haytien
treasury is apt to experience periodical dis
turbances similar to that referred to by
Mark Twain who, when he landed at Port
au Prince, was smitten dumb by the de-
mand of a porter for $75 for carrying his
trunk from the steamer to the hotel and by
getting the change for $40 bill brought to
him on wheelbarrow. At that time it
would have been utterly useless for native
robber to have plundered an American viei-
tor of anything larger than $40, as he would
have found it impossible to get change any
When the admiral returned to New York
he devoted his energies to the school at
Burling Slip. Years before there had been
school Of navigation established by an
side of town. A very plebean affair it was
when he opened it, shortly after the Gloss
of the civil war. He was practical navi
gator, however, and really fine mathema.
awhile under his management, and then
whom Thomas had made his last entry il
the loR-book and weighed anchor for bet
ter shore. the school passed over to the com
the frst woman in America, if not in the
world, to teach navigation. She taught bel
pupils how to make dead reckoning tc
take the morning and afternoon sights and
to calculate the meridian altitude as skill
fully as the most scientific old salt or aoad-
envy professor. There are many shipmas
tiers sailing from American ports who still
remember the kindly faced, affable woman
captain of the college on Madison street.
At that time American yachting was still
in its babyhood. Our single-stickers had
outsailed the English yachts once or twice
but, while the British yacht owners were tc
man splendid navigators, the Americans
had to depend upon the skill Of sailing
masters exclusively. Since then the rela
tive positions have changed, and there il
now hardly yacht owner in New York
Providence. Boston, or San Francisco, whs
is not able to command his own yacht II
person. The English cracks, like Ear
Dunraven and Mr.. Ralli, who lately have
been hesitating about accepting the Ameri
ca cup challenge, are now obliged to ad
init, however unwillinQly, that while thu
gentlemen yachtsman of the tight littl'
island is like Ralph Rathstraw, "a sailo
born" the Yankee yachtsman, too, has al
ocean heritage and very much sicke
keel.
To this result the admiral's school ha
very greatly contributed. The old com
mander of the Haytien navy could not Civ
experience to his pupils; that they wer
supposed to supply themselves, and indee,
almost all Of the amateurs Who came =
him were men who spent q considerabl
portion Of every summer on their boats
8ut he taught them the HIGHER branches o