The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-23
FLOATING A LAUNCH.


Colman's Steam Pleasure Yacht Safely
Put to Water.
The finest craft ever launched on Puget
sound was set afioat at the foot OF Republican
street, in North Seattle at 730 o'clock last even
ing. II Is steam launch, built by J. NJ. Col
man and his two sons, Lawrence J. and George
A., for their private use. For beauty
and novelty OF design and quality of finish 1t
surpasses anything that has ever been built on
the Sound.
The boat is 61-foot keel, 10-foot beam and 5
feet deep, and of a handsome model. Its
machinery consists of two compound balanced
engines, with and 1o-inch cylinders and
q 9-inch stroke, and q 40-horse power
pipe-coil boiler, all of new design. Her
propeller ia fl lty-fou inches. On the forward
end is a triangular pilothouse with door open
ing in from each side, and aft in q small cabin
elegantly finished, in which ladies' toilet-room
Is neatly arranged Between the pilot house
snd the cabin is open with comfortable seat ON
each side the whole length In front of the
pilot-house and in the rear of the cabin Is sew
eral feet of open deck. The hull is ell built of
fir, and the pilot-house and cabin are of Spanish
cedar and oak. Mr.. Colman designed the boat
and all the machinery himself. and he and his
two sons, with the aid of two ship carpenters,
constructed it throughout, engines. boiler and
everything. The machinery is all nickel plated
and was built some time before the fire for
launch OF similar design they were working on
then, but W hich was burned.
Mr.. colmsn chose the remote place at the foot
of Republican street for doing the work because
he desired to avoid the interruption that would
otherwise be oecasioned by visitors calling and
making inquiries about the boat. A shop was
built purposely in which TO do the work. and it
has taken shout eight months to build the
boat.
Mr. Colman says the boat has not been de-
signed nor built for speed. He thinks she will
-. -
was a secondary consideration in her construc-
ton, the main object being to have a comfort
able pleasure launch for the use of his own
family.
When she was being launched last night q
number of ladies and gentlemen got aboard for
the novelty of being In her when she struck the
water Those were: Mrs ]. NJ. Colman, Miss
Mabel Dickey, Miss Campbell, of Milwaukee;
Mr. and Mrs. ]. A. whatley, Mr.. l. J. Colman,
Mr.. George A. Colman, Mr.. John Dodds and DR..
Z. G. kiibourne. On the latter gentleman was
bestowed the honor of christening her, and he
called her the Cyrsne.
As she struck the water she rolled over on one
aide, as there was no ballast In her, but did not
roll enough to dip water, though several of
those aboard were badly scared. and scrambled
for the upper side. She was pulled around
alongside the dock, and water was poured in
her ballast tanks until she righted. The tug
Mystic went out to tow her to = house that has
been built for her near the Hatfield -Colman
dock.
II will be about q week yet before ell the work
of finishing will be completed She will then
be given trial trip, and the following week will
20 out on an excursion with q number of in
vited guests.
This 10 the third launch Mr.. Colman has
built, the Argo and Latona being the other two.
He has also built number OF tugboats and has
been engaged in the ship building business for
years.