The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-29

accomplish anything, but those who saw
| aud kaew the Gloriana's performance last
! season held their their breath when they
hearp that Herreshoffs were building
! something to eclipse even then this queen
! of flyers. Can IL be done ~ was
the question asked by all. ''Wait
| and see," was the only answer. The
/ Gloriana had been vast improvement
| over the old school of yachts. Why not
| improve on herr There never was an in
vention yet on which there was not some
| improvement, and why not improve on
/ the Gloriana, even though she be perfec-
/ tion itself.
| And so this new boat was conceived.
/ She was known Mt first as the Gloriana
| No until about month ago. when she
was christened the Wasp. This was the
| boat that giided down the ways this morn
ing and kissed the briny Narragansett for
the first time.
She is own, yes twin sister of the Clio
riana. for she is the counterpart in every
respect with the exception of the sheer at
her fore part. In other respect Is she is
| identical with Morgan's pride, put in this
little difference lies that which is expect
ed TO make her victor, even over the ia
nous Gloriana when she is ready for the
racing season.
1t was early in the fall when the order
for "A world Deatern was put in the hands
of the lerreshotfs, the famous boat build
ers of Bristol.
They went 10 work on the new boat on
paper, and little more than three months
ago had drafted a boat which was cOnsld-
cred 20 be the peer and possibly the SUI
perior OF the famous 46-footer of 9l, She
was built on the same lines rs the Glor
lana with the exception that she sheered
away more from her bow-sprit to the keel.
liz theory counts for anything the Wasp
will astonish the yachting world as did
the Gloriana last year, but IL remains 10
be seen TO what extent this theory Will
prove practical.
The builders Of the Wasp have the con
fidence of the public that they will ac-
complish whatever they undertake for the
reason that they have not yet failed, but
the racing season of 'g2 alone can tell
whether or not they are on the right or
wrong track this time.
As the Wasp stood on the stays in the
shop this morning previous TO the launch
ing she was, indeed, funny look
ing craft, with her long deck
which underneath sheered away at
either end 10 the narrow keel which takes
the place of the centerboard in the world
beaters Of few years ago. Her deck is as
| bare as boards can make It., into the eN-
! ception of two openings with the cabins
below. but these openings do not rise
above the deck more than three inches
SO that she said to be entirely bare on
deck. Her cockpit, if such it can be
called, for it Is only ten inches deep, is
provided with seat and the straight
! tiller instead Of the wheel. Her dimen-
/ sions are as follows: 46-foot water line.
/ no feet over all; greatest beam, 1876
feet; depth, III feet.
! The hour set for the launching was .
] O'Clock, and by that time the docks along
both sides of the ways were lined with in
I terestcd townspeople, who take keen in
| terest in everything pertaining TO yacht
/ ing, beside many men from out of town.
who had come TO see the Gloriana's rival
| take her first dip in the waters which will
! be her home in the future.
The Herreshofls were prompt for il was
| only "a few minutes after the appointed
| hour when the last spar was knocked from
| under her and n shiver ran through her.
! Then she stirred and the two men on her
| deck pulled at the rope which was fastened
TO the dock outside. This gave her new
life and she started i'm earnest
her speed increasing with each
second as she shot down the ways into the
water Still she continued 20 rnn out
until she finally gave lurch then her
stern went down and her bow up She
slid little further out and then the tim
bers on which she had gone down the
ways went out from under her and she
hoated on her own hook, without the sup
port of anything,
Then she was moored mp carefully TO the
wharf aud will there remain while her
masts and rggings are being fitted TO her.
She Is owned 10y Archibald Rogers of New
York. who was an interested spectator of
this mornings launching. She IL expect
ell to be ready TO 20 into commission In
about a month.