The sun., 1893-10-05
FROM THE AMERICAS. LOG;
SOME EXPERIENCES 49, TIE OLD
fxoHT.s MOST FAMOUS V0YAaB,

A. FnlshrulIy Recorded 4. she Lor Bools
Kept By Mr.. JAIME. n. steers. Rrother OF
the Designer OF the Yacht. Who Sailed
In Her when She Went TO England, Do
ryine the Yachting World and Bratlrr
Everything She Found TO Kace with.
Infhe days Of the long ago, when I'm keels
were farin the dim future and time allowance
had not yet been invented to drive unfortunate
yschtsmen to desperation and the extraction
OF square roots. certain gentlemen OF the New
York Yacht Club. then an organization Of few
years standing. went to MIR. George Steers. q
well-known shipbuider. and spoke in SUBJ
stance 40 follows:
I'VE want n yacht that car boat the world
and We want you to build it. Don't let IL cost
moro than $4,000. That is our only restric-
ton. You may build her Just as you like. only
make her a world beater."
SO the famoue schooner yacht kmericn was
built and went across the ocean. and ON Aug.
22 1861. won from all England the Americas
Cup. forSvhich the Falkyrie and vigilant are
now about to struggle. Among others who
went on that most aotable voyage In tho his
tory OF yachting we're the designer. George
steers. and his brother. James .R. Steers.
James r. kept log book ohthe voyage. which
has been lent, to The 6eE by Mr. James W.
Steers Of 1868 Bushwick avenue. Brooklyn.
the nephew OF the writer and son OF the de-
sgner. IN whose possession 1t now Is. This
narrative. tho style Of which is chiefly notable
for its delightful ingenuousness and direct
moss. begins. without wasting any time on in
troductory matter. Just when the voyage be-
gins, June 81 1851:
Left the foot Of Twelfth street. 8 o'clock A.
NJ. Wind light 9oclock took steamer and was
towed out OF the East River. IL o'clock. 10
To, rto1 u,ith frio a., -,
George Gibbons came on board with officers
1 o'clock and twelve minutes. The steamer
Pacific passed US and gave us nine cheers and
two guns which was returned by US with good
heart as it was given. At o'clock passed
Sandy Hook bar going IL knots At 10 o'clock
p NJ. rather squeamish: Captain. Second
Mate. and Carpenter took a little brandy-say
about ten drops"
After gauging thus accurately the dissipa-
tions OF his shpmates. Mr.. Steers enters upon
acourse OF technical records. depressing only
to comment lingeringly upon the toothsome
dishes prepared by the cook. and occasionally
inserting rather sGueamish weather. went
below early" which may be supposed to have
some connection with the writer's affection for
the culinary department On June %. he re-
cords. they set tho square sail. or Big Ben.
the Captain calls it." and with Ben's assist
ance the ship made 2S4 knots in twenty-four
hours the best days run Of the voyage. Two
days later the run was within eight miles OF
TIesGhnE Ies this record making 27d miles Tho
"Gommenced with light breeze but in
to si Bfeeze Passed ship with
enough to SPEAK. Had for dinner to- day s a
beautiful piece OF Roast Beef and green peas.
the Fss R9 sRs for Eysg D hRs se na
enough to surprise tSs body
by the aid OF which they made 2o4 knots:
put on the next day the breeze was light. and
four hoars IN spite Of whioh NJ Mr. Steers Is
be hest sea boat that ever went outiof the Hook.
seen must lie witnessed to be believed" And
the sas Ess ths day We was hs f sha
bark Clyde Of Liverpool right ahead about IL
O'clock, and a. u O'clock p. NJ. she was out of
The record q the two days following shows
writer OF the log is evidently disCusted here.
ever rained harder since Noah oated @ ,in his ark.
beef. smashed potatoes. with rice pudding for
dessert should live to get home this will be
The weather was still worse on the next day.
came out Mr.: Steers seems to have little faith
ths Est day the M sun b, has shSne; and
so%Dan % R uy hase tsses
994 snf Prsf's ptS sTf he large lib and
lent the small one. 1t looks like a shirt on u
bean pole. Passed clipper brig bound the
she was going ahead
Our cook is not a very good caterer" he
been induced By the fact that there was a
heavy head sea and the ship was making the
y The good ship covered 212 knots on July
3, but she took it easy for 179 knots on tho
glorious Fourth. which the writer character
came hard luck. for, the whole distance sailed
The America redeem cd Herself on july 8. how how.
ever, by making ~ knots. and did still better
under the date Of July s: and on the following
day i tells how the builder. Mr.. G,s9rge steers;
to break open one Of the boxes marked rum.
as George had the belly ache. and all of our !
IN 50 was wo not took ou
bottles cities out and think that it win last Us"
These boxes pei t6%e9Nngsd to J9hn Stevens
one Of the owners Of the yacht. who, sailed on
her at the races. He appears further along
ny" It was good sailing on July 10. which
was characterized by fresh breezes and squalls:
Ss log th aay He mads 81 ot
about 10 4. NJ and they have got everything
set that they can carry. but We are picking |
citing"
Two hundred and fifty knots is this days |
record. The next days is lU8. and at y O'clock |
that evening. having sailed 70 knots since |
noon. the ship was hove to at Havre.
She made the journey in twenty days and |
1--WE hours. ,remar kably fast time when it is re-
N en- bered that she was becalmed four days.
II took the valkyrio twenty-nine days to get
across The Americas average time was
about II knots an hour Her best record for
twenty. four hours was 2s4 knots. and her
worst 33 knots. There were only si& days on
which she fell below $50 knots. There were
nine days when she made more than 200 !
inots and five days when she did better than
From the point of tho Americas arrival at
Hayre MIR. Steerss narrative ceases to appear
N the log book form and becomes series OF
made by man, who, kept his
,yes wide open. He writes nuantly and at
length. but chiefly Of people and
n this narrative Unfortunately. the account
1oes not go so far as the cup race. but other
matters OF interest regarding the America arc
ouched upon. Mr.. Steers expresses his opin-
,alls "Jonny" with great freedom
:" i am very much dissatisfied myself with
,lde Stevens" says Mr.. Steers. and here is his