The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-17
DOWN ON CENTREBOARDS.
a sHIPBUILDER SAYS THEY ARE
UNSPORTsMzN LIKE.
Enslish and American Yachts BecouaInE
Msre Auke, sns Both HecortnE Mere
Racing Machines-Sotne Other Opistons.

HnetnR hachtnes-Soms Other Opiaton
The interest which has been shown in u
papers read before the second general meetln
OF the Society Of Naval Architects and Marin
Engineers at the American Society Of Mechan
cal Engineers club house, 10 West Thirty-ft,
street, had In nowise Tagged yesterday whe
the second session began. Tho attendance wa
fully equal to that Of the preceding day. Anon
the naval experts present were Rear Admire
Henry Erbcn, recently retired from activ
service in the navy; Rear Admiral Rich
ard Meade. who presided during the create
part OF the afternoon session; Chief Naval Con
structor Philip Hichborn. 1. T.. Berth. Directo
OF the French Government School of NaVn
Design; Naval Constructor r. r.. Bowles, Chic
Engineer G.. II. Loring. Capt. Albrccht Hesse o
the Imperial Guards. Military Attache at tn,
German Legation. and Capt. Merit WACO of III,
Imperial Navy, Naval Attache ut the llussiar
Legation.
The first paper read was entitled "a Dynamic
Steam Engine Indicator Tester" II was writer
by Prof. Cecil II. Peabody and Assistant Pro
lessor i. f.. Miller, and was read by the former
Owing to the illness Of Capt. w. r. Sampson
his paper on Tho Present status of Face.
hardened Amor was read by Secretary W. L.
Capps. Itspokc OF the difficulties which ri first
delayed the development of facc-hardened
armor In this country. and which have now been
practically overcome. The greatest objection
to the face-hardening or Harvey process, and
one which seems least likely to be overcome in
the immediate future, is its expense. The thick.
est plates are exposed to high temperatures for
weeks at n time, and the charges for repairs.
fuel, and labor are very great
Capt. Sampson discussed Mt some length the
susceptibility OF nickel steel in treatment, say.
ing 1t " may be abused in the most shameful
.-.. .la - Hg1--- ~
cases Of tests made in this country and abroad
and the differences in behavior required for
final acceptance.
The next paper read was on Hydraulic Power
for War ships by Naval Constructor Albert W.
Stahl. The purpose Of this paper was to set
forth the advantages Of hydraulic power for
operating the auxiliary machinery of war ships.
Constructor Stahl advocated the use Of distilled
water TO replace the steam now used, as the
presence Of the piping for the latter Is always
Objectionable and Is liable to serious injury in
action. Another reason advanced was that the
machinery required would be much less COM
plicated and not need such great care and atten-
ton. Hydraulic turning gear has been placed
for operating the turrets in the Monterey and
Oregon and the ammunition hoists OF the New
York. and have performed their work with
Lewis Nixon Of the Cramp Shipbuilding Com
pany OF Philadelphia read an interesting paper
wa, r rssniS IN nn nmes,Sa az" ne Gnniaad' NV which hi
tory OF yachting from the time when they be-
gan to form q distinct class Of their own. When
racing started. he said. efforts were made to
bring about regulations for contests. These
were effected about the middle of the present
Mr.. Nixon read a table Of comparison between
the Britannia and the Nigilant, giving as their
length over all l2l.09 feet and 1878 feet re-
ut will be seen from this table that with an
oyer all length nearly six feet less than the
length OF water line. While not always done,
the water line length should be measured when
Al racing weights, including men. are on board.
The racing length rule applied to the Nigilant
and Britannia in this country would reduce the
allowance which the Nigilant gives by about
one-half minute in a ffty-mile course. which is
in itself a striking evidence that the yacht de-
OF the two countries have evolved types
best suited. not only to the conditions holding
regulating the racing in those waters.
The rules. while easy Of application, have not
The contrary. they have developed a racing ma
chine, as 1t Is called, or boat wherein every con-
except the greatest speed has been
We find that the yachts OF England and
America are becoming more and more alike. or,
in other words. that points of superiority are
quickly appropriated by rival designers.
On one point. however. we find a very radical
While for shallow harbors and cruising work a
centreboard il. "A convenience, II Is unfortunate
1t should be considered essentially Ameri-
can. or that our success should be so often at
tributed to it. A heavy centreboard like that OF
the Nigilant is "a positive drawback. II greatly
Increases the draught, and where n vessel with
deeper draught than the Nigilant could have
gone. we find her striking the bottom when her
tonsJ when lowered wasdoubtless an aid to stiff
ness, but the same amount OF stiffness could
been obtained In another way. The atten-
ton required tends to detract the mind OF who
ever Is in charge, and IL requires men to handle
L who might better be employed otherwise.
There Is another and In my estimation more
objection to the Centreboard than
my yet suggested. II Is "a device which. so far
rs the true aim Of yachting Is concerned. is
seamanlike or sportsInanlike.
The true aim OF, Yachting and yacht racing
, : 10 dheveiGR nike Mix ihe arr Of the naval architect
ne 10 use natures own motive power at sea,
he wind This aim presupposes a hull OF simple
inform or the same under all conditions: that
: to say. a keel boat. Thu cpntreboard violates
ice not properly n part of the vessel. disturbing
he interior economy of the boat, creating prob
ems in design. and construction that arc ex-
raneous and alien to the true art, and requiring
and practices In ~man9uvring that
10 not In any sense pertain to seamanship
In "a word, II is the. Introduction OF
mechanics into a science which is intended TO
Teal purely and primarily with the forces and
he difficulties of nature alone.
From this point of view | do not hesitate to
Ieclaro that In any international race calcu-
ated TO contest the question OF supremacy in
sailing vessels. IL would be quite as
portsInanlike for one marty TO provide hIs boat
TN u SuTTcplltlOus storage DdttcFy 10 operate a /
mall auxiliary propeller TO help along in q
Iritting match. rs with n device whereby he
an increase or decrease at will the wetted sur
ace, and with IL the lateral or longitudinal re-
istance of his boat according To the require
nents Of his point OF sailing. One is quite rs
ncchaniral as the other, and hence they would
e equally unsportsmanlike aud unseaman-
In speaking of the centrebOard from a his
Orical standpoint, he said il originated IN a
lumsy device of the early nayigators of the
,Orth Sea, whose boats were simply tubs. and
he only way they could be kept on any course
by hanging a barn door over tine leo rail.
surely such a device, originating from such
cannot be a good pattern for sports
len in efforts To develop naval architecture.
While IL Is true that there Is the expedient side
I this question. which is that a vessel of thir-
zen feet dTauRht ar over is OF hut little use. eN-
ept for International racing, II Is also true that.
ven with "A Centreboard, To be successful In flu
are international races IL seems almost neces-
airy Ia 20 to greater depths in order To lower
he ballast. II this is 50, it seems desirable to
at loose aud design AN American keel boat for
International racing"
Naval Constructor j. ]. Woodward followed
18th a paper on - Recent Light-drauSht Gun
which gave Ia detail their construction.
AnOut a hundred OF the naval experts attended
dinner last night at the Hotel brunswick. The
Irge table was set In the shape OF a letter L,
nd WAS decorated with flowers and models of