The evening world., 1895-08-16
The New Flyer Far Above Her
Marked Waterline When the
Tape Went on Her Hull.
500 PEOPLE At ERIE BASIN.
II 10 Said that The Big SinsIe.Stick.
ers Rate Nearly Alike, but No
Measurements Are Stated.

The yacht Nigilant arrived at the Erie
Dry-Dock At y o'clock this morning
having been towed up from Bay Ridge
by her tender Aeronaut. She was re-
csived at the dock by Supt. Dickie and
Dockmaster McGilvrey. under whose di-
rection the big caisson was swung open
and the yacht towed to the head OF
the dock.
She was no stranger there. as two
years ago she received her final pre-
parations for the Americas Cup contest
In the same dock.
This dock is a celebrated one for
yacht cleaning. as. in addition to Vigi-
liant. Genesta and Valkyrie II. have also
undergone preparations there, while in
the dock adjoining Thistle was at one
time cleaned.
Mr.. John Hyslop. the Yacht Clubs
measurer, was early on hand, ana
boarded Nigilant. He had n long talk
with Mr.. a. willard. after which he
began preparations for measuring her.
The tightening of the boat was then be-
gun. The first thing done was to re-
move the anchor chains, and they were
run through the port hawse hole into a
fiat bottom scow which lay alongside
The yachts only anchor. that on the
port bow, was also swung into the bat
teau.
over two hundred business men who
are Interested In yachting stopped on
their way to the city early this morning
TO see the yachts. but were considerably
disappointed at the non-arrival OF de-
fender
Measurer Hyslop got to work rs soon
Ntctlant had been hoated int the
big basin, where the smooth water In
sured perfect measurements.
She had been. II ghtencd. OF nvorything
portable and was In the same condi-
-tion. as. she VIII be in when stripped for
a'race ''''H
The crew gathered amidships and the
battenS and plurnblines were piled
huSriedly by tho expert. who quickly
took off the figures and as quickly slid
his fingers along the tape. thus prevent
Ing any OF the records from being OBJ
served.
lie next attacked the spars and stays
with his steel tape and had finished
his important task within three-quarters
of an hour.
Defender reached the dock at II o'clock
in tow of the tug Wallace Il. Flint, and
was greeted with a cheer from the
crowd OF about three hundred observers
that fringed tho big concrete basin.
Nearly all rushed to the end Of the
yard to. feast their eyes upon the new
beauty.
Defenders topmast was housed. and
everything about her looked as though
amy attempts to measure her would be
impossible.
Contrary to expectation. she was
locked in the same basin as was Nigi-
she had been blocked and shored up a,
the outer end OF the basin.
SeAthed In tSe big bnsn vsnmt nss
tSt the shops and Defender at the
outer end. a most admirable opportunity
for comparing their lines was afforded
&vahed themselves of.
AT 11.45 Defenders crew had finished
and had slowed it on board the tendei
to go into the dock with Vigilant, wher'
she was to be officially measured 70
She was warped into the basin an,
up to within $50 feet OF, Nigilant whel
dock.
Everything had been done to, lighter
her draught as much as possible, AM
her dark water line was hve or 81,
inches above the surface OF the water
She was fully two inches higher for
and on deck were. Capt, Han, olive
3Iselin. Nat Herreshoff. who seemed I
superintend operations, and Mr.. Leeds.
Mr.. Iselin and Mr.. Leeds rowed aroun
Defender several times. taking frequen
measurements from the water line, an
were finally well satisfied with the eN
Oficial Measurer Hyslop left Vigilan
and padded down to Defender.
At this hour crowd OF fully 500 pee
pie were on the docks opposite Defende
leaving deserted "A
the uper end of the dock.
The contrast between the two hi
yachts was very strikingly illustrated
as they lay together in the dock.
The. differences were Nigilants sup,
rior breadth of beam and Defender
long narrow hull. Otherwise the spar
rigging. &C.. were almost the same. e,
cept for the newer appliances on d,
AZ i2.25. Measurer Hyslop began h,
work and seemed to take a great det
more time than when measuring Wig
liant, Nat Herreshoff accompanied hi,
ments fore and aft under the bow an
stern. and each measurement as takel
was verified by him. 1t took him nearl
measurements, and then he went ahoar
20 complete the measurements on decl
What the figures obtained are
merely matter of conjecture.
Just after the measurements at no
and stern. were completed Mr.. Iseli
left Defender and came ashore and too
the tugboat Walter. B, Flint for Ne
York. He wore pleased and satisno
look but when asked by an "Evcnin
tWorld" reporter If he would say any
thing about the measurements alread
made he replied:
mo; the figures positively will NJ
be given out until the English cha
slepger has been measured here"
When Mr.. Hyslop went aboard Defer
der he held long consultation with NJ
Iselin, MT. Herreshoff and Capt. Haf
and the measurements Of Nigilant wer
Undoubtedly given them at that tim
SO Mr.. Iselin practically knew abol
what allowance Defender would have
give Vigilant in the coming trial races
1t Is generally believed, however tina
the allowance will be less than two mil
utes. With a longer load water line an
a. large saL area, II is conceded ths
Defender must necessarily give SON
allowance to her competitor.
4. 1t was after 2 o'clock when Mr.. Hy'
-1op finished measuring Defender. He d