New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-12
THE DEFENDERS RIG.
A QUESTION WHETHER 1T is TOO LIGHT
PUBLIC OPINION AS TO HOLLOW sPARs AND
BooMs-TTE USE OF THE TuRNBUcKLE DIS
CUssED- sHoUI.D THE BIG sIOoP BE
sTEERED BY A TIIL.ER?-vIEwS

BooMs-THE USE OF THE TuRNBUCKLE DIS
cussED- SHOULD THE BIG srooP BE
sTEERED BY A TILLER?-vIEws
or AN EXPERT.
Not much attention should be vouchsafed TO con-
stitutlonal croakers Yet certain men OF early days
who assisted coming events TO cast their shadows
before them were objectionably correct. Daniel
a most uncomfortable person for small tea
party. and other people are now getting
themselves dsliked" who shake the head forebod-
ingly when they refer to the Defenders frequent
mishaps and breakages. They say that she is too
lightly rugged. and liken her hollow gafs to brit
tie. hollow straws-straws to show how the wind
blows And as the broken pieces always drift to
leeward. these croakers take the augury as I'M
favorable
Not every understands why hollow gam
should be strong. or, some say. stronger.
than made Of solid wood The theory has been
said to be this-that the outside she'll OF spar Is
the only part which takes the strain and does the
work II has been asserted that the fibre OF the in
terror does nothing to assist long boom 10 resist
bending and breakage when subjected to force
laterally applied. Others have even tried TO de-
monsirate that this interior part aided In the break
age by not allowing the outside shell to collapse a
little when under great strain.
This may be all highly scientific, and the theories
regarding the superior advantages OF the hollow
spar may be correct but there large numbers OF
old-fashioned people who believe that heart OF
strong fibre Is valuable In a boom as II is In n
| boy. Many Of these possibly Anticipated persons
have been out camping sometimes. and have had
to break up their frewood 10 cook with While
doing this they generally prefer to stamp on
boughs that hollow merely filled with pith,
rather than break their foot on piece that Is
solid fibre through and through Such experiences
entitled TO no consideration whatever II
science has definitely proved that the solid stick
breaks easiest. but they may be said 10 have a
| troll Hing on no ima a
two days ameness tends exclude consideration OF
| scientific dicta
or course lightness Is what Is being sought for.
But small differences In the weight OF the top
hamper are not nearly so important at the present
day they In the old days when small
amounts OF ballast carried and when the very
| broad beam Of the yachts expected 10 supply
the chief portion Of the stability. In those days
much shifting ballast piled out to wndward
az counterpoise against the sail stress and the
weight OF the spars aloft. But when boat has
eighty tons OF lead on It, keel It holds a potent
factor for stability Indeed few people realize
what enormous power eighty tons OF lead sup
| ply when In this position II means that you can
| blow every spar out OF boat without capsizing
her-that the worst hurricane ever known will not
upset her 1t also means that no difference could
| be perceptblc In her sailing II the weight OF the
| Defenders present gan trebled. II Is no
more than sparrow church steeple; and It
should be understood that TO run the smallest risk
in order to acquire lighness OF spsrs Is the worst
| OF all economies. This craze for useless and
precarlous lightness OF spars and rigging IL per-
| haps to be expected In those whose lifelong con-
sideration OF a light centrcboards necessities has
| become sort Of instinct or second nature which
| cannot be all at once dsregardcd when different
| type OF craft makes further and other require
| ments.
HER RIG APPEARS COBWEBBY.
As she at present appears. the Defender seems to
| be rugged with cobwebs. This does not suggest
| that her fine wire rigging lacks sufficient tensile
strength to do Its proper work. but It accurately de-
| scrbes her appearance az she sails past In race.
| Probably there IL for doubt I'm regard 20
this wire rigging The Herrcshoffs doubtless tested
1t thoroughly but II dismayed two English yachts
| men. who witnessed the Defenders first race at
| NewYork. These men did not apparently under
| stand the excellence OF the American manufacture
In this kind OF rigging. and their criticism was OF
more value when II touched upon the Of turn
buckles.
The accident to the Jubilee just before arriving
in New-Tondon the other day Is another case in
point regarding the turnbuckle It is only one OF
a long list Probably more mishaps from the
drawing out OF turnbuckles than from any other
work well. or that they provide Improvement
buckles and turnbuckles Hall the time can
tell. when acquiring them. whether they are good
quality too often results in q big wreckage. Halt
the time the maker himself cannot tell whether
there be that small rift within the lutte which later
gives rise to considerable dscord when the spars
go over the side and coat of paint can cover more
The setting up, of snrouds and bob'tays with Ian
as the the 9b dS moi be eos s ps 90 OF
general cobweb. but no one has heard OF II carry
knows where 'ee arepan AMI impossibity when this
satisfactory reliability is risked for useless sen
were dsmasted and totally wrecked through the
inefiicency OF turnbuckles the writer may. per
Three of these smashes occurred through the bob
stay tqT h Yielding in jumping sea The
bowsprits went out and the masts followed
-, on course. men who use urnbuskles swear b,
put them The on his own INTENDED cuP,detender BIZ
day be-
ns ubes nsary lost her d s cannot be
that was in any way inferior to those used on tn,
Defender. and the accident shows that in spite o
tho greatest care in the selection or special make
OF these articles they cannot be relied upon Will
Some alleged croaking Is only commons sense. ant
more eiiicacous before than after the event Wher
the canvass s all spread out on the water the tim.
Tor advantageous conversation has passed.
WHIRLIGIG sTEERING-GEAR.
This applies also in regard to that valuable col
lection OF wheels and merry go rounds which is ex
pected to supply the Defender with the means o
controlling the movements of her rudder But wher
tho rudder takes entire charge OF these mechan
isms the case is different 1t has always been con
sdered 10 be a marked INSTRUMENTATION the par
OF the tail when II undertook to the dog. Thes
caudal usurpations should not be encouraged. Thu
Defender has already lost one race when the rudde
hove her up into the wind. and might have kept OF
spinning her ever since, only for the assistance o
timely steamer. An Interesting reporter on
Of the papers said that the bearings got hot. an,
the apparatus refused to work, but that II al
In perfect condition again after the Defender wa
towed into harbor and the wheels taken apar
and cooled and oiled
Now. there Is provision for this In the inter
national contests for the cup. though there Is NJ
SAVING what further deed OF gift might compre
bend Lord Dunraven IL conscientious man. bu
even the hrmest believers In him refuse to warran
that II the Nalkyrie gets lead she will stop an,
walt while the Defender cools and oils her swollel
and overexcited coswheels.
The public does not contribute one cent 70 tn
preparation of the Defender, but 1t has more thar
warm interest in her as the protector OF the Ma
tional prestige. and It naturally asks whether
De advisable to stake 30 much on the humor OF a
intricate mechanism. which has already show