The Portland daily press., 1895-07-01
in HER CRADLE STILL.
Defender Stubbornly Refuses To Be
Helped Into the Water.
A STRONG RIGHT ARM SNAPPED A
CABLE TRYING TO AID HER.
The Yacht is Perfectly Safe for the Pres
ent-Som ething About Her Build and
the Lavish Expenditure to Make Her a
Wonder in Yachting History.

tnU-SoLuotAlA& <Aboob -ASA ~~~
the Lavish Expenditure to Make Her a
Wonder in Yachting History.
Bristol, r. l., June 30.-The Defender,
which disappointed her admirers by
stopping and sticking fast on the ways
when she should have slid gracefully int
the water yesterday, is still there. She
| came to standstill just as the big crowd
on shore and afloat was preparing to give
but in vain and the attempt was given
up until today. The rain of the past few
days had washed great deal of the
grease from the cradle in which she lay,
and the result was that when she was
two-thirds submerged she hung.
The Davis Coast Wercking company S
tug Right Arm tried hard to pull the
Defender off the ways this afternoon at
~ 80 Two bights of Manila 12-inch
hawser were taken out on the tugs stern
and rove singly through an endless strap
attached to the cradle. The Right Arm had
two anchors ahead fifty fathoms. With
her steam windlasses, she propeller began
to work. The engines were not going a
great while before the twelve inch hawser
snapped off short in two places. The
| anchors were being hove home when one
of the eight inch hemp cables parted
without moving the Defender the least
bit The job was given up until tomor-
row morning. Capt Davis said his diver
had been down with Diver Duncan but
could not see anything the matter as the
boat was on the cradle all right. Capt
/ Davis fold a rapnTtQr she ha crOttpn off
the ways just as we'll at lower water as
at high tide, as she has no buoyancy
whatever in her present position and
therefore no displacement She rests in
the cradle safely and without ally strain
The Defender is nearly 1876 feet over
all, in beam about 23 feet 2 inches and
will draw nearly nineteen feet of water.
Her hull is Of composite metallic con-
struction, for steel, manganese bronze,
aluminium and wood enter into the con-
struction Of the body of the yacht, wood
being used only in the deck and the scan
| ty interior fittings.
| The lower part of the vessel, or fin, is
about a5 feet long, its lowest edge being
taken up by the enormous bulb of lead,
weight of lead is cast all in one piece,
which was done on February 81 last. II
is well shod on the lower side by cast
ing OF bronze, and its Sides including
it's bulb, or increased section at it's lower
edge, are all covered with manganese
bronze, SO as to insure a perfectly smooth
| surface.
The form of this fin, with its weight
Of lead, is admirably adapted for meet
ing its several requirements. 1t is well
sharpened, SO as to cut the water; it is
highly polished so that friction may be
as nearly destroyed as possible; it is so
formed that she will turn around on her
heel, as it were, like dancing master;
1T has lateral resistance enough SO the
yacht will hold her course when closely
hauled to the wind, and besides being a
superior support to the leaden weight,
the life and power of the entire structure,
its superficial extent has been so formed
and SO worked over that all the recounted
qualities exist in full degree, and still
| the wetted surface has been kept down
to the lowest point.
This absence of wetted surface, or rath-
er an abnormal amount. of it, is what
will give yacht speed qualities in light
winds or moderate winds, the point
where we most fear the Valkyrie III.
The upper portion of the fin merges in
to the hull of the yacht by a gentle
by Watson in the Valkyrie III, in which
latter vessel the part Of the hull above
the fin and before the bilge is reached, is
conspicuously flat, which, in some
conditions of sea, will tell against her.
In the Defender, however, the form o1
her section is beautifully easy; all its
curves are gently rounded, combining
grace and ability to make high speed il
rough water. All the plating of the fiji
and it's weight of lead is of highly pol.
ished manganese bronze, which plating
is carried up to the last row of plates al
the gunwale.
The general design of the Defender is
after that of the Wasp, with, of course
many features where time and expert
ence have suggested improvements The
same original form of bow first tried in
I the Gloriana and improved in the WASP
and later productionsE is here present
in it's most recent and highly developed
form.
The Defenders S bow is far sharper thar
is that of the Vigilant. Its entrance is
consequently keener, and in rough water
she must be faster. The outline is also
of such design that she will use more Of
her hull in rough seas at the moment
when such increase of length and buoy.
ancy is most needed.
Her stern is not carried out so far as
was expected, but there is the assurance
that all the stern that is useful in con
tinuing the lines of the vessel and giving
deck room has been retained, and by the
stopping of the overhang at the proper
point at the stern a deal of weight is
saved, which will be an important fac
tor in her speed giving qualities
Her giant mast is stepped well forward
so as to give a large mainsail and com
paratively moderate sized head sails
1t is evident that the Defender, al
though a very powerful vessel, will not
be SO absurdly oversparred and overcan
yassed as the Valkyrie III. is, and il
rough water and high winds the Defen
der should beat the English yacht easily
but in fairly smooth water and a moder
ate wind it must be confessed that oul
opponent is likely to worry us sorely.
!; The Valkyrie III. will give the Defen
der some time allowance say about two
minutes in the usual thirty knot course
so there is that crumb of comfort which
may tell to the advantage of the Ameri
cans in the average of the sailing winds
and water that is found on our coast.
Where the builders of the Valkyrit
III. employed wood in the construction
!, of their yacht, the Americans used th,
famous manganese bronze an alloy fam
Gus for it's strength and it's ability to re
sist the action of sea water and through
all exposure to retain it's smooth polished
surface.
Aluminium has been largely employed
in the construction of the Defender il
, every place where its wonderful qualitie
| Al @I>o