The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-06
AMERICAS CUP VICTORIES.
Real Reason Why They Should Not Ez-
cite Anybody'S Surprise.
TWO STARTLING STEPS IN ADVANCE.
Schooner That Changed the Principles OF
Yacht Building and Warship That
set Every Dock-yard at
Work.


America has twice startled the wr.1d BY
a sudden and successful advance IN de
signing ships. On each occasion inc lact
was presented with dramatic enect
which viii never be forgotten on TINS SUI
of the Atlantic. The famous schooner
America which entered the SOient IN
iN,l changed the principles OF yacht bulid-
ing. Ericsson in 1862 produced the NOM
tor. and within the year every BRUSH
backward was working night<nd day az
constructing a new navy driyxl by steam
and built oil iron and steel. 1he force OF
brain wl.ch produced this double a'hi.ne-
mcnt can scarcely be Overfated. Inc
Industry of naval construction is so an
Gent and so vast that II has no secrets,
The difficulties and the directions OF posi-
BILE progress are 30 Wei known thdt tncy
are the common problems OF INC pioics
sion In The annals of the feets OF ma
tious II is almost impossible TO marx any
distinct point of departure in new design
due to the .ntcrpris of indiNlnuais. nv
evolution Of the shrp S hkc mat on NJ
mails The secondary creahohs py
which Sir Richard owen desired 10 &c
rount for unaccOuntable Specs are rare
and notable exceptions. In the case OF
the l1onitor the human creative iorte
vas stimulated by an extraordinary ma
tional crisis. Ericsson also owed SOM
thing 10 the reserve OF ne" AioNl'pse
and new material which the steer anu
steam age had accumulated. inc posa
bio iron-clad Mentor existed in the lOund-
ries and engine works OF the feieTal
States. Ericsson, an engineer anu -htsn-
Tor but also an cX-naVal oncer, coinbH
"a the new forces IN new engine OF
war which took the form Of Il ship, part
is because at that moment new ana
Ind ostruct bic form OF ship was . presslhs
national necessity. The unconditional
contest with the Morrimac was drama
tic. but not necessary, evidence OF sue
CO.'S The Monitor was the result OF gen
ius working In a hurry for special &C.
had there been no war Of secession. the
Monitor would have been evolved IN Que
eorrsc, as the possibilities Of new materai
and new forces became apparent 10 t1r
mechanical designer. me builder OF ,il'
America perhaps deserves even more Gre
All for genius, because ne WORKED Win
the old forces and the old materials. She
was Schooner OF 200 tons, bulit AT N'"
York hy David Steers steers was ma
,uralize1 American having been born at
Dartmouth. i'm DevOnshire, ana nfst lhaue
a reputation a. a builder of sailing craft
by the speed Of the pilot cutters Wiilch
were launched from his yard. Ihe EilS-
ush vachtsmen kept TO the old models.
reproducing more or less tnc TYPE "i
the cutters and schoOncrs WI nau Dc
come famous as lignt crdit IN '"e hVSd
Navy. The New York designer bdlit
vessel VIII. en- was obviously new ue-
parture IF she is all right then We are
all wrong was Lord AnSleseN re-
mark when the America. owned by com,
modOre Stevens anchOrcdi off Cow,s ana
challenged any yacht ail6at to race on
even terms for any sum not exceeding
1000 pounds. The vessel VAS Inscribed as
very low, with raking masts a roomy num-
100 feet Of extreme length, and . ieet
beam Tier sails were of stout cotton
instead Of heavy canvas. and her rigging
was without a superfluOus rope. But she
was an admirable sea boat, cohlloIt-
able Vachf az well as a racing ma
chine" When coming up the Channel
she met and beat one Of the largest ana
fastest English cutters. ana she was soon
entered for a decisive race for cup given
by the Royal Yacht squadron, open 10
yachts Of all nations.
The course was round the Isle of Wight.
Fifteen English yachts competed against
her eight cutters and seven schoonefs,
and the America beat the best, the Aur-
ora. by II minutes The cup 80 Won was
presented by the joint owners or the
America to the New York yacht tluD'
10 be- perpetual international challenge
trophy open TO all the world. for yachts
from - ions to 300 tons measurements;
the challengers to be yacht clubs ana
not Yacht owners as dviduals TINS
stipulation was made TO secure the re-
preventative character of future races.
In all subsequent efforts to recapture ana
defend the Gun. this end has been secur-
ed. Each competing vessel mas Deen ie-
rarled as the embodiment of English ana
American designers skill at the date OF
trial. and If the success OF IN" latter mas
not been of SO startling a character N
the later rs I'm the earlier races, the New
Workers have more than held their own,
and In the construction OF tnur latest
vessels have been able 10 command the
services of inventors OF the highest call
nre The brothers HeTTeshJm. tho build
crs Of the Niglant AMI the Defender are
not less celebrated as engin Frs IMAM As
designers of ships ana the astohishins
faculty by which one of this gifted family
maintains his pos ton among the leaders
of his profession after tie loss Of efcsisnt
IS one of the marycls OF modern meIhalh-
cal ability. III.
ENGLISH Yacht lIilf
after the race Of iS5i was "Amcricanizcd
the first efforts 10 rccapture the cup We're
s.ugrlarly unsuccessful The New Eng
land designers always X 'pt ahead of the
conyists In 1870 the Cambria, a schooner
of $50 tons. raced and beat Mr.. Gordon
Benefits schooner pauntless across inc
Atlantic. though the difference between
these two sailing Yachts was Only ] houI
Il minutes m making the run from Queen
stown 10 Sandy Hook Fifteen American
schconers entered against the cambria
for the cup, and seven came IN pelo,,
her The fourth of these was the Oh
America then twenty-one years oie. ~"
had been used FOR cruising In the Medi,
terranean. had won race open 10 an
Corners from European yacht cubs, anu
ended her days as a Sound trading yes
sci after being sold by her yachting oNH-
or. The LivOnia, large schooner OF ~
tons, was then built with the express uc-
gn Of winning back the cup. I'd" New
Workers made terms by which they might
nominate different vessels for ca IN race.
thc prize 10 he awarded 10 the winner OF
four courses out OF seven. Ihey thus
were able 20 choose a boat suited 10: the
weather on eaCl separate lay, and placed
tn Livonia at a Disadvantage. she lost.
only winning one race out or nNe. rms
WAS only a year after the defeat or the
Cambria II was not until Is, that an
English va hit showed such marked super
forty over it's rivats at home that the
idea os another effort 10 win back the
Gun took form. The late Sir Richard SUIT
tons yacht Gcnesta was the fastest boat
affoat In European waters. She was
a nincty-fon cutter built OF Glasgow.
To meet her the New York Yacht club
cmployed Mr.. Burgess OF Boston 10 bu.ld
the Puritan. MIR Burgess was an admir-
able Yacht designer. But the limits OF
cxI,tlng constructive ability were almost
reached whether on the American or
English side Of the Atlantic. The Gcncsta
In the deciding race was only beaten by
two minutes and few seconds. and both
the Cape May CUP and the Hrcnton Reef
Cup were won ~ her from the New York
Yacht club aud brought back 10 Eng
land. \ larger English cutter the Gala
tea. was beaten by the Mayilower in the
rest season. and the Thistle designed by
Mr.. G.. L. Watson for a syndicate OF
tccr. built by Mr.. Burgess. N the Jubilee
year.
These defeats. and the growing taste
or si1ail yacht racing I'm which the owner
could direct The sailing AMI nav cation OF
his own vessel, tended 10 discourage the
owfSf, hip of large expensive yach-s OF
ilrei SONS suitable FOR intern ltional
yacht racing. IL was the German EmDer-
Or who garc new impetus to the build