New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-28
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
Cutting HOLES IN VESSELS SAILS.
,r,1s METHOD OF INCREASING SPEED. INVENTED
ny An ITALIAN sHIPMAsTER. PROVED IN
EFFECTIVE IN THE CASE OF
FLAT SAILS
To the Editor OF The Tribune.


FLAT SAILS
ia IN. Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; Some time ago the maritime world was con-
,derabIy exercised By and interested In an aleged
scovery or scheme OF an Italian shiDmaser y"heh
,ha speed OF sailing vessels could be materially IT.
creased 10y making holes In their sails Inc
Italian captain held that In the ordinary san =
cushion Of air is collected in the hollow OF peIy
Of the canvas, lessening the pressure OF the "lhd
y, ,h. sail and thus rotardng the speed OF the
vessel To prevent this he cut holes In the SAILS
o., his ship, let the wind out, and Claimed mat ne
had increased the speed OF his vessel to con-
siderable extent. He patented his discover! Ia
Europe and ayhap In this country also. Inc
scheme excited considerable comment and discus
sion at one time In the newspapers. particularly
IN the scientific and yachting journals bu: do
not remember until now having seen that any OF
our shipmasters had put the plan TO practical
test and expressed their opinions OF H.
CAPTAIN ". b. Butler OF Yarmouth \. s., an
intelligent mariner, master OF the British iou'
masted steel ship G. W. Wolf. owned by Safnue'
Lawther, Of Belfast Ireland recent trip from
England to PsaQua, Peru. tested the Iahah
scheme pretty thoroughly. and in a letter JUST re-
ceived states his experience. and gives MS cono'"
slons The letter Is as follows:
AS Won are more or less Interested In maritime
matters, perhaps the result OF my experience III
reference 10 a recent innovation recommended by
sailing vessels may be altogether undressing
l refer to the plan Of cutting holes In the sails
with the object Of obtaining greater speed IMAM
could otherwise be hoped for. have Tor a hufhoe'
OF years cut out and made my own sails IN prefer
ence to having them made on shore. and. natura'-
w. the claim put forth by the Italian lnlereS'eu
me from the first so that. getting what iriorma-
tion I could in regard 10 the size and location or
the holes decided try them. As a result OF my
experience | have arrived at the conclusion tha'
IT is only in what may be called oasgy' fa's
that the holes Will prove an adNAhtae'' 49,. ,-
THE argument used by the Italian Is mat IN
the ordinary sal cushion OF air Is collected IN
the hollow Of the sail. whereby the pressure OF
the wind on the canvas is lessened. and conse-
quenty. the speed OF the vessel 10 opN'dtt u.s
hoes are made afording an outlet to ms ar
I cushion BY doing this the wind strikes directly
upon the canvas instead OF the cushion, ana U.t-
Ter results In the way Of speed were attained TO
me this seemed a very reasonable aTgument nut u
. IL not applicable TO nat sails. as / nave Iro'Cl.
America demonstrated TO the world In l&l TIE
superiority OF lat sails over basey ones. but not,
wiIhstanding this. there are te", t,ol,e W,
yet believe in baggy sails II Is "eli,hno"n "a ny
that Italian do not make as good toydtGs us 90
English or German ships Of eq4ai s'@e ana P%' M
sitting sails. Who that has been much 10 So
cannot recall having passed Italian yessss "i'n
one side, while the other sides OF the sans have
been off from the yards fahom or cannot be-
expected to influence ship as nat sails sci p'o''
"on a baggy sail the wind strikes hrst uporn rs
edges and from there. following the s"en 81
the canvas rusncs from 81 sides 10 c'i aai,
centra in the sail whsre the hollow is greatest MN
| This part Of the sail with conflicting edd!rs -
! cur a hole in this particular spot allows thla ar
| cushion 10 escape. and creates drSuRht "hl,h
/ II e reasonable to suppose may be an nav dhlhb'
and gives color to the Italians argument MdAt
lied these ho,es in my Hat sails without effect
! Ing any apparent gain in speed There arr ne
! hoilows TO M with useless air. ana ] coh'luAe
| ,hat IN. wind after striking the canvas rushes
! oh a, the foot and sides Of the sail. .
! "If anv OF your seafarinc friends IN Nt"-loth
oro thinking Of irving the Italians plan. Mould
| saw 10 them II they have fat sails. Don't II W..
sails are old and baggy think thGy MAJ w,
| advantage cut the holes. In my case nave 'liH'
TO iii up the In my sails. or on my return Io
/ doubt I'm my mind which 81 these AtethatuNTn5
I shall choose W 80 80