New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14
\ MARINE MARVEL
coMMoD,RE WATTS, NEW STEEL YACHT PROM
ISL ! REVOLUTION II smIrRlILpING.

COMMODORE WATTS, NEW STEEL YACHT PROM.
IsEs , REVOLUTION ~ siurBrDrSG
Tie largest steel steam yacht ever bult IN Amer.
lea g. uox in process Of construction East one
hundred-aud -'ighiccnth-si ana East River. IN
The yards = the Iouson Engineering and Foundry
COMPANY. OF which Commodore Archibald Watts
Is apparently the owner. 10 craft which l. claimed
% be most remarkable IN q number OF ways. 1rst.
bceausc she viii 10 practically tho only unsnkabic
stcci craft IL existence. secondly. because shc Is
strongly built than tho steel ba,tle.ships Of
the American Navy. and. thirdly. because her
oTEcr rot only drew all hcr plans and designed
every portion OF her. but also constructed every
such part.
This doc. not mean that The Two arges, castings
we're made ~ ,hc Commodorcs works. because one
Of them proved too large for the largest foundry
IN the country. aud the model of IT had 10 be cut
down This was tho single piece cast M phila-
dclpha, which Included part Of The vessels run her
siefnpost and part Of her keel an awkward piece
10 handl" on account of It's chape while the weight
OF IA Is GWd pounds. Beyond this and som. other
material that required special plant the whole
% the boat will he produced by Commodore Watts
himself assisted by large gangs OF men in the
foundry And an idea of the huge amo,nt Of
work that goes into steel yacht Of this size "a
we'll gained from one item only namely tho nort
holes. Hero. ranged IA great piles. a-o ,yb,v-
three huge brass castings FOR the rims OF the nor,
holes. each large enough for Il good sized man In
crawl through. This was a provision for further
safety insisted upon By Mrs. Watts. and rood
ono 1t IT, Mrs. Watts r. In daily Attendance AT
The yards ana Is interested IN tho work ns her
talented husband.
HOW MADE UNSiNKABLE
Perhaps the most Instructive feature of the new
boat, ana one which has been examined by a
great many oihcers Of The United States Navy IS
the multitude OF steel wator-tight compartments
which lie between the outside plates OF her bottom
ond the steel OF her FIRST lower deck She has
nineteen OF these on each side OF her keel. In MI
from bow 70 stern. thirty-eigh,. Think what t,,s
means, Tho Watts boat can 10 out and mound
or Jagged ROCKS In seawoy tnl sho lunches
thtTty-ctght GiNercnt holes in hoy bottom and tho
only result VIII bo that she sits r.fe lover IN
the water SIX or eight such holes ia ii1ercr,
with ripe tomato
Above these lower compartments are nine Steel
bnlkheads which reach TO her upper decks. and two
OF them even separate the long deckhouse ON
top. Thus. in case of lateral attack In collision
she nag ten watcr-tght compartments. You can
ram her anywhere rom stern bow and cut
through her whole SIDE from deck 10 keel. and she
sad OF late years about rendering vessels unsInk.
able through the use OF compartments bu: N iLo
criticisms of experts may De believed 1t MAJ be
launched. be the only really uns,nkabl. steel era
OF large size IN existence.
Chief Engineer George W. Niece ono Of The OK
perts Of the 'nitrd States Navy. has sa.d Thai this
boa, hds merits in regard 10 acknowledgements which
possessed by none Of tho ba;te-ships of this
country. and IL 81 more than probs bic that Com
| modore Watts's invention Will lead to extensive