The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08
MOST WONDERFUL YACHT.
PROPOSED FOR THE PRESIDENT
BY L. 5. SHIP BUILDERS.

To Last From Centennial to Centen-
niaI-Presidents Chosen From the
Coast States Will BE Conveyed to
Washington on It-SOme of the
Proposed Plans For the Ocean
Palace.
Washington, Aug. THE proposal by a
member of the United States Senate that
a yacht be built for the use of the Presi-
lent of the United States has brought 10
Washington volumes of plans from Ship
builders and others interested in the Pres
:dent. That 1t is not for one President
alone, but for successive ones, a yacht
to use for all time by the Presidents while
they are occupants of the white house,
has made the proposition all the more in
teresung.
With the double sea coast of the Unit
ed States-a sea coast not equaned by any
other country in the world-it seems fit
ting that there should be some govern
mental provision for conveying the Presi-
dent around the country to inspect the
ports that are in his care.
One of the Presidents-it was Arthur
remarked that he had never seen his
domain and never expected to, because
it cost him too much money to travel.
President Cleveland was fortunate in hav-
ing invitations extended to him, but after
all it is a poor thing for the President
TO be dependent upon the convenience
and pleasure of his host.
At the first word the shpbuilders STEP
ped forward and manifested their will
ingness to make the President a present
of yacht. The argument the shipbuild-
ers advanced in favor of allowing them
to build it was that it would be the only
yacht ever constructed in this way, and
that, not being restricted, they could make
it as they pleased.
Realizing the chance for learning some
thing new, they announced their willing
ness to look over any plans that might
be submitted to them. Meanwhile the
senators have been besieged by would-be
yacht designers.
The plans offered have been widely d.
vergent. One advocated the building of
a yacht that in time of war could be
turned into a warship, a small one, but
effectual for use, like the kaiser's war
yacht. But for the most part the design
ers have had in mind the Presidents own
convenience and have suggested yacht
that would be useful for travelling to dis
tant parts of the coast in comfort. Many
of them have been modelled after the ia
nous yachts of sovereigns. several being
patterned largely after the new yacht
built by the people of Great Britain for
a jubilee present to her majesty the queen.
One of the plans is almost identical
with the Kaiser Wilhelm's pleasure yacht,
being cut up into as many small rooms as
1~.,.k l,
covered walls, built-in bookcases and tiny
cOlored windows. and there are bedrooms
for guests, cardrooms, smoking rooms
and tiny observation apartments. The
dining saloon is a large one, and so is
the main salon. In the plans both are to
be hung with paintings, the salon with
marines of the coast, to be donated by
famous painters, and the dining-room
with pictures of the fish to be caught in
American waters. The idea is a pretty
one, but almost too luxurious for this
practical working country.
The one that is most universally ap>
proved is a great yacht that would do for
a two years tour Of the world. 1t would
wear from centennial to centennial.
This yacht is a veritable sea palace In
the plans it has a length over all of 231
feet, water line of POS feet, a keel of 1856
feet and an extreme beam of 30 feet.
1t would be constructed of steel, with a
draught of 10 feet Its displacement would
be over 1000 tons.
Such a yacht as this would be a mag
nificent specimen of yacht building for the
United States to own, and, though the
running of it would necessarily be expen-
sive. there could be certain restrictions
that would bring down the cost to an or
binary amount. No yacht is ever cheap
to maintain, ard there would need to be
a yachting appropriation for the Presi-
dnt's yacht, but this could be easily man.
aged by the presidential salary-payers,
especially as the daily running of the
yacht would necessarily put into service
number Of the citizens of the United
States.
Another yachting design puts forth a
yacht that is not unlike the famous A. ].
Drexel's yacht Margarita, formerly the
Semiramis, owned by Lysaght of Fall
mouth and afterwards sold by him to
Nine. Lebaudy for her son, Max Lebaudy.
This yacht, though an English one,
whereas the Presidents yacht would be
built of strictly American material, is a
magnificent one, 206.4 feet long q feet
beam and 4.6 feet deep. This yacht is
also capable Of making a cruise of the
world, as indeed are all the yachts thus
far designed
The idea Of making little craft for use
only along shore does not seem to enter
the calculations, for all are immense ocean
palaces that would accommodate 100 or
200 persons as well as two. The argument
in favor of the size is that II the yacht
is worth building al all it is worth build
ing we'll. And If It stands-as Il villas
monument OF American workmanship
and as a sample Of American generosity
It should be either something fine or not
at all.
Another of the yachts is modelled after
one built In the Philadelphia shipyards
for the crack yachtsmen Lloyd Phoenix
This Is a three-masted steam yacht. Il
has a q foot beam. is 1886 over all hos
a i6 foot depth OF hold. and - foot
draught Its gross tonnage Is nearly 400
tons and the area Of its sails is 1900
feet.
II Is proposed that the yacht be kept.
like the proposed special train for the
President, until needed, then put into
shape and used as long as the President
wills, the total expense 10 be betrayed
by the government AS the President
could not take a great deal Of time away
yachting this may be approved finally.
A way much more IN keeping with the
"close" terms the United States makes
with its President however, Is 70 make
an anurOnrlatfOn for tho Yacht and aIlauy