The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-26
THE PRESIDENTS YACHT.
And the Yachts of the Queen and
the Kaiser.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
Washington, Sept. 4-For years offlci ais
of the government have been embar-
raised by the lack of a suitable govern
ment ship on which distinguished foreign
visitors, guests of the nation in a way,
could be taken to Mount Vernon when en-
tertained by the President While the
President has always had some vessel of
the navy specially detailed for his use
when he desired an outing, there has
never been ship permanently stationed
here and always available for use.
When Mount Vernon has been visited by
representatives of a foreign nation here in
their official capacity it has been neces-
sary, as a rule, to transport them TO the
tomb on some river steamer or else by the
electric cars. Hereafter the Sylph, enc
of the fine yachts recently purchased for
the navy, will be stationed at Washing
ton for the use of officials and the Presi-
dent. She is Of light draught fast and well
adapted for outings on the river With
this ship and the Dolphin the President
will be well provided with official yachts
But two rulers of great powers have
finer official yachts at their disposal than
the President of the United States Not
even tle queen Oh England IS carried
around on the water in ship more
sumptuous or powerful than the dispatch
boat which Presidents Harrison, Cleve-
land and Mckinley have occasionally
used. The Dolphin is not only fitted for
just such cruises, but couples with her
yachtlike arrangements a strong battery
of rapid-fire guns.
England for the past fifty years or more
has supported royal yachts for the Queen,
and the first of the number built is vet
serving her Majesty. The Queen has in
sisted up to the present on all her royal
private vessels being side wheeleTs of the
old paddle-wheel pattern. For twenty
five years the Queen has had four imper-
ial yachts for her own private use, and
now she is to have a new one, larger,
more costly and more sumptuous than
any of the former. The fifth vessel will
have twin screws, great length, and be
capable of fast time. Not one of the old
ships on a stretch could make more than
fifteen knots.
In designing the new ship the British
admiralty has endeavored to meet the
wishes and views of the Queen on the
general plan of the vessel as far as pos
sible. AS the yacht will probably some
day be the royal ship of the Prince of
Wales, or some other member of the
present imperial family, there will not be
that same desire shown to sacrifice modern
ideas of naval architecture in order to
give a numbering type of vessel such as
has represented the Queens ideal yacht.
When completed the new ship will cost
possibly 100000
Emperor Williams yacht is more of a
warship than a pleasure craft, and at
the Keil celebration was the most adj
mired of all vessels except the New York
and Columbia of the American fleet. The
Hohenzollern is of comparatively recent
date, having been laid down in 1891 and
completed two years later, Her length is
the same as that of the cruiser New York,
she being $50 feet over all, with a beam
of 46 feet draught of IS feet and displace-
ment of 4,1S7 tons. Her engines have de-
veloped 5000 horse power, or equal to
those of the New York and her speed is
placed at p knots. She carries three
four-lnch guns and twelve four-pounders.
Her complement of men is 30.
Russia has more imperial yachts than
any government of the world. Her naval
list shows that the Car has at least five
and a number of small launches desig-
mated also as royal dispatch boats. Many
Of them are old and of little further use,
but her latest. the STANDARD. is by far the
finest vessel of her class afioat. She is
even more powerful than the Hohon-
zollern and carries more armament than
any other royal yacht in service.
The Standard represents both the high
est idea of war vessel and yacht yet de-
vised. She can fight and at the same time
take the whole Russian royal family on a
cruise around the world in most comfort
able fashion. No official government
yacht is so powerfully armed as she.
None has such speed or size. She is
longer than the Minneapolis and swifter
than the New York. Her length over all
is 425 feet, her beam 81 feet and mean
draught 20 feet. Her displacement Is 5.557
tons and her indicated horse power 1900.
which gives her a speed of p knots. Her
battery comprises eight three-pOunders.
King Humbcrt does not believe that
royalty requires an official yacht. and
therefore ne never asked the Italian peo-
pie to provide him with one. When he
wishes to make an official inspection of
the fleets he boards some Of the ordinary
dispatch boats and goes down the line.
On short cruises he has his own private
yacht, paid for out Of his own purse.
France does not carry on her official
naval list any boat intended solely for the
use of her President or any of the higher
officials. She. like many other European
countries, supports numbers of small dis
patch vessels, ali alike and not fitted for
ouarfering distinguished guests. or pro-