The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-03
COLUMBIA. OWNED BY J.

talk in Europe. Asia and Africa. Even
Germany has heard OF our yachts ano
the Kaiser own private paper recer .Hv
had "a description of the steam esrht
EIide.
when war tapped its hid aus wings
over our beautiful country and the fact
became known that we were weak ON
the high seas. the ow oers Of these pri-
vato yachts signif Cd their willingness
10 turn their yes Nois into warships.
Several OF Do ,,c,.rs notably Howard
Ooulu' CORE snonaed with the War De-
l"ItAleHl mi informed Secretary Long
lnat n' e. Ould count upon them as aides.
4l'"Hl Gould went so FAR as TO get
esI" .ates upon the armament of tho
M" cara. a celebrated firm of war mt
u rs decided that 10 would caost 100000
- put the Niagara iu perfect war trim
with rapid-hring guns and repeating cam
mon.
The Niagara carries sixty i'm her crew
always. and when armored she would be
jn the same class as the Montgomery.
She is the biggest yacht ah0at and could
travel faster than any cruiser in the
-preseut navy.
It.is hardly Comprehensive that a
pleasure boat would Doe built on such
giant proportions. yet the Niagara IS a
twin 60 the Montgomery and could travel
with her as a. sister ship.
Her dimensions are: Length over ALL
Z1O feet. on water line 30 feet. with "a
beam OF 3i feet. She is Is feet deep
from the spar deck ana 90 feet deep
from the main deck. Her lowest free
board amidships is 15 feet. Her tonnage
g. 1890. She has three decks. Her main
deck is of steel. She has q double bot
som. also bilge kcels: bulwarks Of steel
divide tho vessel into many compart-
ments. Tho engines are of che triple exc
paueiOn type. with c~yclinders Is. % and
80 inches. with a 3)-inCh stroke of piston.
Her coal capacity Is 400 tous-enough TO
take her across the Atlantic and back
witnou. recoaling.
Her captain is an eX-Pacinc mail COM
nander. who once commanded the late
JAY Gould's yacht Atlanta. She will
cost when in commission $4,000 "a month.
Another great yacht whose owner
would put her in commission SIS the
FlIide. The Ellilde as the fastest boat
ever built. She can easily beat the Em-
pire Express and would Dee fitted mp as a
torpedo boat and used as a commerce
destroyer. The Elidc lies low on the
water. she is o. steam launch and when
she travels she goes so swiftly that it
would bee difficult 10 hit her. She can be
armored go better advantage than any
other boat in the navy.
Another mighty yacht Is the Columbia,
owned by j. Harvey Ladcw. She cost
$500. 900 % carries "a complement Of forty
five men. The Columbia is magnihcently
htted up and were she placed at the
Governments disposal she could do GREAT
spy work .as she is one OF the boats
whose appearance could be easily
changed.
The Varura. the steam yacht owned
by Eugene Higgins. cost 100000. il car
rles eighty men and is the most ciabor-
ateiy fitted fitted up yacht ever put on
the seas. She IS finer than Victoria's
new yacht and is the speediest boat next
20 the ElIide.
The elegant steam yacht owned by
W. Childs DreXel. the Alcedo, has been
looked upon with envious eyes by the
Government. The AlCedo cost $1,000. 900. .
She measures 16i feet and has hve boats.
Including the 3i-foot steam launch. She
was recently finished by the Harlan q
Hollingsworth hrm. Of wilmington, Del. !
IN her sea trial she made twenty miles |
an hour. She has gone abroad and is
thoroughly %seaworthy.
Her millionaire owner lives upon her
a great deal Of the time. and were she \
20 be put into commission she would
prove as comfortable a sea bert as any
sailor could want in war.
n O .Benedicr's yacht. the oneida,
which has often taken Grover Cleveland
on a cruise. Is half o warship now. The
ensign OF the Connecticut Naval Reserves