New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-13
YACHTS FOR WAR USES.
AZ IMPOSING LIST THAT MIGHT DO Eff
FFCTIVE WORK.

-. lately published in the Proceedings OF the /
81 institute" by Naval Constructor Richmond p /
,.son L s N some data may he gathered which /
~, "a the conclusion that no war vessel is built +
'o,c,v enough u withstand the ramming OF /
t,, strong vessel that is say. l25 feet In length ,
-. h,oO, she strikes is all in one spot. The whole
,..r weight multiplied by her momentum, and !
,ountng thus TO many hundreds Of tons Is de- !
,rered on that spot. 1t has been said that not
$50, such heavily arraorod vessels as the Devasta-
,tor and the Dreadnaught could avoid having
or,srtment filed by the fu-speed ramming OF
,f, ,Fofo steel vessel: that some experts de-
I,re that fast 200-foot steel vessel could walk
Ian into the en9ine-room OF any armored sea
,,-ror that foa;ed.
N view 81 this belief n list has been MADE OF
.v.ntv fast pleasure vessels the smallest Of which
&c l25 feet In length. The seventy yecAts thus
,med 40 no: represent the entire strength OF the
urprofessiona fighters
IN considering the respective abilities ~ these II
rrl not be inferred that the largest vessel would
hs the most valuable in hsht The longer the
vessel The wider the of her turn, snd 90 the
yacht will he chiefly valuable for its activity the
ouestion OF armament being practically uninipor-
,ant the small fast boat may easily ACCOMPLISH
the hsst results For instance, the yacht Valiant
owned by w X. Vanderbilt. - the biggest pleasure
vessel In the world and from running alongside her
IN other steamers she seems able to travel seven
teen miles an hour She could carry two large
runs on her main deck and quantity Of shielded
rand-fre rifles But although she has twin screws.
.se might not with her SO feet of length be quick
enough in turning Her beam OF over thirty-nine
feet would give stability for some heavy metal
Ncxt in size comes the steel twn-screw steamer
Mavfower owned in the Gceet estate. which is
SIN in New-York as an American boat. She is
a20 feet long and $40 feet Wild quicker working
Graf, than the Valiant. and immensely strong.
Wi,h her long beam bows and her speed OF sew
en,eer knots an hour. she might sink any ship.
Her bow is simply marine meat-axe, and as she
has numerous steel Tsisr-,lght bukheads she
would not be likely 20 sink herself in cutting an
other vessel in TWO.
The same remarks are equally applicable to Rob-
ct Goeet's Nahma. at present in the Medter-
Ysnean This steamer Is almost a sister VesseI 10
the NavAower with the same beam and water line
length C2T5 feeO though fourteen feet shorter In
me overhangs Both these vessels could carry
heavy guns en- the main deck. and though the
snanish Vizcaya IS reported % be able to travel
az twenty knots. Il nav he doubted whether she
could escape the thrust Of those Watson boats
which travel seventeen knots.
The twin-scIew steamer NAruna. owned ny hu-
rene Higgins New-Yorl Yacht Club is 3O4 fee.
lore and looks Ike Arst-cass ocean liner She
4. GO fast that few warships could escape her
The Msrcarita twin-screw vessel owned by
Anthony J Drexel Of Philadelphia. is over 27s
feet long and is probably formidable and active
rs the Others mentioned though she is nor so well
known in New-York waters. She is now with the
varuna in the Mediterranean
The Sovereign. built last year for NJ. G. d. Tor
den has beaten the Sandy Hook boats that run
twenty miles an hour and. with her new boilers.
will now do still better she can trrn Very quickly
with her tw.n screws and is almost ?52 feet long
The SOVEREIGN can probably rings round SPANS
fastest battlssh:p.
The RoAaaa. 20 feet long. is owned by a. Nor
timer Singer Of the New-York Yacht Club. The
ATLANTA 28 iet; long. g owned by George j.
Gould The Nourmahal, John Jacob Aston is go
feet long and the Namouna. j. G. Bennett, meas
ures &c feet; Some @; these have beer built for
-rps nd later craft OF
smaller size Then there the Corsair, j. Pcrpont
Morgan 2N feet he Penelope Boston, II. f. Con-
vAse. Zl6 feet the Narads 22i feet now at Nice.
Henry Walters the Josephine, 225 feet, owned by
Messrs WIdener OF Philadelphia, the Alcedc
George W c. Drexe,, now being heightened VII
mington 10 2os feet the Anita. John II. FlaGler,
now OF the way 10 Havana with tho Congress
party: the Columbia. 2Oa feet. j. Harvey Ladew.
New-York Yacht Club. and the May. Mrs. S. DreHel
Fs. -sss feet
The big three-n1asted steel yacht Eleanor 22 feet
" A Slater is an ali-American production that
mas already thrown gir1lc around the earth and
can tackle any SEQ. With her three masts and top
hamper removed. the Eleanor. low lying and deadly,
chasing the seas 70 find prey. would be simply a
marine terror And TIE same may he said for
Howard Could Niagara. just launched, stout
stee craft, which her owner is quite ready 10 put
a; the disposal Of the Government. She is 30 feet
lonC. and viii be ready early next month The 800
foot steel yacht now being built for Colonel r. II.
PAYNE q. Path. Me. need rot be considered at
present because she will not be finished for year
She would he too big for the best Kind Of yacht
fghtins
But before coming 70 the smaller boats special
mention must he made Of craft that could be
particularly effective in any branch OF service.
When she u launched in short time. she will be.
I, IS said the only steel boat in existence that is
practically unsuitable. This is the 25i-foot ship de-
signed by Commodore Archibald Watts. and being
built at New-York by his workmen The steel
.I.f-
H-ia1SSd Maine s ony me yrchl m6s are q.
than thai Of ihc great ocean liners. the ST. Paul
tight lower deck she has thirty light watcr-tight
compartments. each Of which may he pumped out
deck. 10 other words. her bottom may be pierced
IN thirty-eight different places az once. with the
These lower compartments are divided off by seven
longitudinal steel divisions, so that in regard 10
strength for Tamming she may be described
having seven interior steel keels, each reaching
waier-urht steel bukheads reaching 10 the upper
Geek. TWO q them even reaching up through The
collision armor would not. Of course. keep out the
bow Of vessel that rammed her 6ut hole in her
Effectiveness II would be necessary to break into AT
ees' TWO OF FER zen compafn en-, THIS boat has
usual cruising allowance OF coal She remain out
of port for over sixty-nve days without rcpienish.
occ'rIG fans. necessary feature IN modern marine
As has been said. the most effective craft would
Be between the lengths OF l25 feet and 2cO feet and
o' the feet Of seventy the honor list would include
extraordinarily fine vessels. ~ great speed and
structural power Take the Sultana. lS1 feet John
h DreXel row al ConstantlnOpel. the Ct0wana
!N feet William Vast Durant now at Charleston,
cfu.sinsl. the Sycamore 49, feet, John II. Hdn8n
the Electra. ~ feet Ebridge r Gerry; the Ha-
paha, 10 feet. F.eischiAann estate. the Arcturns
l1o feet Rutherfurd S;uyvesant NOW at Nicel the
Andrla. lel feet. John = Brooks; the Amy. III
,set Frederick Gallatn the Emilia, l6o feet. John
Hanan the Clermont l7t feet A. Van SAINT
word. the SusQuehanna. 10 feet. Joseph Suckney
IlIIL L ADNEP TISE MENIS OI. 4