The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-28

NEW YORK, Sept 27.-The Shamrock
was today safely dry-docked at Erie ba-
sim Every precaution was taken to pre-
vent mtshap to the big cutter and tyenty
minutes after she was warped into DO
sition over the twelve blocks at the bot
tom of the dock her keel was resting Sc
| curely in place. There was no ATTEMPT TO
hide the lines of the yacht from view.
The yard is open to the public from morn
ing until night, and hundreds of yachts
men stood for hours while the water was
being pumped out, that they might get
look at the under-body and keel of the
challenger. 1t was TOO late in the day
for secrecy, and SO the "clouts" and "pet-
ticcats that prevented the people from
seeing the Shamrock when she was
launched In England early this summer,
and later when she was docked at the
Erie basin, shortly after reaching this
country, We're not used. Everyone had
fine look at the craft.
The Shamrock lay alongside the partly
burned steamer BuckarOs all night, and
early this morning her crew was put to
work scraping off the green paint that
covered her topsides, exposing the true
metal underneath. Just what metal these
two upper streaks of plates are compos-
ed of is a secret, but it looks much like
composition of aluminium and nickel,
very light, and at the stme time very
strong. 1t IS quite probable that the
Shamrock will not have her upper body
repainted, for fear it may retard her
speed. Capt. Wringe when asked about
the paint, but if any was put on it would
be the true Irish green. At the time
the Shamrock's keel touched the blocks
there was about twenty-one feet Of water
from the blocks to the surface, which
makes her draught about the same fig
ures, or an inch or two less. The crew
was at once put to work In two squads,
scrubbing the hull with brushes.
POWERFUL CRAFT.
The Shamrock is a powerful craft, with
her greatest beam about three masthead
runners fastened to the deck The under
body, which is Of bronze, was covered
with a sort of slime, which came off read
lily with vigorous application of salt
water and brushes, leaving the plates
shining and smooth When the hull and
keel were fully exposed, there were eX-
pressions of disappointment on all sides.
The experts expected to see something
new, and radical departure from the old
type of British cutter. The shamrock
can he described as a vessel with Brit
annfa body and Defender fin and lead,
including the latter's rocker keel, but
with greater draught than either. There
is nothing particularly handsome ABOUT
The cutters lines except that they are
all curves, there being no straight ones
except from the turn Of the guard-boards
to the lead.
In comparison with the Columbia the
Shamrock is fuller bodied, especially amid
ehins has about a foot more beam ana
craft about ten inches greater Here
o,,erhangs are shorter, so that the lines
of ber hull are not so we'll carried out
&C in the Columbia, and being short in
creas CO the look of bullliness. Then she
i biphAr sided than the cup defender.
Che has a rocker keel, like Defender
that is her lead keel is rounded up ike
that of the IS champion, but llttle more
at the low than the latter her Ieaa
lree1 Is about as thick as Columbia S, but
,,ot nearlv so deep From four and
bo1f m FIVE feet is a fair estimate, Wnlle
+ha c1n defenders is about eight feet
iTbo load on the keel weighs about If
49,, tons less than the Columbia's s. or
oI>a,,+ eioh+v tons, but as it is about five
foo+ ronQer than the latter s, or ABOUT
thirty-three feet, and not neafly 81 49, 80
nuts the ballast lower ahu' lnei eieio'e,
,'.os 49,. tle Shamrock fully as much, if not
greater stablllty'
GREAT SPREAD OF SAIL.
The Shamrock carries more sail than
,b1. columbia, as her mast is stepped
about two feet further aft, giving here
more head sail, while the main san Is
also larger than the cup defenders. The
cbomrock's amidships sections are con-
tinuous curves from the deck lines to
the the turn of the garaoard. Her bilge
hardens greatly at the quarter, just op-
nneite to the Columbia's, and gives one
t1e imnression that it will retard her
nrcgress in sailing. Amidships the Co
1umbia has a line almost straight from
the bilge to cardboard, giving her fiatter
Goor, while the Shamrock is full and
round
When the lead keel was exposed it was
found to be unlike the Columbias in that
it is unprotected by bronze. 1t Is paint