New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-26
urRREsHoFFs AND THoRNYcROrTs.

England was not fairly prepared 70 cope with
the Herreshoffs until the order for tho Shamrock
was given 70 the ThornycroNs. The way the De-
fender was built with all her TOP works Of alumni
num- and all the weight that thus saved placed
down in the lead keel showed that the great Aneri
can designers and engineers had the Vaikyrie
licked before she started" The seventeen tons
further weight that had to be put into the last Wat
son challenger In order 20 build her % wood and
strong enough 20 cross the ocean were simply an
anchor when the craft had 10 sail against such A
wholly scientific boat the Defender. But In tho
Thornycrofs the Her!eshOfs have met their match.
II has now become evident that torpedo boat build
sbsn % INTO a c5alirnrer for or defender or The
Americas Cup. Instead OF the former cases IN
which Watson was wholly ouiclassed We now have
II is safe 20 expect that constructors Of this kind
I'm The fame Of the Thornvcroft torpedo boats
and forredo boat destroyers Is too well known for
to,nbined With nghtness are said 10 be unequa.ied
not onlv by reason Of ther ingenuity in n4enjlng
shapes and appliances 10 90 certain work. but also
in discovering metal alloys that give the full
strength OF steel combined with surprising light
This Is battle in oonstructon-n science. The
sailors on both boats rank out lttle higher IN the
game than the engine drivers and hremen on racing
locomotives The HerreshoNs' torpedo boats have
gained such fame and their construction has been
50 remarkable that the Thornycrofts are the only
meet them Nathaniel Herrcshoff is not only an
eminent yacht designer out also succession en-
g.neer. He received his training in early days
at an institute Of technology and after~ard AZ the
then celebrated t0rlss rNElne WORKS. az BrOEi-
dence in which establishment he occupied in
portant position. Vessels for the British. Russian
French and American navies have been built at
the Bristol yards Among them was the Cush-
ing a much talked n vessel IN her day. which,
curousy enough had Thornycrof boilers The
Herreshof torpedo boats have always been disin-
gushed for the bOldness ami originality 81 their
design Nathaniel Herresho1 the son Of an en-
fhusastic yachtsman has been designer, builder
and sailer Of boats from boyhood. In him the
United States has the combination Of expert yachts
man. naval architect engineer and also that
which is IN the present case necessity. de-
signer OF torpedo boats Mr. Thornycroft IS also
an enthusiastic yachtsman and saier 81 racing
Yachts As the senior partner % the firm Of J. l.
Thornycroft & Co he has given his personal super
vision 10 the construction Of the shamrock. and.
Is well known. ne was the pioneer IN fast tor
pedo boat construction and m his river launches ~
over twenty-five years ago he was the originator Of
the modern high speed craft.
arc not given chiefly because they are interest
ing but because they 20 70 show that this
Yacht race IS battle Of the constructors-be-
cause they 20 10 suggest the correctness Of the
statement which is here for the first time hazarded.
that torpedo boat builders hold future Cup
yachts IN the palms ~ their hands. 4 full de-
scription OF the construction ~ the Shamrock.
given for the first time on this side Of the ocean IN
Yesterdays Tribune showed that she may properly
be- called torpedo boat under sail. and when
ribs through small waves and aends water hying
In the way that characterizes Thornycrofts fast
est craft