The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-14
SHAMROCK is A MERE SHELL.
LIGHTEST CONSTRUCTION IN THE
CUP Challenger.
Comparison of the Yachts That win
The Columbia Built to Cross the


America, after receiving the most enthu-
siastic farewell ever accorded to a de-
parting cup challenger Hitherto the chal-
lengers from the other side have received
their ocean cruising rig and have de-
parted with as little ceremony as if they
were going out for an afternoon sail, but
this year the proceedings have been con-
Quoted with much more ''pomp and cir
cumstance,F and everything connected
with the preparation of the Shamrock and
her departure has been imposing.
But the most peculiar startling and
amusing thing about the preparation of
this craft for her voyage is the account
of the way the boat has been strengthens
ed, stayed. trussed, propped and gener-
ally shored up to meet the old-time Al
lantic seas, which are no bigger now than
when the Norwegiaus crossed in their
open boats and the Normandy fishermen
crossed annually TO fish. Wen may the
old sailors of England, who for genera
tons have listened with pride to the sto-
ries of the wooden walls of England
hold up their hands in dismay al the idea
of this sort of a vessel being called an
English yacht! As a fact, she cannot
rightfully be said to possess any ma
tionallty, because she is the product of
an International demand for speed only,
| apart from every other requisite which
seagoiug vessel should possess.
Viewed in the kindliest way. and vet
with "a strict adherence to facts, it must
be admitted that the Shamrock is the
most advanced marine farce of the CEN
fury, but one which is a necessity of the
year and the direct and legitimate out
come OF the successful cockleshe.l expert
ment made in the last cup winner. the
1 Defender. The victor of the Valkyrie III
was put together in the lghtest possible
way, with the upper part of her frames
plated with aluminium. and most of her
| upper works and deck fixtures composed
of the same extremely light and untrust-
worthy material. She was built at i'm
mense expense to win in one series OF
races only, and it was never calculated
that she would be able to cross the ocean
to race in foreign waters. Even in her
trial races, before she ever met the Val
kyrie III, the greatest anxiety was felt
on board lest the yacht should give way
in the region of the stepping of the mast
! Lieut.. Hobson of Merrimac fame report
ed these structural weaknesses in his
printed account made by order of the gov
| ernment Subsequently, in private CORE
/ spondence with the writer, Lieut.. Hob
| son stated that to the best of his belief
the Defender in being built of aluminium
| saved seventeen tons of dead weight. as
/ compared with the Valkyrle III, which
was built of wood
1hat important information coming from
| one whose chief study at that time was
! the calculation of weight of different mate
! rials used in naval vessels was published
| exclusively in the Tribune, and was re-
/ printed in many American newspapers.
and in large number of English publica-
/ tons So that long before the Linton
/ challenge was issued il was accepted as
/ a fact in England, backed by the best ex-
/ pert American authority, that no challeng-
| er could hope to win the cup unless the
! weights of her construction above the wa
ter were reduced to the smallest possible
amount. In view of these facts it has
/ seemed and still seems, to expert Yachts
/ men on both sides of the water. that the
/ holder of tie cup, no matter whether on
! this side or the other will
/ always possess am almost insur-
| mountable advantage by reason OF
the fact that the home defender may he
! built as the most fragile cockleshel that
! the laws for highest speed in sailing
/ yachts require, and that the challenger
must forever contain sufficient strength.
material and weight TO enable her to cross
the ocean under her own sail.
A Necessary style.
| These are the necessities that have called
! into existence a racing craft which old
! salts naturally regard al a nautical tray-
! esty. But while the amusing character OF
/ the Shamrock's cons jruct.on cannot be
wholly concealed, it IS only fair to her
/ designer to explain thus fully the circum.
/ staLees which have forced him to turn
/ out craft OF this kind. II win be remem-
bered that Harlan & Wolff, of Belfast, de-
| clined the contract when Sir Thomas Lip
! ton was looking for 4 builder. II VIII also
| be remembered that the excuses of the
Yarrows made while declining the same
work We're very polite. Shipbuilders whose
! names had for generations been ranked
| high with regard to the construction OF
safe vessels coud not afford to risk DIS
| aster with their names attached no mat
ter what the profit on one contract might
be. With the English public they could
never shield themselves behind The design
er's plans and say they worked as order
J ed after sending to sea an unsafe vessel.
/ With the Thornycrofts ii was d different.
Their work chiefly consists in producing
! high speed torpedo boats and torpedo boa
destroyers, in which considerable risks
| have often to be taken, and their income
/ has depended in no way upon the travel
ing public.
Besides being strapped, tied and general
| ~ strung up by steels of different shapes in
her interior the Shamrock has had her
! decks heavily planked 10 Withstand the in
ward fall of an Atlantic sea, and she has
| been put in as safe a condition as ingen-
uity can devise and as Lloyds agent in
! sists. The first announcement. made
many months ago that she would be con-
voyed for safety by a steam vessel. was
the first patent confession of that extreme
/ lightness in her construction which the
| Tribune had previously said was necessl-
| rily TO be expected.
The upper works of the Shamrock are
! either constructed Of aluminium or of some
aluminium alloy which is extremely light,
! and will probably be as susceptible to dis
! Indignation through the effect of sea wa
ter and sea air and the galvanc currents
| set up through the juxtaposition of the
aluminium with the copper of her bronze as
was the case with the Defender. on the
/ latter boat the surface of the aluminium
| deck fixtures could be rubbed away by the
| hand after they had been in position less
! than eighteen months. The career of the
! Shamrock may therefore be expected to be
| comparatively brief, and II the new alumni
/ oil fa ~ xaf we'll unAprefnod In "a