New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-18
YACHTING.
IT is WHISPERED THAT THE COLUMBIA
MAY FINALLY ISSUE WITH AN ALU-
NINIrMpI ATE,D Upper BODY.

Bristol, X. l., April II (SpeciaD.-The yacht De-
fender Is being prepared for the housing of the
crew of the Columbia, which Is expected to arrive
to-day This will not be the whole crew. but a
sufficient number 10 rig the Defender and put her
in condition for racing II Is stated that since her
arrival from New-Rochee the interior OF the yacht
has been much altered In making sleeping accom-
modations for the men. and that she now possesses
a comfortable cabin 1t Is not yet discovered
whether these cabin fittings fixtures, or whether
they can be removed In order to thoroughly skin
the vessel for her trial races. but Ii Is thought
that the boat ought to be allowed to 90 into her
trial races in the same condition In which she
sailed against the Valkyre. NAT" Herreshon
stated In the Dunraven investigation that just
prior to the final races he took from the De-
fender interior fixtures which weighed seven TONS
and yachtsmen wondering whether these have
been put back and whether the old victor will be
anchored with this dead weight in her trials.
Captain Job Terry is In charge OF the stepping OF
the masts in both boats The men In the yards
have no doubt that the Columbia could be launched
and ready by June but since the visit Of Mr.. Nor
CAMS manager last week the hurry on tho craft
decreased IT is confidently said on the other
side that aluminium will be used on the Shamrock,
and the delay I'm the Herreshofs yards may not. as
supposed. be for the purpose OF secretng knowl-
edge concerning the Columbia. but to allow time
for ascertainng whether the Shamrock will use
aluminium or not Certain It is that little has
been done In the plating OF the Coumbias upper
works. and the few plates Of Tobtn bronze that
have been put could be easily taken off and re-
placed with aluminium Others say that the Her
reshoffs have Intentionally allowed information to
apparently leak out so that it might be regarded
as certain In England that the Columbia would
be plated with the heavier material known Tobn
bronze, and that this is all part OF a "blun' to
lead Fife to think he also afford to a heavy
metal. These people think the bronze plating on
the Columbia was never intended to remain or has
latest visit. and that the American boat will APP
pear as the second defender IN which aluminium
has been largely used.
The mansals and jibs for the two yachts. which
have now been finished by Asa Hathaway and his
assistants, have the afterleaches fitted for the
ception of battens. to be used in the same way as
on the Defender in 1895 The stem casting down
near the forefoot shows a stout eye fixture, which
stay will be passed. to be set up taut when the
boat is being rugged. The offsets for the steel
boom show provision for reeing tackle and top
ping-lift rigging. the lifts evidently being intended
to come about eighteen feet inboard from the end
OF the spar. The finishing touches have been
made to the steel gait in the shops All the
roughness has been filed off, and it has been
painted gray color. 1t contains numerous eye
bands and other fittings to which the great MAN.
sail Will be attached.
Materials of various kinds continually arriv
to SEQ the great variety of material that now
goes into a cup-defender Nearly all of 1t is metal
and II goes without saying that It Is OF the best
and Is all helping to raise the bill Some OF the
north shop. There eleven racers with seventeen
and one-half feet water-ne and of knockabout rig
under construction. The greater number of them
going to Buzzards Bay and tho Cape One of
them. called the Hope is rugged and launched Mr.:
Iselin OF ew-Rochele, and his son took O sail
in her yesterday.