The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-30
READY FOR HER VOYAGE
SHAMROCK AT ERIN BASIN TRANS
FORMED FOR OCEAN PASSAGE.
Hogarth Goes Master, Hamilton as
Navigator and Wringe as First
Omcer-Present Appearance.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29.-With her sails bent
and most of her stores on board the yacht
Shamrock lies in Erie basin ready to sail
for the Clyde on Tuesday. Captain Archie
Hogarth will be In command, with Captain
Hamilton as navigator and Captain Wringe
as chief officer. Forty-three Of the crew
are to sail on the yacht. This number in
cludes two cooks and two stewards. The
rest of the crew will return by steamer.
Besides her big cutter, which she carries
on davits, the Shamrock will have stored
On deck two Berthon collapsible canvas
boats, a life preserver for each man on
board and plenty of life buoys handy to
throw overheard if necessary. In addition to
the big main trysail, with a bonnet in IL.
and the mizzen, which brails up against
the mast the yacht is to carry large fore
staysail also with bonnet In 1t. a jib and
a jib topsail, square sail and raffee. The
latter is a triangular sail which sets over
the square sail. No main boom is to be
used, but the mizzen sheets out to small
boom. A long, light spar of pine, waist
high to man standing on deck, Is shipped
at the forward end in the main boom goose
neck and aft In an iron crutch. This is
used as a lifesaver. 1t will stop a man
from sliding overheard to leeward when the
yacht reels at sea and 1t will be provided
with life lines to assist the crew in passing
forward and aft.
1t is the intention of Captain Hogarth
to sail as much as possible when there is
a breeze. The steam yacht Erin, which will
convoy the Shamrock, will tow her when
there is no wind. Through the courtesy of
Captain Hogarth an Associated Press rep
resentative was permitted to inspect the in
1ft tba Cbar he O haip
refitted for her ocean trip. Excepting per-
haps in the Columbia such combination of
strength with lghtness of construction as
exists in the Fife yacht has not been seen
in a racing yacht in these waters.
Riveted to the seventy-nine frames, on
each side of the yacht, is a stout steel fore
and aft sirder, or bige keelson. Overhead,
but further inboard, under the deck-beams,
is a lighter steel girder also running fore
and aft. These upper and lower girders are
connected, at intervals of about twenty feet,
by solid round stanchions, which slant out
board from above. at an angle of about
thirty degrees Between these .stanchions
cross-braces have been placed. boted at
their junction in the center to a square steel
plate. which makes the whole rigid. This
system extends from the fifteenth forward
frame, all the way aft, on both sides. There
is no Skin" in the yacht. all her frames and
plates being visible, except where tempo
rarily covered for the Atlantic passage.
Heavy wooden chocks have been fitted be-
tween the frames forward where the strain
of pounding will come against the plates
in a seaway. They are held in place by
long fore and after planks, bolted down TO
the frames and bilge-keelson.
Between the floor and the deck beams
overhead, there Is clear space Of ten feet.
During the races all woodwork, except the
floor was taken out Of the yacht. Now she
is divided into four sections. An iron bulk
head has been put in, making a water-tight
compartment OF the overhang at the stern.
The next section, built Of light pine plank
ing, incloses a space about ten feet wide
by twenty-five feet long, which Is 10 be
cabin and sleeping quarters for the captain
and navigator. There is door. on the star
board side of the forward bulkhead OF this
temporary cabin, and the companion ladder,
with its steps facing forward, comes down
in the center OF this compartment The
yacht has such great beam below that IL is
necessary TO confine the living quarters OF
the crew TO a width of about ten feet, TO
keep things from taking charge when she
labors in seaway. Railings about four
feet high run fore and aft at the sides. in
the next section, where the mess-tables and
benches are placed and where the cooking
is done. Forward OF this. the crews hunks.
made OF skeleton gaspipe. occupy the re-
maindsr OF the space. The forward part of
the hold is reached by hatchways and iron
Ladders.