Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26
Sister Ship to the Pathfinder and
Ready for Any Service.
OWNED BY A PATRIOTIC YACHfSMAN
Mr.. Ladew VIII Cruise Around the
World Aboard Her.
HER LUXURIOUS FITTINGS


| Club. He has had built yacht on the
| lines OF and following exactly in hull con-
| structfon the United States coast and
| geodetic survey steamer Pathfinder. This
yacht is somewhat of a departure from the
usual rules followed by yachtsmen, she
] is capable of being made ready in a very
short time to form an able addition to the
! United States navy, her framing being
| heavy and her decks strong enough to
support the weight and shock of guns and
| the interior arrangements of such design
| that only slight alterations would be re-
| quired to change them from the commo-
dious apartments of pleasure craft to the
| business-like quarters of a man-of-war.
| This new yacht is 16S feet long on the
water line and 196 feet 6 inches over all.
with an extreme breadth of 33 feet 6
inches, and mean draft of water of 10
| feet; her displacement being, with coal
and stores aboard, S75 tons A triple eX
pansion engine having cylinders Is, % and
| a inches in diameter by IS inches stroke,
| will give her $50 horsepower with natural
draft, which can be increased to l2O0 when
occasion requires, by forced draft Steam
| is furnished by two horizontal return fire
tubular Scotch boilers, IL feet 1 inch In
| diameter and IL feet long, with ample
crate and heating surface, at 16O pounds
pressure The coal bunkers accommodate
| 250 tons of COAL and will give, at an eco
| nomical cruising speed of 10 knots per
hour, radius of over 5000 miles without
reflling, the coal consumption at this
| speed is only about nine tons per day Be
sides her steam power, she Is htted with
two maStS, brigantine rugged. and spreads
| a sail area of $500 square feet, which
alone, it is estimated, Will give her speed
| of So knots an hour In fair breeze An
| auxiliary vertical boiler, working to the
same pressure the main boilers, furnishes
steam for a complete electric light plant
| of sufficient power to thoroughly light the
vessel throughout, and for the operation Of
l. 1i.rt,t
and other auxiliary machinery. A distil
! ing plant furnishes fresh water for the
| crew and the boilers, and a cold-storage
| room of a size to hold tw Give tons of ice is
also provided.
Spacious and Luxurious.
| The quarters are extremely spacious. The
yacht has two decks below given to
commodation of guests and crew; the
weather deck having no Enclosures. with
| the exception of the commodious pilot
| house. The owner has his apartments aft.
which include cabin, study and a bath
room. Forward of these rooms, separa ted
| by a passage opening into large saloon,
are two suites for guests, consisting Of
| sitting room and bed room, with a bath
between The saloon is finished in ivory
| and gold with long panels of solid mahog-
| any, and the suites are finished in mahog-
any alone both, however, being paneled
overhead. Forward of the engine and
| boiler space on the main deck the galley is
located and dining saloon extending from
| side to side of the vessel, with snug
smoking room leading from 1t. completes
this department. a passage connects she
quarters aft and the saloon forward, max
| ing 1t unnecessary to go outside in in
clement weather Forward of the dining
saloon is large private apartment and
| the officers quarters. Below on the lower
| deck, aft, are located eight more state
rooms foc guests, two bath rooms and
| maids room making in all accommoda-
tons for a party of twenty-five, to be car
| rled in the yacht in comfort. All the joiner
WORK ana interior fittings are of first-class
Workmanship and exquisite in taste and
nnlsh The upper deck is free of ali OBJ
struct1ons except the pilot house and BOBBY
hatches, and is covered by an awning for
nearly its whole length. A flying bridge
extends from the top of the pilot house to
the sides of the vessel and carries mechan-
zeal telegraphs electric bells and all APP
pliances for directing the course and speed
or the vessel. Should the needs of the
country demand it, ARRANGEMENTS have
Deeh made ana extra strength built into
the null to accommodate two four-inch
rapla-nre guns, mounted on the center line
OF the vessel, one forward and one aft and
SIX s1X-pounders, three on either side ar
ranged to fire over the rail and clear of the
arc of fire of the four-inch guns.
Duplicate of Pathfinder.
Inc pathfinder, of which Mr. Ladew's
yacht is duplicate in hull, as referred to
above, was designed under the immediate
supervision of Rear Admiral Philip HIGH
born. Z. S. N, the chief constructor of the
United States navy, to fulfill conditions re-
curing strength, stability and good sea-
gong Qualities. The vessel is fully up TO
the navy standard. with its system of wa
ter-ught compartments, longitudinal stiff
enerS, coal protection, plated deck and
double bottom, and the yacht. incorpurat-
ing these can be converted at once into a
man-of-War, even to details of magazine
arrangements. SIX boats are provided. to-
gether with their complete outfits includ-
ing TWO Vap0r launches, one of which is
capable of making a speed of seven miles
per hour The others are such as are fur
niShed to war vessels of a similar class as
the yacht, and are fully up to the navy
standard In fact, the fittings throughout
are departure from conventional yacht
ing standards, and approach as nearly as
possible the regular equipment of a man-of-
war, and every modern appliance tending
toward comfort, safety and efficiency IS
supplied, such as steam windass, steam
steering gear, ash electors, electric venti-
lators. etc.
tended cruise around the world. visiting
India. China and Japan. when the internal
tlonal yacht races for the Americas cup
are over in October. In such a voyage the
yacht will be fully tested as to her sea-
going qualities, and as is expected will
completely fulfill Admiral Hichborn's pre-
diction that she can breast any gale that
blows.
Practical Patriotism.
Before having the design for his yacht
prepared, Mr. Ladew presented his views
to the Navy Department, in which he add
Nocated that large yachts to be built in
the future by private American owners
should have the decks and general struc-
lures made sufficiently strong to hold guns,
so that in case of war such vessels could
be quickly converted into auxiliary cruisers
of the navy, and requested the opinion of
the Secretary of the Navy whether or not
it would be practicable to so construct
yachts and at the same time preserve
their character as pleasure vessels He was
moved to present the subject to the Navy
Department because. whilst he intended to
build the Columbia for his own pleasure it
was his desire, If possible, to build it on
such plans as would make it useful to his
country in the event of war He further
desired to induce other builders of large
private yachts to construct their vessels
with the same end in view.
For Peace and War.
The subject was referred to Rear Adj
riral Philip Hichborn, chief constructor of
the navy, by whom it was found not only
practicable, but desirable, to have large
yachts built by American owners con-
structed of the type and upon the lines
suggested by Mr.. Ladew. The Pathfinder.
which had heen daSipned for 1,ca in, ba