The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-02

Hence the continuance Of the square rig
In large vessels long after seamen knew
that a schooner could head two points
closer to the wind than a ship was
speedier and more easily handled IN an
positions except dead before the Wind.
and was much cheaper 10 equip and
maintain.
Combination RiRs.
For this last reason. however. the
Schooner RIG was combined with the square
when practicable. Small ships became
banks. small banks be1amo barkentlnes.
the brig evolved into the brigantine. which
Is now adopting the better features Of the
topsail schooncr-and the original topsail
schooner hong ago atavistically sent down
her yards and relapsed into the parent
type.
But IN spite Of the advantage gained IN
sDeed. convenience and economy. the grad
ual drift toward the schooner RIG has been
held IN check by the undisputed necessity
Of dividing large sail area into parts
small enough 10 be handled. and. perhaps.
also. by the one strong point OF the square
rig-safety IN running before a heavy gale
and sea. Briggs and topsall schooners have
about disa ppeared. but ships. banks. bark
entines and brigantines are stlll being
launched. and u will 80 continue until
ship owners and builders realize the SUI
peri0rity or the one craft yet designed
which can compete with a large ship I'm
bad weather-the multi-masted schooner
with its five. six or seven short masts
supporting an aggregate sail area equal
to that OF a ship. and but two stories high
within reach Of the deck.
This typo OF vessel can be built as
large as the largest ship; u can he man
aged by half the men required aboard tho
more complicated square rugged craft. "a
can take to the high sea aud keep e.: IL
can beat 10 windward In sea that would
throw q ship to Reward: Il can so about
| head to wind-in sea that would force
a ship 90 wear; and Il can war. by means
/ OF It's numerous points of wind contact.
nearly as safely as can ship | say
NEARLY as safely" because the rig has
/ weak point which asserts itself In wear
/ ing. Il r.. that the largest sail aboard s.
/ placed upon the mast fartherest aft a
weakness which has been peculiar 90 the
l schooner rig since the day when the large
| sloop developed into che two-masted
schooner instead Of the evenly balanced
/ and convenient yawl which oarries her
I largest mast just abaft where schoon-
er's foremost n placed. and. well aft a
small mast called the iigEcrmast That
I this method Of balancing fore-and- aft
I canvas Is the best known is evidenced By
the fact that tender racing yachts adopt
tho RIG in crossing the Atlantic
But the early builders OF boomers. for
some inscrutnble reason. pcrpatuated the
I large mainsal: and when tho three-mast-
7 cd schooner was born. instead OF shift
Ing the two masts forward ana raising a
third smaller mast aft. which would have
abolished the weakness. they spread them
3 apart aud placed a mast between them
I OF a length iutermedaf befwe n the two,
J stu keeping the largest sail aft and the
fashion, having been thus established.
I has been adhered 20. even In the sparring
81 four. FIVE and six masted vessels.
Evolution ON the Great Lakes.
The immense traflc on the Great Lakes
and the mere frequent action II the law
OF survival coming OF the fierce sales In
tho fall-which destroy whole q cts OF in
I forior craft-has, In the century now end
Ing. forced the evolution az the primitive
sailing craft through ali the var Gus COM
promises until it has finally Edged IN
the steam vessel. In the early part of
the century they were fuil-rigRed ships
aud briggs on the lakes with the origi-
nal two-mastcd schooner and large sloop
| The last two, fitted % survive IN shall
I low waters. can stu b. seen; but with
a Ice shore all alb az them, the early ship
and brig d sapp AIRED. leaving barks.
tarkentnss. brigantines and the small
schooner CT two masts. Then died the
barkentine was evolved the three-masted
schooner with short mlzzenmast. which.
sor a time, retained one feature OF her