New-York tribune., 1901-05-19
NO TRIAL OF THE CONSTITUTION.
WEATHER AT BRISTOL FORBADE-FEAT-
UREs OF THE NEW DEFENDER.
LBE TELEGRAPH To -HE TR1BrxE.l !

IBY TELEGRAPH To -HE TRIBuNEl
Bristol. r. l.. May 1S-On the new defender Con-
stitution the big racing mainsail bent to-day
for the first time. At o'clock the crew began,
under the direction OF Captain Urias Rhodes to
lace the head Of the sail TO the gan Before this
the luff had already been seized 10 the Tnasthoops
and slowed. A small white yawlboat brought
aboard Captain NAT" Herreshoff and William But
Ter Duncan. jr.. and at $40 the gaskets were cast
off the mainsail dropping the huge folds Of
canvas 10 the decks. The head Of the sail was
boused out along the gaf, and ar $40 big white
Mfeboat came ashore for Mr.. Duncan's friends.
Ralph " Ellis and Newberry Thorne who arrived
by an early train. and who were rowed out 10 the
Constitution.
After a small derrick barge. which had been
used in putting the gaf board, had been towed
ashore, everything in line for the inter
esting kind Of sailing, when slight driZZle of rain
came in from the southeast and the loosened can
vas was quickly rolled up, stopped and covered.
Further hours of continued rain helped to dispel
hope Of a trial Captain Duncan took his friends
back TO the tender Mount Morris which
anchor close by, both vessels being off the Here's
hoff yards He said that the first sailing OF the
yacht would take place tomorrow morning, and ii
IS thought that she will then get under way about
10 o'clock Mr. Ellis and Mr.. Thorne remained
for this.
The new racer the latest hope OF the New-York
Yacht Club is neither as sweet nor as graceful as
the 1893 Columbia. At present she Is not weighted
down length of waterline which her structure
suggests for best general performance. though it
is possible that she may be raced without much
addition Of lead. thus securing a short waterne
for racing measurement. AT present she seems to
be by the stern and has her bow cooked high. The
crew. however. were at the time all aft Of the
mast. with two or three out on the main boom
foot ropes, and the boat seems to be sensitive TO
altered placing OF weights.
under water the Constitution is not as clean and
graceful as the Upton challenger: designed by Wat
Inent in these respects upon the former Columbia @
iumbia The shape of her stern as the overhang
drops from the sternboard TO the water is more
abrupt and sudden than In the Columbia and it
lacks that wonderfully fne drawn length in the run
crliaritW OF shamrock ii when these parts OF the
hull were exposed at her launching.
the Coiumbia's and more like those Of the first
@ SareGR Sei ne of fbs n seems 10 be a5ou s
deeply sunk in the water as either Of them when
building for a larger sail CARRYING power has. of
S m means neeesssriiy follows that some sacrice
OF elegance in form for this object implies loss
has Intentionally abandoned some Of the Coumbias
in order to take on some OF the further power
deed. with the nearly two feet extra beam and the
stituton seems TO suggest the first Shamrock more
A stately thing this craft appears when seen from
aft where the arrangement of the double spreaders
can be pppfd nd e ae Wer 6an fbe a5
pair on the lower mast. The upper pair carry down
engaging any other parts. The second pair of
shrouds and spreaders are i0r tne support @ OF 9ne
thirty or forty feet below the upper ones. The
shrouds which pass them lead from the lower
masthead TO the deck
The third set Of shrouds have no spreaderS, and
leed from the point on the where the lower
spreaders cross down the deck. This is almost
wholly a new arrangement in having the lower
spreaders so wide. and is unQuestionably great
Improvement in giving strength 10 that region OF
strain where the lower spreaders cross When the
rnainsail is slowed IL is impossible 10 tell from
distance where the hounds should be considered TO
come for the heel of the topmast telescopes down
into the lower masthead, and is thus hidden Under
q lately passed rule the official measurer has TO
satisfy himself TO where the hounds should
properly be considered 10 come, but at present the
eculiarity is that the boat might be argued 10 have
the hounds in TWO places or TO have none 1t will
take a search warrant 10 find them. The jaws of
the gaf will be open while the gam ascends with
sail past the lower spreaders in the gam of
the first Shamrock.