The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-11
THE CONSTITUTIONS DEFECTS
It Seems That They Are Structural
and Cannot Be Remedied.

It Seems That They Are Structural
and Cannot Be Remedied.
There is a very pretty lit
tie story going the rounds here today
| says a writer in the New York Tribune.
that T.. d. Morgan. the manager of the
Columbia. asked the Herreshoffs for a
new mainsail for his boat, as she might
be chosen to be the defender Of the cup.
The story foes that NAT" Herreshofc
replied that he would he glad to have
| one made, only that it would take six
/ weeks to get the canvas. Mr.. Morgan
| then telegraphed to the manager Of the
| mills at Lawrence. Mass. which makes
| the canvas used for sails at the Her.
reshoff yards. On being asked how soon
the company could supply the canvas
! the reply was given that it could be de-
| livered in four days. but that an order
| from the Herreshoff firm would be neces-
|, sary before the material was sent. iS.le
| result Of this. it Is said, was'th r. d.
| Morgan went to Bristol today on the
|. Columbia tender the steamer Park City.
| What occurred when Mr.. Morgan met
NAT" Herreshoff is not at present
known.
| AS to the Constitution, Captain Rhodes
admitted 10 u naval officer tOuuy NHdC
! he was unable to explain the boats
ability to go any faster. and that she
, seemed to be minutes slower. Mr.. Dun
| can, the manager OF the boat. said to-
day that to himself and others on the
| Constitution the boat seemed to be going
slower than she did in her first races.
1t is not suggested that the addition
of weight aloft in putting in the new
mast has anything to do with the appar-
ent falling off, because, although the
masthead is now considerably longer
than in the first spar. the length Of the
| topmast was cut down so that the length
| from the deck to truck is no greater than
| before. The extra weight aloft, if any, is
| therefore thought to be not worth no.
ticing. The question is. however asked
| by outsiders whether the whole lower
mast is not much heavier in cOnstruc-
ton. The present mast is said to have
| been mad as spare SPAR to be used
| only in case the first one was unable to
stand the strain, and the suggestion Is
| that in being made stronger 1t has also
been made much heavier through its eX-
ira internal strengthening of steel. The
sail raced with yesterday was removed
early this morning and replaced by an-
othe which was bent and set later in
day. The sail now in use is the one first
used on the Constitution. and not the
one she had on when her mast was car
| rid away. The jib that was used yes
terday was removed today and will never
again be put on the yacht. because it
seemd that the cloths had stretched in
such ways and places that it was beyond
the sailmaker's art to make it right. The
beat will now have new head sails pro-
| v:ded. and the foresail used yesterday
will be recut.
It was not through any belief that the
beats keel wrong that Mr.. Dun
can sent down diver today to examine
every mart of her unlarbody. He did
so s.llv because it seems to be the
proper thing to do. in view of the boats
further increased defeat yesterday
4 There seems to be general desire ex.
Or ssed that sails should be made fol
the Constitution by some firm that has
made j, lifetime name for supplying sails
One criticism com = ON source likely
to command some attention. 1t come!
about tenth hard from a conversation
with Thomas Ratsev, whose handiworl
on the two Shamrocks and two Valky
ri, $ has been so much admired by Amer
lean yachtsnen.
"What the dickens does Herreshof
know about making sails?" Mr.. Ratsa.
is reported to have said. He is grea
yacht designer and builder and engi
necr. but he is not probably a universe
genius, and I believe in man stickin:
to his trade and not trying everything
About the only thing that is not sug
gested in regard to the unexplained fall
| ing off of the Constitution is that tn
Columbia has been put forward in bet
ter condition for light airs than she wa
l at first No one is told what is bein
:, done with the Columbia. Captain Bar
and Mr.. Morgan wisely keep their ow
counsel. The first tests showed that tn
Constitution could beat her In the light
, est of airs. and the one and only thin
the Columbia needed was to make he
beat the new boat in lighter weather
The facts are that she now does so. TIL
question is: Have Barr and Morga
been idle all this time? Would it nc
be at least equally wise to expect in
provement in the Columbia instead {
combining the general wonderment to tn
seeming retroeression of the Constitt
ton? 1t is entirely legal to take out ba
last without remeasurement, but not
add ballast so as to increase the water
le line length When the Columbia we
evidently sitter than she need be II
lie light airs as compared with the Const
tuition, Is it to be supposed that Bal
would throw away point through lac
of experiment? AS it is now, the .
lumbia can beat the Constitution In an
air strong enough to round out her pa
8. loon lib. But she could not do so
he first. and the most reasonable explain;
ton of the present difficulty seems to
IS. that the Columbia has been in some We
ly lightened up to move for a puff a penn.
whistle. The Columbia has the mod
Mt to stand this. She can lie down far ar
still sail in first class way. but whs
the Constitution is made to lie dow
she puts in the water consideran
excess of beam. which is carried far al