New-York tribune., 1901-08-19

and if not quite in the old plan there is
perhaps less danger Of pulling out the fixture,
which in this case is probably part Of the front
OF the vessel cast with the stem. and not addl-
tion. attached later. the construction OF the
yacht. II seemed 10 have further advantage for
a cruising yacht in providing unbreakabe moor
ing for any bobstay that might have TO be used In
a jury rig If the horn carried away when the
yacht was too far at TO have chance OF get
ting assistance at shipyard. And trouble
with d modern racing design has been that II ,he
boat pulls out the fastening for the lower end Of
the bobstay there is absolutely nothing in that
region TO which any kind of rigging can D.. fixed
II is possible that Mr.. Watson's notion may hnd
favor in the building OF all vessels whose stems
are cast, and the scheme renders the hitting OF
new bobstay much easier there being nothing 20
do but bowse down the howsprit end tll the lower
moose in the bobstay hts over the button after
which the strain Of the bent bowsprit holds it in
place.
Another oddty consists in the way the main
shrouds are attached 10 the sides Of the vessel
There are no chain plates here at least none OF
the shape ordinarily seen. which extend down
narrowly and bolted the frames on this
"essel each Of the four lower mast shrouds and
the one topmast shroud. which descend on each
side of the boat. IS set up a small metal struc-
tuTe that looks peculiarly Hight. This substitute
for a chain plate IS shaped something like an in
verted L, with the open ends hammered fat 10
take the riveting. There are only five rvets in
each fattened end. making ten rivets for eacn So
called chain Plate. These do not extend down
more than four five inches from the edge Of the
rail, and they seem to be merely riveted through
though there may be. and doubtless is an interior
strengthening of plate 10 which also they may be
bolted. But, considering the huge strains that the
four lower shrouds have TO take, this affair does
not look much stronger from the outside
than the hook and eye on a wonan's dress
neat little idea also appears at the bows
Ihere are TWO upright ventilators right in the
eyes Of the ship each side OF the bowsprit
These. Of course do not appear on race days. but
when the yacht is lying at anchor head to wind
these two ventiators can send great breeze down
into the forecastle. and in fact cool the whole
ship
As seen at the Erie Basin. there were two per-
pendcular breaks in the paint under the starboard
shrouds, and another break Of the same kind un-
der the preventer backstay. These three extend
ed down about two feet from &c rail- and seemed
to suggest that the boat had been entirely free
from strain in the ocean passage. I looked as
If one or two plates in the top strake had worked
a little at the edges Of the ends But even II this
were the case. II would not mean anything serious
but would merely suggest that OF the ocean
strains had been greater than the boat is thought
TO have experienced.
An alloy OF copper and tin. which is called inn
madlIm; Is used in the plating Of the vessel and
protect it and to provide better footing There
ar are nine & Itrakes ; Of plating from the deck down
Of the fin to the turn of the upper body This
upper Dody mas a depth In the water or about
eight feet, and looks to reach down further from
the surface than In the Columbia. She reminds
one here more of the Britannia than the Columbia.
People who do not know the Britannias shape
say tat this part reminds them of the Defender,
which is quite right, the Defender being a slightly
improved Britannia shape, and which gained
more in speed through economy OF structural
weight than in Improvement In model Some peo-
pie think that Watson could have advantageOusy
shaved the challenger down In this region, and
there is doubt that when this boat gets hard
pressed in a beam wind this deep upper body will
make wave. in spite of the beautiful taperIng
which leads and follows IT. AS to this the
well known prejudice of Mr.. Watson against
pure and smnle sailing machine here makes itself
evident in his work. He has given Sir Thomas
Upton a yacht with whole lot of cabin room,
and Sir Thomas has money enough to buy
cut away and shape out slightly differently. and
he win study the fastest shape in which q yacht
will pass through water. but II is more than
probable that any design OF his will, as long
he turns out fast boats, remain a yacht and not
a sailing machine. Not even to win the Americas
Cup will he place himself in a position to accuse
himself of building thing that IS something less
than a ship He is rich man. wholly Independent
OF any else's money. and IL he had not satisfied
himself through the tank tests that he had a
chance for the Cup by making a departure
all his previous designing ne would not have
shaped the Shamrock. He had to do two things
first find a shane that would be faster than any
thing he had imagined before, and second TO use
that shape in way that would produce a yacht
and not a machine