New-York tribune., 1901-09-04
CONSTITUTIONS DEFECTS.
-,,,,s THAT THEY ARE STRUCTURAL
AND CANNOT BE REMEDIED.
,.--rrFcRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBUNE.I
Sent 3-There is a little story
N,bo rounds here to-day that f. d. Morgan.
CONS .r os the Columbia. asked the Herreshonfs
the N-- -, roainsail for his boat she might be
loi - he the defender of the Cup. The story
chos' r.. aeIat" Herreshoff replied that he would
80 N have one made. only that it would take
* seols N get the canvas Mr.. Morgan then
s,.uorbes 10 the manager OF the mills at Law
'eiee lIass which make the canvas used for sails
ie"s S rIerveshoff yards. on being asked how soon
-, ,onnany could supply the canvas the reply was
- tbst II could be delivered in four days, but
-. - order from the Herreshoff firm would be
nc a.ssarv before the material sent The result
~ ,bis !, Is said was that z. D. Morgan went 20
ps,ol to-day on the Columbia tender. the steamer
D.. civ What occurred when Mr.. Morgan met
sSat. Herreshoff is not at present known.
Hs 70 the Constitution, Captain Rhodes ad-
.,,,eS 10 A navat officer to-day that he was un-
- n explain the boats inability TO go any
s.s,er and that she seemed 10 be minutes slower
AZ Duncan the manager of the boat. said to-day
-. % himself and others on the Constitution the
-, seemed 70 be going slower than she did in
- first races. II is not suggested that the addi-
.io, Of weight aoft in putting in the new mast
80 ANYTHING TO do with the apparent falling of.
h.,suse although the masthead is now considerably
,,,ger than IN the first spar, the length of the
,aSt was cut down so that the length from
- ~ truck IS no greater than before The extra
,s,rht aloft If any, il therefore thought to be
-, vrortb noticing The question is, however,
ss.s nv outsiders whether the whole lower mast
a, nat much heavier in construction. The present
,.s is said 10 have been made as spare spar.
: =. used only in case the first one unable
. s.snd the strain, and the suggestion is that in
ts,,r made stronger il has also been made much
bsavder through its extra internal strengthening
- steel The sail raced with yesterday was re-
moved early this morning and replaced by an
o,bar which was bent and set later in the day.
in l. nrSt used the
constitution and not the one she had on when
b.r mast was carried away. The jib that was used
yesterday was removed to-day and will never
-.,r ne rut on the yacht because it seemed that
80 cloths had stretched in such ways and places
.h.. II was beyond the saimaker's art 10 make II
-, The boat will now have new head sails
,ros6ed and the foresaI used yesterday Will be
recut -. -,
was wrong that Mr.. Duncan sent down oiver to-
sey TO examine every part Of her underoooy he old
"a solely because il seems 10 be the proper thing 10
a. a, ,se,v % the boats further and increased de-
feat vesterday There seems TO be a general desire
srn-essed that sails should be made for the Consti-
sutton nv some firm that has made a lifetime name
for supplying sails. one criticism comes from a
source likely 10 command some attention IL comes
about tenth hand from a conversation Win Ihomas
pSfssv whose handiwork on the two Shamrocks
snd the two Ealkyries has been so much ADMIRED
y D.scWbst The dickens does Herreshof know about
,eing sails9' Mr. Ratsey reported TO have said.
''Ie is great yacht designer and builder ana en-
eineer but he is not probably a universal genius.
and believe in man sticking TO his trade ana not
About The only thing that is not suggested in re-
gard 10 the unexplained falling of OF the Constitl-
fion Is that the Columbia has been put forward IN
better condition for light airs than she was at
first. No is told what is being done win
ibe Columbia Captain Barr and Mr.. Morgan wise
" keen their own counsel. The nrst tests showed
thai the Constitution could beat her in the lightest
Of airs and the one and only thing the Columbia
needed was 10 make her beat the new boat IN
lighter weather. The facts are that she now does
so The question is: Have Barr and Morgan been
idle all this time. Would II not De AT least eqOaiy
wise 10 expect improvement in the Columbia in
stead Of confning the general wonoerment 10 the
seeming retrogression OF the Constitution II is
urement. but not 10 add ballast so as 10 increase
the WateFline length. When the Columbia was evil
denty sitter than she need be for light airs
compared with the Constitution is 1t TO be sup
posed that Barr would throw away point through
lack OF experiment. As II Is now, the Columbia
can beat the Constitution in any air strong enough
20 round out her balloon jb. But she could not do
al first, and the most reasonable explanation OF
the present difficulty seems 10 be that the Columbia
puff-a-penny-whistle. The Columbia has the model
70 stand this. She lie down far and still sail
made 10 lie down she puts in the water consider
able excess OF beam. which IS carried far aft and
does not leave the water finely the Columbia
but creates drag and commotion.
The Constitutions fault apparently Is not due 20
lack Of good all, but structural in
ability 10 keep pointing as high as the Colurnbi
When she has good way she may be headed up
as high as the narrower boat. but she does hold
there and she comes back 10 her natural line Of
her newest sail when racing in the Sound last
week II sat perfectly, every admitted at that
time and before the SAN got baggy the Columbia
the model 10 go "a Windward better than the Coluu-
6a she would have shown her ability before this.
Her fault is structural and cannot be altered.