Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-05-06
READY LAUNCH.
Constitution Will Go Into the
Water, This Evening.
Said to Resemble Columbia So Much
as to Be Nearly a Twin.
Shamrock II in Saturdays Trial Proved Her
sell Fast Boat.

W. l., Ally o---Ai tlT1nst-
nlentS have been made at the HERE
shon yards FOR the launching of the
Constitution. tomorrow; evening. Work
ceasei Il; midnight. last night, and no
doubt the yacht is in perfect readiness
fol her maiden plunge. The general
public. however. will be afforded no
facility whatever for seeing the cerc-
mcny. Mr.. Butter Duncan and his
party VIII be admitted into the shoD
but according to present plans the
Herreshoff dock will be closed to
sightseers.
There will be nothing Of the old
fashioned ceremony in il when the
launch Of vessel was a public holi-
day celebration with festivities end
consumption of cakes and ale. In the
old days yachts used to be launched
slap dash and with a plunge. 1t was
all over in few seconds. The Con
sti.ution will be lowered into the wa
ter slowly ana gradually under con
troll Of 4 Windlass. From the time the
bottle of wine is broken on her bow
until she is aloat probably 20 minutes
VIII elapse. IN that interval. by means
of searchlights and flashlights. the
will be observed by hundred eager
eyes and many n camera record the
graceful hull on its way to the water
The Mount Morris. the tender of the
Constitution. arrived from Newport at
G O'Clock. this evening. with Mr.. Dun
can. He said that no program Of the
launch had been arranged. that nobody
yet has been asked to christen the
" no would be present. The tradition
airy bottle of wine. however, would be
smashed in the orthodox way. From
another source. The Associated Press
correspondent learned that Mrs. Butler
Duncan would in all probability per-
form the ceremony. tomorrow evening.
one of the mechanics who worked on
the hl;lls of both Columbia and Con-
stitution said. today. that the two
boats are alike as two peas from the
same pod or two shoes from the same
last. If placed in dry dock alongside
ofEeach other. it would take n skilled
yacht designer to distinguish one hull
from the other. The slight increase in
the beam of the new boat is not ap-
preciablc to the ordinary unframed eye.
1T is in the undcrbody that modfica-
(stions asa only trifiing ones have been
made, graFfning away forward and aft
ana the easing of the lines wherever
possibles comprise the only alterations
made in the original plan of the Co
lumbia.
s. The form OF the Constitution. while
closely resembling that of the Column
bia. is put together differently, the
whole plan of construction being origi-
nal with Nat Hercshoff. being strong
or and lighter than has ever before
been used on racing yacht or even a
torpedo boat.
The work of Rigger Billman and his
gang on the steel lower mast is well
advanced This spar by the way Is
ioS feet in length. the steel boom be-
| ing 10 feet. the mast being three feet
and the boom being two feet longer
than those Of the Columbia. The mast
will probably be stepped Tuesday, ana
every haste will be made to get the
Yacht rugged for service. When. in the
| interesting process of tuning up the
vessel and drilling the crew IN al
yachting maneuvres will be begun IN
dead earnest
! the Herreshoffs have been busy with
the practical part of the ceremony
such as the dredging of the channci.
the overhauling of the marine railway
the placing of strong moorings ana the
painting of an enormous sign warning
vulgar and irreverent vessels OF aii
kinds NOT TO anchor in the neighbor-
! hood There seems no danger OF tie
craft sticking in the mud. divers hav-
ing gone down to see that the rail-
| way is in working order.
| The promise of Sir Thomas Upton
| to enter Shamrock ii for the Lawson
cup has gladGened the hearts OF al
| Eastern yachtsmen. They believe tha'
this sportsmanlike decision OF Hir
| Thomas may have effect on the New
York Yacht Club, even to the extent oi
inviting the Independence to sail on the
annual cruise of the club which begins
on July %. Col. ]. ]. Astor may a'so
invite the Lawson boat to compete Ill
tine contest for the Astor cup for sl"ops
which is one of the crack yachtiib
events Of the year.
,rho story of the first spin OF the
Shamrock III was read with interest,"
ing but to conservative men, no ies'"i,
of consequence was to be lea!he"
tborefrCm, except, perhaps, that Slie
ZOOS through the water more cleaniS
and without the splash ana smotn,i
forward and the great wave aft WHICH
vvoro the pronounced features of Sfaii-
rock 7 Precisely how much faster tne
na,v boat is than the challenger OF i'''
NAV never be known. because the po"
of Tho first Shamrock has been alteIe"
materially and her speed thereby ~
creased. according to the belief OF W
Fife. who designed her. 1t VIII "
some days before the two Shalh'"e
" in be in condition to accomplish aH'
thing from which an accurate ioe' "a
their relative speed may be fori''e"'
CUE Is FLYER