New-York tribune., 1901-05-22
PRICE THREE CENTS.
DEFENDERS FIRST TRIAL.
W. BUTLER DUNCAN. JR.. SATISFIED
WITH CONSTITUTIONS TEST.
CERTAIN. BUT SHE MADE GOOD SPEED
"A MAGNIFICENT BOAT
IRY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRInrNE.I

OF the NeW-1Ork acnt CIuO, mad her nrSt trial
of speed to-day in Narrasansett Bay. After
three days of waiting everybody was rewarded
by perfect weather conditions in the afternoon
In the morning sailing the winds too light
to show off the boat in complete way. but in
the afternoon the breeze came in nicely from
the south-sOuthwest. and the craft tried
on every point of sailing.
AS a summary, il may be said that. in the
absence of any trial horse, the true meaning
of the tests was of course. left almost alto
gether TO guesswork. and some of the hoped for
deductions were rendered a good deal more un-
certain by three other facts-ramely that the
new canvas. for the most part sat badly so
that the boat could not point up well, mat
ter what her structural ability may be for doing
so; second because the boat was out in stavs
so slowly that no accurate record could be OBJ
/ tanned as to her turning ability. and third be-
| cause the vessel pushed in the lighter
! airs by either the clubtopSail balloon jib or
| spinnaker. Thus. if it should be said that the
! Constitution did not move fast in light airs
as the Columbia. Shamrock L it would
have TO be remembered that she was not carry
/ ing the same racing canvas
/ The best part of the days showing was in the
way the boat could go through the water with
/ out creating motion When at anything
| less than ten miles hour she leaves more
record on the water than an icebOat on ice-just
a white scratch. and nothing more. The wave
under her lee bow is merely the surface water
pushed aside. and Is a mere white ripple.
| PREPARATIONS FOR THE TRIAL
As 10 the boats canvas it is only fair to
Hathaway to say that the mainsan wet
with three days continuous rain when it
hoisted- The jfb and foresaiI which went up
dry, seemed to be badly cut. and hung in folds
the stays The topsail was not made to fit
during the various changes made in sheet and
haIyard but it could have been made to set by
the wind if the lacing TO the mast had been
Stacked The baby tbtopsail at first the
best looking sail the boat. but later, when
the and the stretching took the kinks out
OF the mainsafl the latter naturally improved
in appearance, and will be a good sail when
worked into shape
At $50 a. m. the foresan was sent up IN
stops and then the rolled jib went aloft for the
first time The men were at work getting the
covers off the mainsaiI and it that
the first part Of the peak hayards OF wire
rope. the rest of it being manila. The upper
throat halyard block has four sheaves. and
there are three in the lower. The jaws OF the
gar are of galvanized steel and made just
TO pass the lower spreaders when the fa6 is
exactly at right angles TO same Herreshoff
trusts 10 the thrust OF the gaf to keep it in
place on the mast. The mainsair has four
batons and wire roping the luff
like large spool. This is round windass on
which is rolled a phosphor bronze rope. 1t is
small. though of enormous strength, and 1t is
the latest wrinkle for ground tackle. 1t more
than takes the place of the heavy chain cable
and is a model for neatness. The topmast sets
into the masthead seven feet
Before the mainsan was fully hOisted the
mainboom struts were pushed out at right
angles to the boom and the wire ropes tight
IT, hOOr sit mad
up in ungreased way, and at 9:59 the jib
was broken out. and when this caught the
northwest light air the Constitution made her
first move under canvas at 10 O'Clock
She started southwest. and then turned free
with Nat Herreshoff at the wheel. and w.
Butler Duncan jr.. Charles Henry Billnan, the
rigger and Asa Hathaway. the sailmaker. close
behind him. Then the jibtopsail lighted
along the horn by five men on the fOOtropes. and
it soon moving up the stay, and at 1910
the head OF the working safftopsan showed
over the gaff.
Here the wind fell fiat. Two comfortable
boatswain's chairs went aloft for the masthead
men, and at 1928 they tried to sheet out the
topsail but the lower half of 1t was in snarl.
and 1t took nine and u half minutes to get it
cleared and the lower stops cut away II was
sheeted out by the winch at the foot of the mast,
but did not set. The sail caused trouble all day.
John B. Herreshoff the brother of the design
er. was out with his wife on his steam yacht
Eugenia and from the way he stood uD and
turned to the new boat would guess that
he was blind The sailing which followed
the boat passed down toward Newport for four
and three-quarter miles to Sandy Point need
not be described except to say that in the light
and variable catspaws she seemed to be rather
insensitive TO their small power. and when they
came with better force she did not seem to feel
them.
At Hos Herreshon gave the wheel to Mr.
Duncan and went forward. and while he gazed
up at the forward canvas through his green gOg-
giles his countenanCe held no joy. The wind
dropped then. and Duncan gybed the craft and
came to anchor for luncheon, The sailors were
taken across to the tender Mount Morris in the
large launch in whic.l Mr.. Duncan arrived from
Newport before the start.
A pleasant breeze coming in from the
sOuth-sOuthwest the sailors returned and
backed the jib at los. and then the boat footed
off the port tack, with Mr. HerreshOH at the
wheel. This breeze increased. and in the tack
ing il was found that the starbOard tack the
yacht headed southeast by south. and the
port tack she headed west-sOuthwest She
all day, but this was solely a matter OF bad
canvas and she will do much better. About
three miles from Sandy Point something gave
way at the heel of the bOwsprit, and the boat
was paid off before the wind at once IL was
a beautiful turn. and the first of the boats
power. as she was thrown fiat TO the wind with
of bronze underbody. but took the strain in good
shape giving promise of being great canvas
carrier.
MR. DUNCAN SATISFIED.
A few men worked at something at the heel
of the bowsprit, and it was supposed that this
spar had slipped a little inboard. The jib hall
yards were partly Stacked down. and afterward.
when all was made right. the boat again came
by the wind. While the men were forward the