Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-27
FAMOUS YACHT VIRGINIA.
Will Visit Bath, Her Birthplace, Dur
ing Ter. centennial.

Portland, Me-, July 26.--The Vir-
ginia, one Of the most famous yachts
in the United States, built in Bath, in
this State, and owned by Isaac Stern,
we'll known as department store man
Of New York and Paris, is in port, hav-
ing arrived late Thursday =. afternoon
from New York.
The yacht was made famous princi-
pally by two cruises. that of Professor
Alexander AgassiZ, of Harvard Univer-
sity, and a party who went in her -
the West Indies on scientific expedi-
ton, and the cruise Of the big rubber
manufacturers who one year ago last
winter made their trip to the Amazon
river in her and about which a book
has since been written. The Virginia
also has the distinction Of having en-
tered every port in Europe from ST.
Petersburg and the great cities of the
Northern Continent to all the ports
bordering the Mediterranean.
On board the yacht on her present
cruise are Mr.. Stern, Mrs. Stern, their
son, Robert Stern, college friend of
the latter from Yale, and a relative of
Mr.. and Mrs. Stern. The party left New
York Saturday, stopped at New Lon
don, Vineyard Haven and Gloucester.
1t is expected that the yacht will re-
main i'm Maine waters during the hot
weather, although this is not certain.
The Virginia is of particular inter-
est to Maine because she was built at
Bath and she is to be present at the
Precautionary of American shipping in
that city during the big celebration to
be held there in August. She was built
by the Bath Iron Works and has prov
en- a credit to the State and to that
firm. She was launched September ~,
1899. and has been in almost constant
commission since. She has been to Eu-
rope twice, to the West Indies three
times and to South America once, IN
addition to almost constant cruising
along the Atlantic coast during the re-
mainder Of the time. She is regular.
summer. She is undoubtedly about the
visitor to Maine and to Portland IN the
only craft that his visited every; Eu
ropean port, a record which REQUIRED
months to perform.
She began her career Immediately a1ter
she was fitted up by sailing from New
York in January, 1900. for cruise to Eu-
rome. This was almost a record breaking
one for length, it being eight months and
eight DAYS from the day she left that port
until she returned. During that cruise
she covered about q, 00c miles, nearly the
circumference of the earth. Later she
made another five months trip to Europe
and then came her 10000 mile trip to the
Amazon river with the rubber financiers,
and the scientific expedition of Professor
Agassiz to the West Indies during which
thousands of specimens We're collected
and as many more photographs taken. II
the number Of miles the Virginia has
Travelled were added it would make many.
times the distance around the world.
But the only interesting feature about
the Virginia is not the yacht herself. She
has a famous commander, Captain La A.
Jeffrey of Long Island, and q cousin OF
Captain Hank Half of America cup de-
fender fame. Captain Jeffrey took the
cup challenger Vigilant to Europe in 1891
and sailed on her during all of the races
She was then commanded by Captain
Half. but he did not take her until she
arrived on the other side. For years he
was captain Of the cup defender schooner
Columbia and then was on the yacht Sow
ereign, owned by NJ. c. d. Borden of Fan
River. the cotton mill man. The Sover-
eign during the Spanish-American war
was bought by the government and is
now the gunboat Scorpion, famous in re-
cent naval history. .,ts,.s