The Washington herald., 1911-08-13
YACHTING

modern shpbuilder has done hls best 10 ue-
crease resistance and increase the possibiii-
ties of speed.
OF canoes for war and for peace, and Tor
hunting and fishing, with oars and with sails,
there are numerous types, varying ratheI
with tribes and nations than with periods oil
time. ,
Canoes built of pliable material then came
to take the place of dugohts. AT first bark
was used, and then the skins OF animals
Shipbuding became more and more oil an
art, and the builders puzzled out, bit by Dit,
how to make light, rigid framework, and to
cover it with something that would leak only
in moderation. Before that, when his dug,
out had begun to let the water IN, he mad
made new one.
1t is no easy matter to determine how long
ago these rudiments were learned. Inc
Eqyptians, Assyrians and Phoenlcians had
outgrown the canoe three thousand years be-
fore the Christian era, and We're traversing
the sea in boats with big sails and hosts OF
rowers, and had invented the rudder
The sharp.beaked trireme, OF which we
read in ancient history, was one hundred
feet in length, and carried from two hundred
to two hundred and fifty rowers and hghtIng
men. The Viking ship, which was repro
duced at the Worlds Fair, in 1S,2, and which
we have had proven to MS was able TO make
transatlantic voyage, was of the same type.
From that time to this the steps have been
gradual, until steam came to supplant sans;
Junk galleon, carack and caravel and all
their kind served kings and merchants worth. or
ily on the seas and by slow degrees lost their
huge square sails and high sterns, develop
ing gradually the lofty spars and fine lines
of the latterday clipper,
It is singular that so little is known OF
the history Of yachting. The most commonly
given derivation OF the word Is that 1t Is
from the Dutch jagt-a, verb, meaning to
hunt or to chase. So the name is applied
chiefly to vessels built for speed, Size or
rig makes no difference in the dehnition-any'
thing in the shape OF vessel, used ex'
cltisively for pleasure or racing, may be prop
erly called yacht.
Of the two classes of yachts, one built bal
lasted and spared for racing, and the Other
for elegance and comfort, the latter undoubt
edy came first.
History tells us of one such, in a remote
time, constructed for Ptolemy Philopater
Hero, King Of Syracuse, both pleasure craf
of great size and luxuriantly fitted.
The word yacht" was, however, unknown
in England until 1904, when Henry, Prince
of Wales, had a pleasure boat built Per
haps the earliest yacht race chronicled ]
1861, by the Kings boat, and that owne'
by the Duke Of York, from Greenwich Il
Gravesend and back, for wager of f1OO.
The first yacht club of which there is re
liable evidence was organized in Queenstown
n1 Ireland In in VIZ; 1sIG CS Under the name OF tn
Americas first yacht was built at Salem
Mass, in 1901, by Christopher Turner, an
it was christened the jefferson. Captain
George Crowninshield owned her, and foun
her a good sailer, though only a twenty tive
tonner. She was made privateer in 1Sl
, and later became a-6shing smack.
Since then the development Of the crai
has been rapid, until it seems the acme
, yacht building has been reached, although eac
E year will probably see improvements.