The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
DISTURBER ~. HOLDS
SPEED BOAT RECORD
Commodore Pugh Is First to
Produce Long Awaited Mile
a Minute Craft.
MARK NOT MADE IN RACE

The motor boat season Of 1915. while
not especially brilliant. developed the
mile a minute boat. for which those
interested in high speed motorboats have
been striving for a long time. This
speed. however. was not maintained In
a race. but was made In q series of
trials over . half mile course. Com
modore James A. Pugh's Disturber ".
averaged sixty-two miles an hour and
made one half mile In 20 seconds. This
performance places the Disturber Nv.
a. the fastest boat In the world and Is
IN a measure n recompense to Comma
dore Pugh for his disappointment last
year. He had AIKEN the Disturber III.
20 England to ace for the British In
tsrnattonal trophy for motor boats
against the Maple Leaf w.. blu the war
necessitated calling this series on. and
Commodore Pugh came home disguised
with everything and declaring hat he
was through with the game.
During the winter he changed his
mind and went TO work to build another
racer. and this year won the Wrgley
trophy and established a new record
In this country for speed. He averaged
+e.t miles an hour in one OF the races
for the Wrigley cup. and his boat was
eased during the last fifteen miles OF the
course. In the first fifteen miles Tho
Disturber ~. averaged ffty-hve miles
an hour. and had she been driven to the
finish she would have been credited with
that speed, as there is little likelihood
that sho would have broken down. Com
modore Pugh wisely took nc chances
and, having the race well in hand. eased
up his boat.
The best speed made in a race was
by the Maple Leaf ~. In the 1nterna-
tional races in England in 1913. She
then made 49, nautical or 56.44 statute
m!les an hour. which stands as the
worlds record. After this series was
over som motor boat men or this sid
questioned the time, but the British have
shown that the times taken were ac-
curate and that the course was properly
surveyed and correct. While some may
doubt that the Maple Leaf ". made the
times with which she was credited. this
will have TO be accepted and stands as
the record speed made in a race,
The outlook early in he ~ was
remarkably bright because several speed
boats were being built and their de-
signers, owners and engine builders had
great hopee of their being world heaters.
Then, too. when some of these were
launched and tried out. stories were told
Of how they were eoirE % fast that
they had all records broken. and several
boats. each making better than a mile a
minute, were announced. A. usual these
boats failed al the time when they should
have done their best and their failure
wa largely due to their not having
been thoroughly tested before the races.
IN account Of aNrident tn Asyeral heats
the series for the Gold Challenge cup
had to be por.soned. n when the boats
did get to tho starting line II was n
great disappointment to all. The Miss
Detroit won this trophy and her best
time was +2.17 nautical or 4S,+s statute
miles an hour. She Won easily and did
not appear to be pushed at all. Her
time was not phenomenal. but her
owners declared that when she was
pushed h would do better than Nifty
statute miles, In fact she did do bet