316 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Noy, 13, 1884. 
This hag the disadvantage of requiring the constant attention of a 
man, and cannot be done when the yesselis at anchor. To sum up, 
oil May be used by yachts and olher vessels under the following 
circumstances; 
1. When running before a heayy sea, 
bad weather, 
2. When lying to or with a. sea anchor out, 
3. When attempting a landing through breakers in asmall boat, 
4 When lowering boats, or going alongside, in a heavy sea. 
6. With regard to oil being used at the mouths of harbors by spe- 
cial apparatus directed fromthe land, it seems not unlikely that a 
vessel running in for shelter might be able to distribute it herself with 
equally good eflect. But there is the consideration to be taken into 
account, that the oil might not be always on board. 
Captain Chetwynd is to be congratulated on his most valuable re- 
port. There is still a good deal to be learned on the subject, and no 
doubt some few yacht owners will take the matter up. 
Itis sincerely to be hoped that the Admiralty will continue the 
good work the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has com enced, 
and order exhaustive experiments to be carried out, It is right and 
proper that every Means should be taken to save the lives of ship- 
Wrecked mariners; but our first care should be that our ships are pro- 
yided with all possible safeguards which human ingenuity can devise 
apainst accidents at sea, B. 
[OF conrse, theré is a preat difference between sea waves and surf 
or ground swell. In deep water it is merely the ‘‘waye form’* which 
travels, and not the water itself until the wave, by attaming an undue 
height, breaks up, and then a mass of water rushes along until ab- 
sorbed. In the case of surf, it is the actual water which travels, and 
the commotion is entirely different to that of broken up deep water 
Waves; hence the difference of the effect of the oil, The chief use of 
cilat sea isto prevent the waves breaking at all,—En,].—London 
Field, Oct. 16, 1884, ; 
€, g.. entering a harbor in 
STEEL SHIPBUILDING, 
pas probabilities are that steel will be the principal material for 
shipbuilding for some years to come; until some superior metal 
is discovered, The following interesting statistics by Mr. John Hoag, 
Lloyds surveyor, show how its use is increasing year by year: 
Since December 20, 1877, when the committee of Lloyds’ register 
first sanctioned the use of this material, twenty per cent. thinner 
than iron, for shipbuilding, the tonnage and number of steel vessels 
cleared in Lloyds’ register have been as follows: . 
1878—7 steam vessels, 4,470 tons. 
1879—8 steam vessels, 14,300 tons; 1 sailing vessel, 1,700 tons. 
1880—21 steam vessels, 34,031 tons; 2 sailing vessels, 1,842 tons. 
15$1—20 steam vessels, 39,210 tons; 3 sailing vessels, 8,167 tons. 
1852—55 steam vessels, 113,864 tons; 8 sailing vessels, 12,447 tons. 
15s8—41 steam vessels, 98,841 tons: 10 sailing vessels, 14,018 tons. 
A steel ship costs from eight toten per cent. more than an iron ship 
of the same size, butits greater carrying capacity will enable it to 
ay off this increased cost in two or three years, A steel vessel built 
for the Spanish ore trade, carrying 1,300 tons, cost, in 1877, £18,350; 
an iron vessel of the same size would have cost £17.000, but would 
only carry 1,220 tonsof ore. The extra net earnings of the steel ves- 
sel, due to the eighty tons extra carrying capacity, were £560 per 
annum. As steel is gradually approaching iron in price, the differ- 
ence in the cost of iron aud steel ships wlll grow less, and, as the lat- 
ter material is growing more uniform and reliable, perhaps a greater 
reduction of thickness than twenty per cent. will be admissible, 
The first sea-going vessel built of steel in the United States is Mr. 
William Astor's steam yacht Nourmahal; she has b en constructed 
in accordance with Lloyd's rules, under special survey, to class 100, 
Al, and the numerous samples selec.ed from her materials for tests, 
required by Lloyds’ rules, have mostly exceeded the tenacity and 
ductility required by the rules, 
THE SEASON ON THE LAKES. 
A thine yachting season on the lakes is fairly over, and the fleet craft 
which disputed each olher’s supremacy in point of speed on our 
inland seas are resting easily on shore, where they will be carefully 
housed before winter—of the early approach of which season we have 
had many unmistakable warnings—is with us again. 
The honors of the racing season were very decidedly with the Bay 
of Quinte ¥. C., whose representatives made almost a clean sweep of 
all the first prizes offered ar the meetings of the Lake Yacht Racing 
Association, in the first class the Atalanta started but once, and lost 
first by a partial breakdown, through which she was delayed not less 
than half an hour, and even thus handicapped she finished first and 
won two second prizes, the one race deciding the prizes in the Royal 
Qanadian and Toronto ¥, C. matches, The Norah started twice and 
won two firsts. 
Tn the second class the lolanthe started five times and won four 
firsts and one second. Herrecord would have been a clean one but 
for shocking bad Iuckin her race at home. The Surprise won one 
first and one second in three starts, and was upset once, The Gracie 
ot only one second for four starts. The union in action and uni- 
formity in rules brought about through the Lake Yacht Racing Asso- 
ciation has had a good effect, but there is one thing necessary, and 
that is the appointment of an official measurer, who shall measure all 
the yachts. In most of the clubs belonging to the Association this 
most important work has been done by men who know nothing what- 
ever about their ey 
As an example of this, I may state that one of these so-called 
measurers proposed to take the length of a yacht’s water line by 
passing a string around her along her water line. And the 
judges in one regatta were asked to accept a certificate of measure- 
iment irom this so-called measurer, @ jcertificate, too, which con- 
tained the astounding statement that nine-tenths of 22ft. 10in. 
amounted to 20ft, 2in, The B. Q. Y. C. second class yachts were 
measured by our own measurers, who are both thoroughly compe- 
tent and honest, and yet the measurement of these skillful meas- 
urers was set-aside in fayor of measurements by we don’t know 
who. Hence the necessity for measurements that cannot be dis- 
puted. Further, there was some difficulty in computing the time 
allowances, which were wrongly calculated by one club, and which 
another club found beyond their mathematical resources, To put an 
end to these difficulties, let all the racing yachts be measured hy 
oue person, in the presence of their owners, and the timezallowances 
made out and forwarded to the various clubs, ; 
Improvements, with the object of securing an increase of speed, 
will be in order during the winter. The Gracie will have 4ft. added to 
her bows, and the flying Tolanthe will have her quarters raised, and 
a longer and more tapering stern. Mr. Oppord, of Kingston, whose 
keel cutter Victoria has been a dead failure in point of speed, will 
Jengthen her 4ft, by the stern, and with his usual pluck will no doubt 
enter the racing Jists again next year. So plucky and persistent a 
yachtsman as Mr, Oppord deserves success. : ag 
Capt. Cuthbert, who is at present located al Trenton. is building a 
large composite steam yacht for gentlemen resident in that town. 
She is to be elegantly fitted. 3 
Yachting interests here have sustained a severe blow by the sad 
death by drowning at Hay Bay, on the 23d ult., of ex-Commodore 
Jame: Clarke. Mr, Clarke was a yachitsman and a sportsman in 
évery sense of the word. An earnest and liberal supporter of all 
manly sports, especially yachting and shooting; an excellent busi- 
ness man, a true friend, and an affectionate son, he will long be 
mnissed by all who knew him. His funeral which took place on the 
Sunday following his death, was one of the largest ever seen in this 
clty. Port TAcK, 
Euinnyrun, Ont., Noy. 8. 
YOUNG CORINTHIANS ON THE DELAWARE. 
Baditor Forest and Stream: y. 
A-series of races for all 15-Loot boats, two men ina boat, no shifting 
ballast, has been sailed from Wilkins’s dock, Cooper’s Point, around 
Petty's Island and 1epeat, a distance of eight and one-quarter miles. 
Boats are turnished free of charge by R. G. Wilkins, who will also 
present &2 handsome silk champion flag to the person winning three 
times in suceession, Open to all amateurs only, Boats owned by 
other parties have been requested to participate in these races. The 
object of these races is to show by actual test that even small open 
ji-toot boats can be shaped, ballasted and rigged to be not only 
speedy, but entirely safe in any kind of weather, eyenin the hands 
of the inexperienced. These boats (those that haveso far contended 
for the prize) are Loft, long 7ft. beam and 23in, deep moulded, carry- 
ing ae 40yds. of sail, 60lbs. dead weight low down, catrigged, low, 
wide headsail. The second of these races was sailed Oct, 11, 1884, 
Two boats started; won by D. W, Russell in 78min, with the Emma 
Moore: one-third of the distance against wind and tide. Third race 
Oct, 18. Three hoats started; won by James Conway with Rebecca 
Floyd in 68min, This is the fastest time on record by one minute, over 
the course, by boats of any size. It blew so hard that even working 
vessels were not seen ou the river under sail. Old boat sharps that 
wituessed the start were amazed atthe pluck of the greeneys,” and 
the performances of the boats. In truth, it was not fit weather for 
so small a boat ta be out. Half the distance was against tide, wind 
uatterly to a sharp nip. } 
2 Fourth race, ct, £5. tires boats started; won by G. W. Fearon with 
the Emma Moore, infémin. A beat of one-quarter the distance against 
wind and tide, Boats started double-reefed, shook oubon turnin the 
island, Fifth race, Nov. 1, Wour boats started; won by D, W, Rus- 
sell with Edith L. Metz, This was a 16-mile race; boats crossed the 
line at 2:23:15. The Metz came in first at 4:57:12, 8 seconds ahead of 
the Emma Moore. Blowing a good wholesail breeze, half the dis- 
tance wind ahead. Tide against the hoats one way. The timé is con- 
sidered creditable, especially for amateurs. Surely an honest hoatis 
preferable to one treacherous and tricky, These races will be con- 
tinued every Saturday until ice diivyes the boats out of the water, I 
am pleased with the boats as well as the men that handled them, and 
sorry to see yachts, large enough togo to sea, in any kind of weatlier, 
gointo winter quartersin September. I omitted the first of these 
races, sailed Oct. 4, D. W. Russell winning with the Rebecca Floydin 
fSmin. Two boats starting, wind §.W,, ebb tide; half the distance a 
dead beat. The series of races really began with this race, aljhough 
the flag was not offered until the next race, Tn justice to young Rus- 
sell (19 years old), I haye credited him with this victory as one mark 
for the flag, having the consent of the Other competitors. The race, 
therefore. on Noy. 1, will be the fifth (65th). When these races close 
on account of winter weather, 1 will send you a condensed report of 
the same, or as soon as the flag is won. It will be seen that Russell 
has won three times, onee second, being beaten 82min, 80s., and once 
not competing. His record, therefore, is tlie best. R. @. W. 
Coopmr’s Potyt, Novy. 1. ' 
A SMALL STEAM SHARPIE. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Perhaps it may interest some of your subscribers to read a brief de- 
Seription of a very small steam launch I am now finishing for Mr. 
John Aspinwall. She is 16ft, in length, 314ft. beam, weighs 225 
pounds, exclusive of boiler and machinery; has a two-bladed brass 
serew, 1din. diameter; uprigut tubular boiler weighing 150 pounds; 
page with cylinder, 2x38ft., weight 50 pounds. The engine and 
boiler are so arranged that they can instantly and separately be de- 
tached from the lauuch and hoisted abcard the yacht Tarpon, which 
will carry the launch at her davits. 
Lam now fitting out the Tarpon for her trip to Florida, where Mr. 
Aspinwall will use her during the winter in exploring the creeks, bays 
and rivers, She is a Nonpareil sharpie, with Roslyn yaw! rig and bal- 
ance rudder. Her length is 52ft., heam i2Yett., draft of water 24in, 
Mr, Aspinwall wiil get a speed of about six miles per hou with his 
little steam launch, and expects to find her yery usefu! for towing his 
yacht in places where he cannot use his canyas. 
Rostyy, L. I., Nov. 3, 1884. THOMAS CLAPHAM, 
ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 3,—EHditor Forest and Stream: Yachting 
news out here is very scarce. We have hardly a deep boat on our 
waters, but lam going to build a 28ft. yacht from the Windward’s 
lines which you published, for cruising on the river and lakes below 
here, where I hope to find sea and wind enough to test the merits of 
the outside ballast.—C. A. V. 
A VERY PERTINENT QUESTION.—American yachtsmen may 
now expect a challenge for the cup before the year closes, and when 
one of those narrow, deep, and lead-loaded racing machines that can 
“twist” such a craft as the Bedouin easily, puts in an appearance, 
what have we, or what can be produced in six months’ time, to put 
against her?—New York Herald, Nov, 3. 
“Vacation OruIsInG” is a pleasantly written account of a summer 
yacht cruise on the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The author is 
Prof. J. T. Rothrock, M. D. The book will be sent from this office 
post paid on receipt of $1.50. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
J. 8., Midway, Ky.—The firm “Parker & Co.,” who advertise a 
cheap “repeating shotgun,” has no connection whatever with the 
well known firm of Parker Bros., No. 97 Chambers street. 
G. H. S., New York.—1. We do not know how the prices inthe New 
York stores compare with those of the ‘cheap John” concern you 
name, 2. The form of the gunstock is simply for conyenience of 
grasping and holding, 
WHAT THE QUAIL SAYS. 
STLES the quail from the cover, 
Whistles with all his might; 
High and shrill, day after day, 
‘Children, tell me, what does he say?’ 
Ginx—(the liftle one, bold and bright, 
Sure that he understands aright)— 
“Fle says, ‘Bob White! Bob White!’ ” 
Calls the quail from the cornfield 
Thiek with stuble set; 
Misty rain clouds floating by 
Hide the blue of the August sky, . 
“What does he call now, loud and plain?’ 
Gold locks—''That is a sign of rain! 
He calls: ‘More wet! more wet!’ 
Pipes the quail from the fence top, 
Perched therein full sight; 
Quaint and tr:m, with quick, bright eyes, 
Almost too round and plump to fly, 
Whistling, calling, piping clear, 
“What do Il think he says? My dear, 
He says, ‘Do right! do right?’ ” 
—Berkshire Courier. 
A PANTHER STORY. 
[Daily Paper, Oct. 6.] 
ETHER BEAR, who lives at Boone’s Mountain, about four 
miles from Dubois, Clearfield county, was awakened 
soon after daylight on Friday morning last by a noise in his 
barn. Hastily seizing an axe, he ran to the place and discoy- 
ered a large mountain panther dragging a calf, which the 
animal had just killed. Mr, Bear shouted, and the panther, 
dropping the dead calf, turned upon him, He struck it with 
the axe, but only slightly wounded it, which seemed to enrage 
the beast. It sprang upon him and fastened its teeth in his 
right shoulder, but he succeeded in freeing himself, and dealt 
it a terrific blow with the axe, compelling the ferocious beast 
to retreat. A large and powerful bloodhound belonging to 
Mr, Bearran from its kennel and attacked the panther. While 
its attention was engaged by the hound Mr, Bear split its skull 
with a blow trom the axe, stretching it dead at his feet. The 
panther was ap old one, and bore marks of a number of bullet 
and knife wounds. It measured 8 feet 10}¢ inches from its 
nose to the end of its tail. Mr, Bear received a number of 
scratches, but appeared none the worse for his tussle. ’ 
Dr. Bolliett, the faxidermist, has prepared the skin of the 
panther for stuffing and mounting. In the stomach of the 
animal a large hunting knife was found with the following on 
the blade: ‘‘Cha—s——ost—r,” The intermediate letters are 
indistinct. Some time early in September a hunter by the 
name of Charles Foster, who is supposed to have resided in 
Kensington, Philadelphia, and who had been employed in a 
cotton and woolen manufacturing establishment, visited 
Boone’s Mountain on a hunting expedition. Some distance 
from Mr. Bear’s farm has stood for many years 4 lodge that 
had been erected by lumbermen who operated in that district 
some yearsago, The hickory timber is now alltaken out, but 
the ancient cabin is still there and inhabitable, although some- 
what dilapidated. Some boys while passing near the hut yes- 
terday found portions of human bones. These they carried 
home, and the curiosity aroused by the discovery induced old 
woodsman John Y. Miller to make further investigation. He 
visited the spot where the buys found the bones, and on his 
way found additional bones that had all the appearance of be- 
ing a portion of a human body, Miller was by this time within 
sight of the old cabin, and seeing the wooden-hinged door 
partly ajar, curiosity prompted him to enter the place. Mrag- 
ments of men’s clothing were scattered all around the premises, 
Besides the shreds of clothing, which were considerably blood- 
stained, he found several letters and a postal card addressed to 
“Charles Foster.” One of the letters was addressed to a man 
at Altoona, Pa., and one at DuBois, Pa, Further and more 
careful investigation settles it, in the minds of those who 
visited the scene, that a man named Charles Foster was either 
killed by wild beasts or murdered in that vicinity, and his body 
subsequently deyoured, The knife found in thestomachof the 
panther killed by Mr. Bear and the letters found near the 
cabin bear similar nanies, It is notin the least improbable 
that the panther killed this man Foster and subsequently de- 
voured his body. 
A possible clie to the es the man was found at 854 
Hast Thompson street, where Mr. Henry Fisher resides, said 
Mr. Fisher: ‘‘A man named Charles Foster used to live here, 
He and his daughter boarded with us for some time. He was 
a ship carpenter by trade, and an adventurous fellow, who 
would do almost anything and go anywhere espacially when 
under the influence of liquor, He was a widower. He left 
here about a year ago, leaying his daughter, who is now at 
Baltimore with her unele, an officer in the Custom Honge 
there, with us. Often two or three months elapsed without 
his answering Iétters. His address is, or was, 89 Grand street, 
Brooklyn, E. D. Six weeks ago I wrote to him, but have not 
received areply. This in itself would, however, not indicate 
that he had left his boarding house, ati 89 Grand street, nor is 
it unlikely that he may have had one of his roving spells and 
drifted toward Northwestern Pennsylvania. Hismother wrote 
me from Wilmington about three weeks ago inquiring as to 
Charles’s whereabouts.” 
[Daily Paper, Oct. 7.] 
Yesterday morning’s papers contained a dispatch from Phil- 
adelphia telling how a Mr. Bear had killed a panther at 
Boone’s Mountain, Pa., and had foand in the animal’s stomach 
a large hunting knife with “‘Charles Foster” engraved upon it. 
It was also said that Charles Foster had once boarded with a 
Mr, Fisher at 854 Thompson street, Philadelphia, and had 
afterward lived at 89 Grand street, in the Eastern District of 
Brooklyn. 
The evening papers took the matter up, and while some said 
that Foster was alive and well, others insisted that he nad been 
chewed up beyond recovery. 
The Charles Foster who lives at 89 Grand street, whose name 
is Charles Henry Foster, is a shipbuilder. But yesterday he 
didn’t do any work, and a good many of his friends didn’t, 
They spent the day with him in the saloon beneath his dwelling, 
and whiled away the hours in taking drinks on Foster and m 
discussing whether it was possible for a panther with a body 
tive feet long to swallow a man one foot longer, and whether 
it would be likely, after such a meal, to have presence of mind 
enough to swallow the dead man’s knife in order toe conceal 
the crime. The most of Mr. Foster's friends thought neither 
was possible, and a German who doesn’t speak Hnelish illus- 
trated, hy the aid of a pretzel and simulations of violent 
choking. how it would be impossible for a panther to swallow 
a big knife. After every fyesh discussion a drink was had, 
,and whenever any one came in to ask about the panther every 
one took a fresh drink. Mr. Foster pot into the habit of walk- 
ing up to the bar every time the door opened, and, as the 
evening wore on and friends became thicker he stayed there. 
He stopped with a crowd around him to assure the reporter 
upon his word and honor that no panther had ever chewed 
him, and that if his knife was found in # panthers inside it 
wentin allalone. Mr. Foster’s friends corroborated all that 
he said, and his most ardent admirers, who had come in early, 
said that Charley was too much for any Pennsylyania panther, 
and it wouldn’t surprise them at all to find a piece of one in 
Charley’s stomach if he should ever come to die, as he could 
chew up anything around. 
Mr. Foster denined haying such prowess, and said that he 
had never even come in contact with a panther. All the hunt- 
ing that he had done, he said, was right around Brooklyn, 
and he had always caught more beer than panthers. He had 
boarded with Mr. Fisher in Philadelphia, and had other good 
friends there besides, to whom he had neglected to write. 
That, he said, was probably why they had concocted the 
story about his having been eaten, 
“But,” said he, “I don’t mind being sociable when the boys 
have got a good thing on ine. Tommy, ask the gentlemen 
what they'll all take.” 
POT LUCK FROM EXCHANGES. 
Sign of Good Breeding.—Getting the prize at a dog show, 
A fine rod and reel belonging to a New York angler was re- 
céntly recoyered from the bottom of Greenwood Lake during 
the low stage of water. The rod, a split bamboo worth $30, 
was ruined, but the Frankfort reel was uninjured. A gang of 
hooks attached to the rotten line were rusted away to a meré 
thread of metal, and yet the snell remained almost imtaet, 
The rod was lost in August, 1885, and returned to the owner 
last month.—Newark Call. 
The Pioche (Cali.) Record says: While down at Ciilver- 
well’s milk ranch last Sunday we were shown a white snipe. 
This is the first white bird of that kind we have seen. There 
was quite a flock of these birds in the swamp, and all were of 
the ashen color except the one bird mentioned, When the 
birds few, or were on the ground, the white bird kept near 
the center of the flock. This is the first white bird of the kind 
ever seen there, and its appearance attracted the attention of 
all at the ranch. The bird was as white as show, and the 
same size and shape as the othe: birds. The snipe were of 
the small species, commonly known as the ‘‘butter snipe” on 
the Mississippi River, 
The old pioneer hunter, Major William Hensley, came to 
town a few days ago and brought with him threé bear and 
about thirty deer skins, the result of a hunt not long since 
near his place in the Coast Range Mountains, The Major is 
now over sixty years old, but ‘'draws a bead” on an old buck 
or a big grizzly with as much deliberation and exactness as he 
did thirty years ago. He seldom misses his aim at long or 
short range, and never ‘‘backs down” from any animal that 
roams the mountains, The bears recently killed were of the 
black species and very fat. The largest weighed about 400 
pounds. Bear and deer are quite numerous around Sunflower 
Camp and south and west of Yalla Balla Mountain, The 
Major will please’ accept our thanks for a few pounds of 
‘Jerked” venison.—Red Bluff (Cal.) Sentinal. 
This isthe sort of rosy reports that the daily papers give: 
Port Jervis, Nov. 2.—The past week was a lucky one for deer 
hunters in the woods of Pike and Sullivan counties, uo less 
than fifteen deer haying been killed during that time in this 
vicinity. J. R. M. Hernz, of New York, and D. A, Avery, of 
Monticello, killed two in one day near Beach Lake, in the lat- 
ter county, A party of local hunters, under the lead of Andrew 
Crouch, a famous Sullivan county guide, spent a day in the 
same neighborhood. The dogs started a doe and a fawn, and 
drove them io the runway where Crouch was standing. 
He killed both deer ab one shot, the rifle ball pass- 
ing through the doe’s body and burying itself in the 
heart of the fawn as it was running by its mother’s side. 
Samuel Lovejoy and Leon Very, of New York, brought 
down a buck and two does in tyo days’ hunting in the Beaver- 
killregion, A local hunter jaid claim to the buck, He said 
his dogs had started it and he had wounded it before the New 
Yorkers got a shot at it. His claim was disputed, and he 
attempted to take the deer by force. One of the New York 
hunters knocked him down with the butt of his gun. he 
hunter was knocked senseless, and the others feared he had 
been killed. They finally sueceeded in restoring the man to 
consciousness. ‘To save any trouble the man might make for 
them, the New Yorkers offered him the buck’s carcass which 
he claimed. He refused to take it, and saying, ‘'I am satisfied 
that the deer ain’t mine,” shouldered his gun and walked away 
into the woods. Benjamin Hindley shot and killed a doe on 
Friday on the headwaters of Lebanon Lake in Sullivan 
county, Three boys, John Quick, Elmer Riverson, and Wrank 
Copley, were hunting pheasants along the Beayerkill on Wed- 
nesday. <A big doe jumped from a thicket of sweet fern, not 
thirty feet ahead of them. Hvery boy fired a load of pheasant 
shot into the deer, and the distance was so short and their 
