Jan, 8, 1885.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
4AT75 
and adapting the suealkbox for the use of single-hand cruising, Bo~ 
art’s model of the sneakbox is considered to be the best _we have, 
hese boats have hitherto been built for ducking and fishing pur- 
Poses The stern has been made very broad to support the great 
oad of wooden decuy ducks and geese which are carried on the after 
deck by the gunner. The “nose or bow of tha sneakbox has fre- 
uently been constructed with great depression of deck lines from 
thw cockpit forward. for the purpose of being easily ‘*biinded”’ and 
fo give an unobstructed range for the wildfow! shooter. Capt. Bo- 
gart has improved the sailing and rowing lines so as to adapt the 
craft for better sailing, There is more rise or “turn up” to the bow 
of the best boxes” than was found in them ten yearsago. In addi- 
fion to the apron, which yoided the water from the forward deck 
while sailing in a_h sea, a ‘‘shelving’' or washboard six inches 
high is now placed along the edges or sides.of the box as well as 
across the stern, which can easily be removed and stowed inside the 
boat. This bulyark increases the power of the craft to cope with 
the sea, and also serves to secute oars, spars, lines, ete., resting on 
the conyex deck of the box. With the washboard and apron this 
low-lying craft can resist the rough waves of our bays, and can and 
does cross four-mile “stretches” of open waters during gales of wind 
that drive our 2iff. catboata into harbor. The safety of the boat 
will be acknowledged whenitis known thai boys from ten to four- 
Teeu years old nse these boats in rough weather without accident. 
As @ tow the sneakbox, without a keel or stem, and with its spoon- 
Shaped bottom and bow,rons easily in the wake of a small yacht; 
hence, many of our shooting and fishing yachtsmen have discarded 
gizs, punts, and canvas folding boats for this strong, serviceable and 
easily towed craft, which can be sailed as well as rowed. Last sum- 
mer the canorists prevailed HBG Mr. Rushton, the celebrated canoe 
and boat builder, to construct and send to the A. C. A. Meet, on the 
St. Lawrence River. at considerable expense to that good-natured 
gentlemen, 4 12x4ft, sueakbox constructed on the lines of the Centen- 
nial Republic, in which Mr, N, H Bishop made the 2,600 miles’ cruise 
described in his ‘Hour Months ina Sneakbox.” This little craft was 
built by Bogart in 1875, and Mx, Bishop rowed it during his four 
months’ cruise tothe Gulf of Mexics, He never sailed the crafh until 
three years ago on Lake George. He finds her sailing powers excel- 
Jent, an 1 uses her when he cannot cross jhe lake during heavy winds 
in any of his other boats, Judge Longworth, the second commedore 
ofthe A. C, A.. had this sneakbox duplicated by Mr, Rushton; fitted 
itwith a triangular sail 10ft. on a side, tested it, and wrote to Mr. Bishop 
thet this sneakbox was, if properly used, “practically uneapsiz- 
able.” It is well known that when a cangeist who had never used a 
sieakbox (though one of our best sailors and paddlers) was intrusted 
wilh Mr, Rushton’s sneskbox at the last canoe meet, and sailed her, 
the fieet of canoes ran away from her, and sneakbox stock in the 
Tninds of the inexperienced fell to zero. 
ifthe many A. O.A. ernisérs who have desired to see trials between 
this rough-weather cruising boat and canoes. wish bottom facts, let 
them purehase an excursion ticket ah the Pennsylvania Railroad 
stabion in New York or Philadelphia for Manahawken (onthe Tuck- 
érton Railroad) and by leaving on the morning train, reach their des- 
tination by noon of the same day. Let them visit Oapb. Bogart, who 
is a walking encyclopedia on all that pertains to sneakboxes. Let 
them go with bim on the broad bays and witness the evolutions of 
thirty or forty sneakboxes in a single fieet, Let them note how easily 
these hoats fo over every sea, how stift they are, and how well they 
£0 about and reach ahead in rough water, Bogart will tell them that 
such a trial of sneakbox ys. canoe as was made at the ,A. ©. A. meet 
is simply 4 farce; that a narrow 15 or 16ft. canoe should sail faster 
than a. short 12ft, sneakbox, but that the same little box will “drown” 
even a Pearl canoe if she will sail like the shenkbox, with open cock- 
if in our heayy seas in the neighborhood of Barnegat or Little Keg 
Paanen inlets. He mizht alsoask them if there was a single cruiser 
among all those present at the “trial of the sneakbox”* who was 
aware that all sneakboxes on these bays carry only as much sail as 
spars cut short enengh to be stowed under the decks willallow? In 
other words, to test the sail-carrying capacity of a sneakbox you 
Toust cut your mast and boom longer than the stowing capacity of 
the craft will admit, which, as yet, is not the custom on these bays— 
the home of the sneakbox, 
Before me is 4 i2ft. sneakbox. The sailismadeof twilled muslin 
29in. wide, There are seven yards in length in this sail, because her 
length of mast and boom is adapted for stowing under thé deck of 
the craft. This 50at can easily carry a sail containing twelve run- 
ning yards of this muslin. 
The sneakbox has upto this time been used for szonvenient shoot- 
ing and fishing purposes only. The best builder on our New Jersey 
coast now intends to devote the results of his long experience as & 
snealbox builder, bo adapting his favorite craft to the wants of cruis- 
ers. to those who desire a small sort of yacht, more burdensome than 
atrue and typical canoe, The 14ft.x52in, sneakbox, just completed 
by Capt, Bogart fora member of the Singlehand Cruising Club, has 
an innovation in its construction of novel character. In the deck, aft 
the cockpit, is a. small batch which, when taken off, exposes to view 
asmall galley, large enough to hold one of the Adams & Westlake 
coal oil stoves with its wire gauze wind protector. The skipper of 
this craft informs me that it is contrary to rule for club members to 
publish theories; but he promises ta send to Worust Anp Strmam the 
results of his Jabors when his ‘‘zalley”’ has been tested in cruising and 
has been perfected. This 14ft. box is the best ever built by Bogart. 
it will carry two men conveniently. and will serve most comfortably 
as a home, during wet'and windy weather, for one occupant. It can 
be duplicated by its builder, and furnished with leathered oars, spars, 
sail and hatch covers, forthe low price of $&5, while the 12/b. box, 
completed in like manner (without the galley), can bewuilt and placed 
pen the cars for shipment for about $65, 
he larger box is, however, the cheapest craft, when we consider 
its caparityand power. These boxes, as they are improved for cruis- 
ing purposes, will probably be increased in cost, Ag they now stand 
they are the most economical of boats, They are the safest crafts, 
with the same sailing power, that I have met in searching through six 
maritime nations. 
Sueakboxes will not compete with the canoe and paddle. The 
canoe has its peculiar cruising ground. Sneakboxes are not canoes, 
but just the npposite. Stiff where the canoe is cranky; short where 
the canoe is long; broad where the canoe is narrow. The 12ft. boxes 
carry the dageer” centerboard. The 14ft. boxesnow have the swing 
or yacht centerboard, and also have the two ice-runner strips of oak 
Screwed to the bottom. about a foot apart, These strips serve to pro- 
tect the hottom of the boat from injury, and also develop windward 
qualities in the sailing of the craft. Three members of the A. C. A, 
expect fo have 1dft. boxes built next season, 
I have received more letters of inquiry regarding sneakboxes dur- 
ing the last two years than I can conveniently answer, and my object 
in sending this communication to you is to open a source of informa- 
tion to your readers, The sneakbox builders are few in numer and 
many are not reliable. They do not keep a stock of material on hand 
for boatbuilding. Vhey donot work steadily at their trade, There 
is an inborn feeling along the coast that every day spent at hard work 
on land is s0 much lost time, and every day spent in gunning, fishing, 
Glamming and loafing in the bay is amesns of e. Hence itis diffi- 
cult to get a sneakbox builder to push your order to completion, A 
ood yacht builder never builds a good sneakbox. A sneakbox 
uilder must be born with the lines of his imagination as crooked as 
an axe-handle or as Wavy and irregular as those of a perfect sneak- 
box. Bogart is a conscientious builder, and is ready to accept any 
sugfestious as to improving the accommodations, spars, sails and 
other details. His model, however, should be let aloné, at least for 
the present. SEIPPER. 
LEAD, BEAM AND DEPTH. 
Editor Forest ard Stream: 
T was gluddened to-day by rhe sight of my old friend Kunhardt’s 
“hand of write**oa the wall. Bravisimo! Tt is the best paper [ 
have seen from his pen, not even excepting the exhaustive article on 
yachtiug in -‘Hamersly’s Naval Hneyclop#dia."* His ship is always 
On an sven keel, whether the wind blow high or low. Iwish hima 
happy new year and many returns of the thanks he deserves for 
championing a peculiarly difficuli but perfectly accurate theory— 
one which he alone at first dared to discuss and demonstrate. 
Long ago lI was satisfied that not only our yachts but our coastin 
vessels and sea-going steamers were too shallow, baying an excess o 
freeboard and a corresponding lack of immersed midship section. 
Any vessel, for whatever purpoxedesigned, handles better and sails 
or steams taster for having the old rulefor beam cut in two, adding 
the excess wrere it belongs, and giving to stability, displacement 
and power the additional impetus thns urilized. Some of the old 
“kid glove watermen’’ reasoned this out, having discovered that lead 
was an element of great consequence when put outside where it be- 
dGHBEU, which was the secret of adding it to the keel of the old 
aria. 
The idea that a yacht’s decks bught always to be dry, no matter 
what kind of a sea is on or how sevore a gale is blowing, is about as 
sensible as it would be to maintain that the roof ot a house must not 
ger wel during a storm, Lookat our best, swiftest ard safest sea 
oats. Do they not combine the essential features of the modern cut- 
ter? The steamer which stows her cargo lowesh makes the best 
weather and quickest passage, other requisites being equal, All this 
is Dow acknowledged by every skilled “architect de marine,” nomat- 
ter what his early training or natnral predilections may have been, 
We are theretore on the eve of a great revolution in modeling, especi- 
ae if, as now seems probable, electricity supercedes steam as a pro- 
pulsive forea, Indeed, the terrific speed imparted toa marine bor- 
pedols of itselfau unanswerable argument in favor of greater dis- 
at all. 
havé sought success jn improving the 
lines of our light sloops, 
haye learned to value the inherent immediate drawback of 
the sophistry of light weight, 
vessels and reduced it to a minimum practically possible, and at the 
same time haye added as much weig)t as they could in the way of 
big displacement.in full ap 
perenP a &inee no such velocity would be possible were the torpedo | with additional weight and she fails to go. 
on 
thniab (hand) builders will deny this fact; but itis, nevertheless, dem- 
onstrated every day this tine of year, and the deep pilot boat, under 
a reduced spread of canvas and barely 5ft, extreme freeboa 
er ente windward faster than any of theice barge modeled steamers 
whie 
half immersed, I know that a great many ‘practical’ rule of 
, edges 
ossess three times her relative power, : 
Thank Mr, Kunhardt for his able paper in my behalf, and tel] him 
the time is not far distant when yested interests and ignorant obstin- 
ac 
ority of in 
sincere evidence in fayor of deep keels, I may be allowed to add that 
considerable experience of my own in fresh as well as salt water, con- 
firms the accuracy of Kunhardt’s application in the matter of concen- 
trating weight and displacement, especially when s0 placed as te unite 
these two vital factors with the pivotal point of the keel. 
musi Se up the unequal fight and acknowledge the vast superi— 
intelligent reasoning. And in contributing my unasked, but 
Syracousn, Jan, 1, 1885, G. J. Deva. 
IN THE MATTER OF WEIGHT. 
id Ree most astonishing and to me utterly inexplicable perversity 
of the human mind which refuses to accept a commonplace 
truth, but prefers te surround itself with all manner of imaginary 
elaptrap, is fittingly illustrated in the tenacity with which amateur 
yachtsmen adhere to the Hepes which attributes to weight what 
really belongs to form. I do no 
7 ache. should be aw fait in the intricacies of naval architecture, 
ask that every ove interested in 
ut I do think ita positive reflection upon their intelligence and or- 
dinar'y sense, if they constantly insish upon shutting their eyes to 
the most palpable proofs and demonstrations afforded by practice 
and experience to which they themselves are parties and witnesses. 
It completely surpasses a, comprehension, how a gentleman having 
had the opportunities of 
deliberataly refnse to recognize certain most elementary and wholly 
uncontrovertibleé deductions from the numerous races which have 
taken place in our waters the past few seasons, in most of which Mr, 
Tams has himself figured very ereditabl 
the vessels entered, Ido not select Mr, 
but because he certainly dces Ee pteseny that class among our ama- 
teurs who are earnestly seeking for the truth and working to promote 
a more thorough appreciation of all matters at issue. If, then, Mr. 
Tanis can £0 so BOVEY astray, not in minor details, but upon the 
very eardinal praocip 
promoted, what then are we to expect from those less perfectly 
posted in every respect, but whose voice, vote and example has 
equal influerce upon the future of our customs and preferences in 
build? The prospect would be indeed almost hopeless if we had to 
depend upon the theoretic conclusions of our yachtsmen for the 
trend of coming predilections in the popular mind. 
c, J. Frederick Tams, as an example, can 
as the handler of some of 
ams for personal reasons, 
68 upon which correct naval design must be 
Fortunately the practical lessons which the loss of the America 
Cup will conyey are certain to so far outweigh all the illogical pro- 
ductions which originate from yachtsmen themselves in their free 
and easy tallc and print, thatno fear for the future need be enter- 
tained, When Genesta has landed the Cup, the people will know how 
to interpret the disaster, and no “papers” like that recently read 
before the New York Y. ©, can obscure the horizon of a truthful 
estimate of the principles involved in successful naval architecture, 
The intentions of the ‘‘paper’’ recently read by Mr. Tams before 
the New York Y, C. were good and proper enough, but. in the light 
of truth the papergwas sorely misleading to the audience, 
this audience, by the way, there does not seem to have been one 
single person with the required modicum of common sense to rise in 
opposition and show Mr. 
Among 
‘ams the crucial defect of all his derivations. 
Not to bother with minor questions, the ‘paper’ was based through- 
out its course of reasoning upon thea notorious, the ancient, the oft 
capsized, the totally unsubstantiated assumption that ‘resistance?’ 
yaries with weight, and that weight is a measure of resistance. The 
nieanest powers of observation should have taught the Jowest order 
of conception the utter fallacy upon which Mr, Tams was proceeding. 
“This beamy-shallow type,’ says Mr. Tams, ‘also 
rig, but not as large as the one previously mentioned, 
mark, ‘because she has not to force so much boat through the water 
on account of her smaller displacement!" 
Could anything more mistaken, more positively illogical and 
thoroughly at variance with experience be uttered? And this by a 
fentleman otherwise well informed and justly accorded to be one of 
uires a large 
the leuders inthe yachting community? Surely, it is difficult to re- 
strain one’s patience and write in moderate language when such a 
red rag of misconception is flaunted defiantly and even triumphantly 
in one’s face, 
is beyond me. Itfloorsme. Had a Bay Ridge or Bayonne builder 
given forth the notion, I should have shrugged my shoulders and 
passed on. “Poor fellow, he knows no better. It is no use reasoning 
with such ashe. Let him die in his erring faith.’ But from Mr. 
Tams! Ttis too bad. Oh! that I must go over stale, stale ground for 
the hundredth time. That yachtsmen will do none of the thinking 
themselves, but fo on with their superficial empty words of sound 
and no meaning! If some one had only called the attention of Mr. 
Tams tomany well known races. I give that gentleman credit for 
enough sound sense to have reealled or qualified his deceiying-asser- 
tion, Bub little use to look for any accurate reflection in the particu- 
lar audience listenmg to his “paper.” They Iswallowed greedily 
anything in favor ot the ight displacement sloop, Anything to con- 
tinue along undisturbed in the present dreamy inaction. Anything 
to pull the wool over our eyes. Anything to win the America Cup 
on paper for six months more before it takes wings for its flight from 
our shores! I fancy I know at leastone club in America where such 
wild steering would haye promptly been checked with the ery to 
‘“mind your helm." 
Tam impatient. I cannot helpit, There is cause enough for get- 
ting angry with nothing but the best wishes for thé progress of yacht- 
ing in America. How can I look on and write in complacence when 
hundreds of times before I have pointed out the fallacy of the dogma 
once again reiterated by Mr. Tams? And such a simple, self-evident 
thing it is, too, which is coustantly distorted by men who seem to be 
posses:ed of an incomprehensible perversity the instant they touch 
upon anything related to the design of our yachts. What on earth 
can if be that so blinds the majority, and men of Mr. Tams’s intelli- 
gence, toe? Thisis positively inexcusable, this confounding of the 
causes Of “resistance.”’ Mr. Tams and his following know just as 
well as I do that Bedouin drives about 104 tons at the-amespeed with 
less area of sail than Gracie and Fannie driye.60 and 50 tons each, He 
knows as well as [ do that Oriva drives a displacement nearly double 
that of Vixen and Fanita, that countless cases can be cited in which 
large, notoriously large displacement is driyen at the same speed 
with the same sailas boats of much lighter weight. He knows that 
this has been done down wind when no questions of superior equip- 
ment could be urged in explanation. He knows that the heavy boats 
generally dragged their deep keels while the lighter boats triced up 
their boards. He knows that no vital superivrity in the mere shaping 
of lines can be named, nor anything else as an offset in elucidation, 
other than the striking difference in. Form, And that he knows is re- 
duced to a comparison of beam, since no one will advance that addi- 
tional depth of body in itself can contribute tospeed, He knows that 
all this has been done in smooth water time and again when heavy 
boats did not gain by their steadiness or by their swing in a sea. That 
it has been done in steady breezes when they did not gain by passing 
through flaws in response to greater momentum, 
No, Weignt, taken simply as weight,is not a measure of resist- 
ance. It has noehne to do with ‘resistance.’ Tt is the form of a 
vessel which passes through the water and has to clear a passage, In 
the light of facts itis, or ought to be, easily enough seen and con- 
ceded that & heavy boat of suitable form can be driven at less expense 
in power than a light boat of unsuitable form. Practice—I am not 
now talking theory—practics has demonstrated that heavy cutters 
can be driyen as economically as light sloops, and that only because 
they possess the better form of the two types; because less effort is 
required to part the waterand aid its passage with the least disturb- 
ance around narrow beam than around a wideand uncongenial body, 
That is the only rational explanation why the cutters are able to win 
races or make it a matter of trivial margin when pitted against lighter 
sloops carrying more sail. 
Weight in itself is not a hindrance, but a positive advantage, to 
speed. When once the inertia at the start has been overcome, weizht 
in itself is a conservator of speed and pos<essés no retarding influence 
Hence, in flawy breeze and in a sea Mr. Tams has himself 
found the heayy cutter the most papeecous in ¢ompetition. We 
i 1 aipness and beauty of the 
9 z ignoring the checking effect of beam and 
ascribing to weight a false character. The English have not yet suc- 
ceeded im imparting to their lines as great perfection of race, but 
eam and 
They have corrected the beam of their 
reciation of its powerful advantage. 
While we have been deyoted to the ontline, the ghost of the ques- 
tion, they haye tackled the body in its flesh, 
On these lines the coming international batile is te be fought, Un- 
fi] Genesta sails off with the Cup, prattle away, gentlemen, and read 
ww papers.” Confoundto your hiking weizht and form. When you 
os) 
tava been thrashed in the fight you will be through, and the public 
will quickly discover what false and perverse counsel has held sway, 
QO, P, Konpagpr. 
P. §.—One example in explanation. Given the sloop Gracie. She 
has attained a certain degree of speed, Now load her down one foot 
faction. 
which has killed Gracie’s speed, but the additional beam you are 
trying to drive through. Now goto work and alter the form, 
ecause,”’ now 
To comprehend such an utterance from such a2 source 
“There.” exclaims yout! 
tyro, ‘I told youso, Sheis toa heavy. Itis the weight. which has 
killed her. The weight is the cause of her additional resistance, 
Plain as day, and you cannot get round it.” | 
All yery well, Mr, Tyro, but Tean get around it to your own satis: 
Maintain boldly it is nwt the additional weight in itself 
Turn 
Gracie into a cutter, and you know that other cutters with no more 
sail carry successfully all the weight you have added. Upon the 
presumption that you have imparted to your new culter Gracie as 
good lines as may be required, she will perform as well as the other 
cutters whose speed you do not question, There, you are now carry- 
ing with success the very weight you first condemned as inconrpall- 
ible with speed. You have accomplished this by altering Gracie’s 
form, in doing which you got around the real cause of her failure, 
the immersion of additional beam. How can the weight be charged 
With the sin when you nevertheless are able to carry it upon.a change 
in the form? Is not form, the bad form of the Gracie when sunk an 
extra foot, to be indicted as the real souree of failure and not the 
weight which does goin another? I commend this simple process of 
logic to those of a contrary mind | ed spy 
[Our correspondent's criticism is based on the report of Mr. Tams 
speech, given in a daily paper, We understand, however, that the 
report did not do justice to the liberal manner in which the subject 
was handled by Mr. Tams, but only gaye the portions most favorable 
to the sloop.] 
THE AMERICA CUP. 
Fiditor Forest and Stream: 
An article of mine recently appeared in the London Wield, in which 
the following passage occurs: 
“Or in the event of & series of trials, the club may conclude to grant 
each one an opportunity to measure the bold Briton, as the club per- 
sists in claiming the right to bring toe the line a different vessel each 
race day.”’ ' 
Further on occurs this passage: 
“Itis enough to know that the club has refused to modify its inter- 
pretation of the rules governing a challenge. * * * Fortunately 
meee need be little account taken of this privilege the N. Y, Y. C. 
claims. 
I learn that the foregoing quotations haye been objected to, as 
putting the N, Y. Y,C. ina false light in the matter. My article was 
addressed to persons of ordinary intellizence. who probably under- 
stand that space is valuable in any liye newspaper. and that windy 
circumlocution is not a thing desired. Hence an ellipsis in the lan- 
gnuagre used, which, while not at all yitiating the moral truth of ary 
statements, can by perverse persons be contorted into at least a tech- 
nical lapse. 
The simple insertion of the words ‘‘nnder the deed of trust”? after 
the words ‘the club persists in claiming the right,” will make my 
language in the first clatise sufficiently exact to suit even the dullest 
comprehension, though I did expect that even stupid persons could 
haye exercised themselves te make that addition without help from 
me. 
Similarly, in the second clause fill out the ellipsis by reading, “It is 
enough to know that the club has refused under the deed of gift, 
ete,,”’ and also, ‘There need be little account taken of this privilege 
the N, Y, Y. C, claims under the deed of trust.” 
In some quarters it 1s advanced that the unfair and decidedly un- 
sportsmanlike clause in the deed of trust, giving our side the right to 
defer nominating our yessel until gunfire on the day of the race, 
ought not to be objected to at al], because in some of the past races 
the club has not enforced the clause and because special terms asree- 
able to both parties have been arranged under another clause gprant- 
ing that permission. 
I fail to see any logic in such argument. For one thing, the club is 
not bound to concedé in the future what it may haye volantariy 
given up in the past when meeting manifestly inferior vessels. Por 
another, the fault in failing to agree to Special terms may resh with 
the stranger and not with the N. Y. Y ©, at all,im which case both 
parties would have to abide by the deed of trust as it stands, inelud- 
ing the unfair clause, Finally, whit the club may praupose to con- 
cede is, as yet, only a matter of idle speculation, and in the forth- 
coming race with forebodings of defeat in the air, the club would 
have the technical right to refuse to concede anything, 2 course 
which it is quite possible the club will adopt or be forced to adopt 
by the stranger’s action in the premises, 
certainly Tam right in referring to the actual deed of trust as my 
guide, in the absence of any official declaration that the club intends 
to forego its right to adhere to any or all of the stipulations the deed 
contains. Jn common with all fair-minded persons, I hope and be- 
lieve the N. Y. Y¥. €., should a special agreement fail, will not iweist 
upon deferring the choice of our represeutative until the day of the 
race in the event of one match only being sailed, and also that it will 
nominate but one vessel for a series, and not select according to the 
weather. It is just possible we may lose the Cup, in which event 
those who now seek to justify the unfair clause in question will be 
vie igudest in behalf of ibs repeal, or rather its observance as a dead 
etter. 
My remarks in the London Field referred as a matter of Course to 
the written law in the case and not to speculation as to what conces- 
sions the club may see fit to make, and in this light my remarks were 
perfectly in accordance with the facts, If a proper exposition of.the 
unfairness of the objectionable clause shall lead to its abandonment 
by the clubin the coming races, my end will haye been attained, 
The contest must be won or lost in eyen battle, not by a handicap or 
hair splitting upon the technicalities of the deed of trust. ©. P. K, 
THE LENGTH AND SAIL AREA RULE. 
Editor Forest and Streain- 
Your issue of Jan.1 contains a letter signed John G. Prague, in 
which he makes the following statement: ‘‘As for the America? 
Cup, the New York Y. ©. gave ib away when they adopted w measure - 
ment which was cribbed bodily without credit, by an Englishman. 
from an Englishman (Dixon Kemp),’’ Iam not a member of the New 
York Club, and cannot claim the honor of being its champion in 
defending it from the aspersion of haymg been made the yictim of 
an imposition detrimental to its interests. 
As, however, we have only a bare assertion for it, and moreover, 
as the author of the statement has given us the advanlage of append - 
ing his name toit, all who feel interested in the matter will beensbled 
to attach due importance to it, and to ask of him such corroborative 
proof as they may think it worth while to inquire for, As the Engiish- 
man who is evidently alluded to as haying ‘‘cribbed” Mr. Kemp's rule 
“bodily aud without credit,” let me assure the yachting public of my 
disinchination to impart bereonanies into the discussion of yachtine 
matters. Next let me tell them that such members of the Netw Yor 
¥. C,as were duly appointed to look into the subject of measure- 
ment, and who recommended the present rule, knew all ab mt Mr, 
Kemp’s rule, and this rule was not first brought to their knowledge 
by me, nor have I sought to receive the eredib of it. 
They know furthermore what Mr. Prague ought to have acquainted 
himself with before making his reckless and untruthful statements, 
that the rule proposed by Mr. Kemp -o2 th xSail “Area 
7,000 =tons, and 
2L+ 758, A. 
3 
=Length; differ not only in the formula, and in the fact 
that the results are expressed in one case in tons and in the other in 
feet; butin the first case sail area is given an importance yastly 
greater than is assigned toit in the latter, I findin Webster that 
“crib” means ‘'a hteral translation of a classic author," and if there 
are ally yachting Classics, I shall not deny that Mr. Kemp’s writings 
are entitled to be included among them. 
It will uow be quite in order for Mr. Prague to tell us in which part 
of bis writings we shall find the rule for measurement whieh is now 
in use im the New York Y. ©. Tf Mr. Pracue is not accurate in his 
Statement of ascertainable fact, he at least assumes to gauce future 
yachting eyents with great closeness when he tells us (in effect) that 
if we fail to keep the Cup it will be on account of the adoption of the 
present rule of Measurement. Now whatis the effect of this meas- 
urement, and to what extent does it modify a measure of the siniple 
waterline length of our large racing sloops and cutters? 
The Gracie's waterline length of (9.30ft. hecomes 71,02, or receives 
an addition of about Ift. Yins. 
The Bedouin 70.16ft., becomes 72,15, or 2ft. lonrer. 
The Leen 65,12ft., be¢omes 65.8, or Sin. Jonger than the waterline, 
As to the Genesta 1 do not know what she will measure, but it does 
not seem likely that she will receive much adyantage, if any, from a 
rule which produces such a small deviation from waterline length, 
and which jn the case of our present large racers will ehange the 
allowance oyer the course from that due to difference in waterliae 
by only an inconsiderable number of seconds. Lam nob an advo- 
cate of the extreme features to be found in the moder Huslish eut- 
ters, and should like to see the Genesta or any-other yacht which 
may come over confronted by the best that can be produced, but the 
Genesta is not the product of any such rules as those of the New 
York or Seawanhaka yacht clubs, On the contrary, lo those who 
have watched the disappearances of yachts from the racine fleet in 
English waters after two or three seasons and the advent of new 
boats, the conspicuous features have been the increased length and 
Sail area which the rules permitted and fayored. The numerous let 
ters that may be read in the Field seem to show a widespread dis- 
content with the present rule, aud an increasing démand for a rule 
