436 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. U, 1885. 



THE GALATEA'S CHALLENGE. 



AT a soecial meetiug of the New York Y. C, Tuesday evening, Dec 

 S2, the following challenge was read and accepted. Secretary' 

 C. A. MmtTirn was directed to notify Lieut. Henn's representative in 

 the matter: 



18 Cranley Gardens, S. W.. London, Nov. T, 1885.- Charles E. Min- 

 ton. Esq., Secretary N. Y. Y. C. : Dear Sir— I am instructed by Lieut. 

 \\-HenD to challenge the New York Y. C for the possession of the 

 America's Cup on benilf of his cutler vacht Galarca, whose nomtua- 

 tion and other certificates, as specified in deed of gif r.. were for- 

 warded to you on Feb 17 last, This chaUen^e he takes to be a with- 

 dra walot the one of Feb. 17 last, and my letter of Oct. 6 to be an 

 explanation of the terms he would request. Yours faithfully, J 



The terms to which Mr. Beavor-Webb refers are that five races 

 shaU be sailed, instead of three, two to be at Newport and three bere, 

 aofi all to be late m the season, so as to avoid tUe period of calms 

 and assure a more favorable lime. 



THE LAWS RELATING TO STEAM YACHTS. 



THE committee appointed by the New York Yacht Club last win- 

 ter to secure some chantres in the laws relating to steam vessels 

 have lately drawn up the following: bill which will be presented by 

 Mr. Perry Belmunt. The mailer is one iii wbich all owners of steam 

 yachts are directly interested, as its passage will relieve them of 

 many expenses and annoyances to which they are now subjected 

 through being classed with vessels large and small used only for 

 commercial purpos'-s. it can work no disadvantage to the latter as 

 it affects only ve^s^ls actually in use for pleasure purposes by bona 

 Ode owners. Tr is de^^i'-ed that .yachtsmen in all parts of the country 

 will use their influence with their representative in favor of the bill 

 that its early enactment may be assured. The steam pleasure fleet 

 of this country is even now of considerable importance and is rap- 

 idly growing, and Ir is euiitled to a recognition and encom-agement 

 by proper legislation which has thus far been denied it. 

 Following in the text of the proposed bill: 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

 United States of America, in Congress assembled: That for the pur- 

 pose of correcting errors in the act entitled "An Act to Revise and 

 ConsoUdate the Statutes of the United States in force on the first 

 day of December, Aimo Domini one thousand eight hundred and 

 seventy three," and the subsequent acts amendatory thereof, the 

 folk^ing amendments are hereby made therein: which amendments 

 shall take effect on the first day of July, Anno Domini one thousand 

 eight hundred and eighty-six. 



Section 12 U is amended by striking out the whole section and in- 

 serting the following: •' Sec. 4314. The Secretary of the Treasury 

 may cau.se yachts u-:ed and employed by their owners exclU'Jively as 

 pleasure vessels and designed as models of naval architecture, if 

 entitled to be enrolled as American vessels, to be licensed on terms 

 which will authorize them to proceed from port lo port of the 

 United States, and by sea to fort-lfin ports, without entering or clear- 

 ing at the custom house, t^uchlicen-e shall be in .such form as the 

 Secretary of the Treasury may pre.«cribe. A yacht is a vessel of anv 

 size, propelled by sails, steam oi tin\ other motive power, which is 

 used by its own«-r f or peasure purposes, and which does not carry 

 passengers or mf-rciian.iise for (.ay. A steam ves-sel wbich is hired 

 to an inJividual isnot to bi con>iileied as a yacht. A yacht to be 

 entitled to the privilege of this section must be duly enrolled in a 

 duly incorporated yncht club, the tide and a certified copy of the act 

 of incorporation of wbich must be filed with the Secretary of the 

 Treasury. Any steam yacht enrolled as such and then running or 

 chartered for pay shall not be entitled to such privilege. The owner 

 of any such vessel, before taking out .such license, shall give a bond 

 in such form and for such amount as the Secretary of the Treasury 

 shall prescribe, conditioned that the vessel shall not engage in any 

 unlawful trade, nor in any way violate the revenue laws of the 

 United States, and shall comply with the laws in all other respects. 

 Such vessels so enrolled and licensed shall not be allowed to trans- 

 port merchandise or carry passengers for pay. No yacht so licensed 

 shall be liable for any local pilotage or harbor dues under any pro- 

 vision of the laws of the United States, or of any State or Tsrritoi-y. 

 Steam yachts shall, while running, be in charge of an officer duly 

 licensed as master or pilot; and the owner of the yacht, or any com- 

 petent person approved by the inspectors, who satisfies the inspec- 

 tors that he is famiUar ^vith the regulations prescribed for the run- 

 ning of steam vessels shall be eligible to receive such a license, and 

 such license, when issued by the inspectors in any district, shall be 

 valid and available within the lerritorv embraced in any other dis- 

 trict, and -without endorsement from the inspectors therein. Steam 

 yachts or launches of a length on the water lice of less than thirty- 

 five feet may be run by tke master alone without an engineer. 

 Yachts shall, in all respects, except a<^ above, be subject to the laws 

 of the United States, and shall be liable to seizure and forfeiture for 

 any violation of the provisions of this title." 



Section forty-four hundred and twenty-six is amended by striking 

 out the whole section and inserting the following: ■' Sec. 44.3(5. The 

 hull and boilers of every ferryboat, canal-boat, yacht or other small 

 craft of like character propelled by steam, shall be inspected under 

 the provisions of this title. Such other provisions of law for the 

 better security of life, as may be applicable to such vessels, shall by 

 the regulations of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, also be com- 

 plied with before a certificate of inspection shall be granted; and no 

 such vessel shall be navigated without a licensed engineer and a 

 licensed pUot, except as provided in section 4314 of this act." 



Section forty-four hundred and forty-four is amended by striking 

 out the whole section and inserting the following: " Section 4444. 

 No State or municipal government shall impose upon pilois of steam 

 vessels, or oveners or masters of yachts, any obligation to procure a 

 State or other license in addition to that issued by the United States, 

 or any other regulation which will impede them in ihe performance 

 of the duties required by this Title or the provi=;ion^ of ihis Act; nor 

 shall any pilot charges be levied by any such authority upon any 

 steamer piloted as provided by this Title, or upon any yacht; and in 

 no case shall the fees charged for the pilotage of any steam vessel 

 exceed the customary or legally established rates in the State where 

 the same is performed. Notbing in this Title shall be construed to 

 annul or affect any regulation established by the laws of any State 

 requiring vessels entering or leaving a port in any such State, oth er 

 than coastwise steam vessels, or yachts, to take a pilot duly 

 licensed or autnorized by the laws of such State, or of a State situ- 

 ate upon the waters of such State." 



THE USE OF OIL AT SEA. 



THE following particulars concerning the use of oil at sea are 

 given in the North Atlantic Pilot Chart for November: 

 The use of mineral oil is not recommended, while the importance of 

 carrying a supply of animal or vegetable oU to be used in emergencies 

 cannot be overrated. 



Capt. E. I, Arey, of the schooner Jenny A. Cheney, wiites: "I used 

 oil with very satisfactory results during the late severe hurricane of 

 Aug. 25 in latitude north, longitude 79'- west. The wind having 

 carried away the mainsail, I hem a storm trysail and continued under 

 that sail until it also blew away. During this time the vessel was 

 shipping large quantities of water, the sea being very irregular, 

 nearly every one breaking. After the sails were blown away, finding 

 it necessary to do something to save the ship and crew, I took a small 

 canvas bag and turned about five gallons of linseed oil into it and 

 hung it over the starboard quarter. The wash of the sea caused a 

 little of the oil to leak out and smooth the surface so that for ten 

 hours no water broke aboard. I consider that the oil used during the 

 last and heaviest part of the hurricane saved vessel and crew." 



Capt J. H. Parke reports that in 1876," while in command of the Carrie 

 E. Long, from Sicily to Portland, Me., laden with salt, the ship would 

 have foundered had I not used kerosene oil. The ship, lying to under 

 fore and main longer topsails, did very well until the main lower top- 

 sail blew away. This cau-sed the vessel to fall off in the trough of 

 the sea, which boarded her and did great damage. The ship was put 

 before the wind, but leaked so badly and the seas still brealdng on 

 board so that the men could not work the pumps, it was evident that 

 something must be clone to keepherfrom foundering. Ilavingpicked 

 up two barrels of crude oil on the voyage east I poured this down the 

 closet pipes. This calmed the sea so much that we couid go to the 

 pumps and had no trouble afterward. The waves were clearly seen 

 to break aU around the oil-covered spot. I fully believe had I not 

 used the oil the vessel would never have stood it. and at least I should 

 have had most of the crew washed overboard. It is my opmion that 

 crude oil is better than kerosene, but the latter will do in an emer- 

 gency." 



Capt. Dawson, master of the British ship Halloween, states that 

 •when he was in command of the British bark Zenobia, on a passage 

 from India to London, in February, 1872, off the Western Islands, he 

 encountered a terrific gale with immense sea; wind between E. by S. 

 and S. SE. The Zenobia was deeply laden and labored very heavily, 

 and it was feared that she would go down, so seventy tons of her 

 cargo (seed) were jettisoned. As she stUl continued to labor heavily, 

 and' there seemed out little chance of saving bar, two canvas bags, 

 filled witn oil and pricked in a number of places, were hung from the 

 weather cathead, as the vessel drifted to leeward the oil spread and 

 enveloped her iu a suiooth belt. After this she rode easily, the sur- 

 face of the water being perfectly smooth. The oil used was a mixture 

 of parafine and coiza. 



Oapt, BobiQ^QQ, of the Soglisti steaiuer Sussex, furnishes the f ol- 



qnarter of the ship they were comparativelv useless, as the sea would 

 throw the bags on deck as fast as they were put over. 1 am of the 

 opimon. however, that in running before the sea. or hove-to, head to 

 sea, they are invaluable." In his experiments with the bags he used 

 a heavy, greasy oil, similar to lard oil, and foimd that as long as the 

 sea was astern, and he could leave the oil behind, the seas would not 

 break over the stem. He has not tried it hove-to, but invariably 

 found that it woidd not work satisfactorily in a quartering sea. Capt. 

 Kobmson thinks that oil would be of great benefit for small vessels in 

 crossing a bar in a heavy sea. Being put over the bow it would greatly 

 smooth the waves. 



Capt. Childs of the schooner Ed, P. Emerson, reports that on Oct. 

 4, latilude 40° IG' N., longitude Ob' -M' W., be passed close to a wreck, 

 bottom up, newly coppered. Although it was blowing hard, the sea 

 for a mile to windward of the derelict was quite smooth, the surface 

 of the water being covered with oil, which had evidently formed part 

 of the cargo. 



Capt. Brooks, of the English steamer N.ymphaea, writes; "About 

 four years ago I was in command of the steamer Nuphan, of 1.280 

 tons, loaded with a cargo of kerosene oil and bound for India. While 

 crossing the Atlantic we experienced strong westerly gales, Bccom 

 panied witb very high seas. I had it in mv mind to put the ship head 

 on, but having heard that oil thi-own on the sea would calm it, 1 deter- 

 mined t o use it. Having plen ty of kerosene oil on board, I poured some 

 on the deck. The water coming on board washed it overboard, and 

 immediately the seas became much less, and we ran on without dan- 

 ger uiitd the storm abated. I recommend that all shipowners and 

 masters shoidd have on board their vessels a sufficient quantity of 

 oil, independent of Iheir usual stores, for the express purpose of sav- 

 ing lives and property on such extreme occasions." 



Capt. Johnson, master American bai'kentine Jose E. More, reports 

 when bound to the north coast of Cuba, m latitude 28° 10' N., longi- 

 tude 73° 30, W, he encountered the October hurricane of 18S4. The 

 wind increexsed rapidly to hui-ricane force, blowing from N.N.E. to N. 

 and back to N.N.E. , falling barometer and heavy sea; the vessel was 

 put before the wintl and scudded under lower foretopsail. The waves 

 increasing in violence and size, threatened I'after one bad been taken 

 on board) to poop the vessel, making their position a most dangerous 

 one, as the decks were filled with watei-. and it was considered ex- 

 pedient to bring by tbe wind. Two gunny bag.? nearly filled with 

 oakum were placed, one on each quarter; on the oakum was poured 

 pauat oil. which dripped in the sea. The effect was immediately 

 apparent, the waves no longer breaking in the vicinity of the vessel 

 or giving cause for apprehension. 



The master of the British steamer Elstow reports the following gale 

 in which he used oil with good efl'ect: The Elstow left Cape Henry 

 on Jan. 23 for SUgo. On Jan. 27, on the eastern edge of Newfound- 

 land Banks, encountered a gale from westward, increasing in force 

 from W.N. W. Sea ran very high and the vessel shipped much water. 

 Fearing to heave the vessel to, it was decided to run before it, using 

 oil. Being a firm believer in the use of oil, Capt. Robertson had ready 

 for use oil bags of canvas, punctured in the bottom and sides witli 

 large needle holes. Six of these filled with boiled linseed oil were 

 hung over — two in the bow, two in the waist, and two over the stem 

 —and allowed to diip in the water. This had a wonderful effect on 

 the high seas, taking the dangerous curl off them, and preventing so 

 much water from coming on board. Before the oil bags v-'ere placed 

 over, the vessel was taking water in over ibe stern, and also in the 

 waist. Several other vessels that left Cape Henry or the Atlantic 

 coast, and pursuing the same route at this time, were never after- 

 ward heard from. One of these vessels, the Ben Tower, a steamer, 

 foimdered on the 29th, about 200 miles to south and east of the 

 Elstow. The officers of the Elstow attribute the saving of the ship to 

 the use of the oU. 



LIQUID FUEL.— The screw steamer Himalaya, of Hartlepool, Capt* 

 Gray, arrived at Cranton late on Tuesday evening from London, with 

 a cargo of resin and oil for Messrs. Fleming & Co.'s -works, Granton. 

 This vessel has been S7>ecially fitted up with large, capacious oil tanks, 

 the oil from which was used instead of coal being burned on the voy- 

 age, and was found to work very satisfactorily, the voyage being made 

 in fifty-four hours. The consumption of oUon the vovage was a little 

 over eight gallons per hour, costing about £1 per day, while the cost 

 of coal for that period is calculated to be £7. Besides the saving in 

 coal, a great saving will be effected in labor. Where five firemen 

 would be required with coal two yrill now suffice, there bemg with the 

 oil no shoveling of coal into the furnaces required and no accumula- 

 tion of ashes to remove. A second exhibition of the liquid fuel fur- 

 naces on board the Himalaya was made on Tuesday in Granton Har- 

 bor, when a large number of gentlemen, representing the principal 

 shipping and oil companies and engineering fli-ms, were present. 

 The fires were lighted' up at noon and run till half-past 3, so as to 

 make an opportunity for examining the arrangements in the stoke 

 hole, the working of which was explained by the mannger of the 

 Marahu Oil Company, of Brazil, to whom the ship belongs, and by 

 Mr. Tarhutt, the inventor of the apparatus. The exhibition was a 

 complete success. The steadiness of the fires and tbe ease with which 

 tbey were regulated so as to give any required amount of steam, and 

 the entire absence of smoke, even when the fires were forced to their 

 greatest extent, called forth universal approval; and the opinion was 

 freely expressed oy practical men that tb e question of the applica- 

 tion of liquid fuel to marine boilers had been practically solved.— 

 Glasgow Herald. 



ATLANTIC Y. C— A meeting of the Atlantic Y. C. was held onDec. 

 14. at which Mr. Chas. Sweet, owner of the imported Clara, was 

 elected. The Mea.surement Committee, Messrs. Lawton, Marcellus 

 and Swan, presented their report on measurement, recommending a 

 rating by sailtng length, which length shall be taken parallel to the 

 waterline and at a distance of 2 per cent, of the wateiline above the 

 latter. The report was accepted and the new rule was adopted by 

 the club. The bloop classes were altered as follows: (iOtt.. and over, 

 50£t. and under 60: 42tt. and under 50ft, 35ft. and under 4a. The 

 twentieth annual dinner of the club will take place on Jan. 15. 



SEAWANHAKA CORINTHIAN Y. C— A misunderstanding has 

 lately arisen between the trusiees of the club, to whom the manage- 

 ment of its affairs is entrusted, and Vice-Commodore W. A.W. Stewart, 

 who has been one of the most active members and who has been 

 chiefly instrumental in providing an anchorage for the club. Mi-. 

 Stewart has;secured for the club an advantageous lease of the present 

 basin, but in arranging the matter with the trustees a difference has 

 arisen which caused him to offer his resignation. The matter is now 

 unsettled, but wUI probably be [amicably arranged without serious 

 injury to the club. 



FIXTURES FOR 1886.— The first suggestion of the next yachting 

 season comes to us from the Beverley Y. 0. in a list of dates' for 1886, 

 as follows: July 17, first championship. Marblehead; July 31, second 

 championship, Swampscott; Aug. 14, third championship, Nahant; 

 Aug. 21, open inatches, Marblehead; Sept. 18, fall matches, Nahant. 

 There is no reason why most of the dates for next year may not be 

 fixed at once, and we hope to open the new year with a good list of 

 fixtures for the season. 



BRISTOL, R. I.— At the yard of the Hei-reshoff Manufacturing 

 Company are now laid up the Lucille No. 1, PoUy, Ossabaw, Albicore, 

 Stiletto. Ladoga and Lucdle No. 2. The latter will have a new triple 

 expansion engine. The Albicore, Com. Forbes, is up for general 

 repairs. 



DORIES.— The builders of the dories Little Western, Nautilus, and 

 Centennial, Messrs. Higgins & Giffod, Gloucester, Mass, write us that 

 they will be pleased to answer any inquirers in regard to this class of 

 boat. 



Address all communications to the Forest and (Stream P-ubliah- 

 ing Co. 



Canoeists are invited to send us notes and full reports of cruises, 

 club meets, information about canoeable waters, and other commu- 

 nications of interest. 



THE STONINGTON C. C— Last summer was a very eventful one 

 for the Stonington C. C. Although only organized two years ago, we 

 have a fleet of eleven canoes. The opening regatta brought forth 

 seven canoes, tlu-ee of which were Class B, and the remaining four 

 Class A. The winners in Class B were Cheemaun and Puritan, and in 

 Class A Flirt and Charts. The following week two championship 

 pennants were sailed for, to be won three times before they become 

 the property of the winner. The Cheemaun proved to be the fastest 

 sailer in Class B, and the Spy m Class A. While the crews of the 

 Cheemaun, Puritan, Wanderer and Charis were camping out, they 

 received a ver.y pleasant call from Dr. ano Mrs, Parmele, of Hartford, 

 who were on a cruise, and spent two or three hours with us. In your 

 number of Nov. /id I notice an article by Mr. Clapham on the width 

 of canoes. I would pay that the dimensions of the Cheemaun, which 

 1 have mentioned before, are 15' 3 x42" wide. She is a large and 

 heavy canoe, but is a good sailer, the only dilHculty beuigto managg 

 her, which generally requires two persons. We are looking forward 

 to buU'ling a club house next summer, and would llice all canoeists 

 to give UB a call and we will take care of them.— Chabis, 



WIDE AND NARROW CANOES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



May I be allowed to dip mv paddle in the troubled waters of the 

 last canoe controversy? Whe-e-e-w: don't the winds blow in your 'ast 

 issue (Dec. 10, 1885). I don't know but that T will liave to stow the 

 paddle after all, hoist double-reefed main and dandy, and try and 

 sail it out even if I do "hike over" and hang on with ray toes under 

 the lee coaming. It's exciting, though a little straining. 



Mr. Clapham's article in your issue of Nov. 20, 1885, has certainly 

 raised considerable of a breeze— yes. it misrht be termed a squall if 

 the comments on same by "Class E Canoe," "A. C. A.," "L.." "Kat- 

 rina," "Surge" and "Captain'" are taken up and digested, 



I hardly think the remarks of "Class B Canoe" are just. He says, 

 "His [Mr. C.'s] statement that many prominent canoeists have given 

 up canoes for square-stemed boats infers that tbey have done so 

 owing to the danger, unhandiness and discomfort of tiie latter." A.s 

 I read Mr. Clapham's article he infers nothing of the kind. He (Mr. 

 C.) writes, "Many prominent canoeists have long since deserted the 

 canoe for cruising under sail, and have adopted square-stern boats" 

 (for what? Cruising under sail) "simply because the canoe, as at 

 present limited in width, is neither safe, handy, nor comfortable for 

 saihng purposes" (cnnsing under sailj. This is what 1 think Mr. 

 Clapham meant, and is a fair-minded construction of same Is it 

 not? And "the^ deuce"— as they say in Boston— of it is, that Mr. C. 

 stated but the fact. 



"Class B Canoe" then asks, "Now, who are the prominent canoeists 

 alluded to? Mr. Bishop, a canoeist, advocates the sneakbox for ex- 

 tended cruises on open waters, but he do=s not condemn the canoe 

 for Us own purposes." I can't see anvihiag in Mr. aitioln that 

 "condemns the canoe for its own pm-poses" eilhej-. Mr, iMapham 

 says in effect that many have taken to square sterned boat.=i for rmis- 

 ing under sail in preference to the canoe as at present hmiced hy 

 A. C. A. rules. Tbe whole tenor of his article points to that one fact 

 —cruising under sail, and his sugge.stions ai-e evidently all made with 

 that point lu view— cruismg under sail. I cannot see that he savs 

 build larger canoes, give up yom- smaller cockle shtdls or sui'fftrt'hH 

 consequences; but as I look at it he does say, 1 yn canoeist, it your 

 present craft is too small for extended cruising under sail why de- 

 scend to the level of a square stern, when by simply widonincr "your 

 craft with propsr other proportions you will have "an honest 'and 

 speedy little sailing craft, quite capable of tlu-ashing the over-esti- 

 mated sneakbox to windward or free." 



"C. B. C." further says. "Canoeing is the primary school of yacht- 

 ing." Just so. But because it is so is that a reason why "boys and 

 young men" should at once jump from a Class B canoe into "a 20f c. 

 sloop or 5-ton cutter?" What objection— I ask the question with all 

 humility— what rational objection is there to the "boys and young 

 men" being modest, ard if they see fit or are so situiited that they 

 can enjoy extended cruising under sail, discarding their smaller 

 canoe and embracing one of the larger sort, instead of plumping 

 down at once on the unoffending "20ft. sloop or ".-ton cutter/" I 

 don't know that one would love his comely Class B canoe any the 

 less, but he might-yes he might love the larger growth tbe more- 

 in very rough weather. As "C. B. C." says, "this progres.^iou argues 

 nothing against each boat in its place. I am glad he says that, for 

 unless he eats his own words he must admit that the wide canoe will 

 have its place just the same as a Class A or B canoe, a sneakbox. a 

 "20ft. sloop or 5-ton cutter" will have theirs. 



Now let us look at the cases of the "prominent canoeists alluded to," 

 Mr. Bishop disoards the canoe in faver of the sneakbox for extended 

 cruises under sail. Ut. Clapham says stick to your canoes, but for 

 such purposes make them larger and you can score against the sneak- 

 box every time, and immediately up jump half a dozen "narroiv" 

 canoeists and begin to score Mr. Clapham as if he were an arch enemy 

 of the whole craft. Dr. Neid6 discarded the rowboat for the canoe, 

 and he made a wise change too, didn't he? And he made a grand 

 cruise down the swift Allegheny, the turbid Ohio, down the "father 

 of water;-" to the Gulf, and thence to Pensacola, showing in a gi-and 

 way the many virtues of the canoe. You who have read the doctor's 

 Interesting narrative of that voyage know how often he used sail, and 

 of the danger he ran while running along tbe Gulf coast, which, I 

 think, would have been considerably lessened with a larger canoe. 

 However, we will see how rJie old Aurora gets along with the sneak- 

 box Petrel during the Doctor's present cruise. Mr. flate Smith did 

 have a most excellentrowboat in 1880-91. He sold it, and I beheve he 

 bas always regretted it. He thinks much of his 14ft.x27in. Pixie, but 

 when he wants to sail he uses his 17ft. rowboat— see "Dookrat" races.. 

 As for Mr. Tyson, "Sm-ge," and even "Class B. Canoe" himself, I 

 wonder if they do not at times wish for larger craft. 



"Why is the canoe neither safe, handy nor comfortable; can Mr. 

 Clapham tell us?" From this question one would infer that Mr. C. 

 had made some such statement. Does he? With the idea of cruising 

 under sail in his mind, Mr. C. says: "The canoe, as at present, lira- 

 iwd in width, is neither safe, hand.y nor comfortable for sailing pur- 

 poses." This is the way I look at it, and the question, as put, 

 and the statement, a# made, refer to entirely different things. The 

 question impUes that a .sweeping assertion has been made, the state 

 ment is limited, further Mr. C. must rise on his own account. I don't 

 think a careful perusal of Mr. C.'s letter will show at any point that 

 he says or implies that canoeing has been debased or that the sport 

 is a "debasing" one. The question and statement of "C. B. C." on 

 this point are both superfluous and misleading. "Of com-se a large 

 boat is less cranky, safer and more comfortable than a small one, " 

 so"Class B Canoe" says and so I think Mr. Clapham holds wben he 

 advises such for extended cruising under sail. So "Class B Canoe" 

 and Mr. Clapham agree after all. Well! By the most complicated 

 foot- steering gear ever invented; that is funny. "But such a boat 

 would be utterly useless, as far as two-thirds of our canoeists are .con- 

 cerned." -Just so, in fact, I would amend it and make it seven-eighths 

 but why, my dear Class 'B' man or Class 'A' man, as the case may be 

 why bar out the other eighth ? 



If that small minority believe that they wUl derive more benefit, 

 sport and pleasure from the larger canoe, why bar them out? "Why 

 admit them to membersbip— accept their tees, accept their gifts in 

 prizes, accept their money subscription toward the International Cup 

 — and then calmly sit down with "Surge ' and say. "It is not at all 

 likely that the Association would consent losuch an alteration of 

 rules as would be required to admit to their races such craft." The 

 Association h.ave made changes in the rules before, have they not? 

 Their laws were not framed like those of the Medes and Persians, were 

 they? I sincerely hope that all are not "narrow" minded, for what 

 will he of "wider" views do then, poor thing? All that "Class B 

 Canoe" says regarding the advantages of the canoe of his class is 

 correct. No one, I think, denies its many good qualities. No one, I 

 think, having once tasted the sweets of canoeing, will give it up ec- 

 tirely. But when we come to discuss the merits of the canoe craft i7i 

 esse, we get "way off" from tbe point. 



The questions before the house are, as I take it: 1. What is the 

 objection to a canoe of larger class than the A. C. A. rules now define.? 

 2. What is the objection to making changes in the A. C. A. rules to 

 meet that class of larger canoes— or whatever you may call them? 



"A. C. A." asks Mr. C, various questions which may be answered 

 by him or not. I hope he may, for I want to learn something about 

 these widei- canoes. From my limited knowledge, however, I would 

 make a "guess" that the cost of such a craft would be less than a 

 Rushton Mohican No. 2. The weight with full ri^ ought to be Kept 

 under 140 pounds. 1 think the railroads might be induced to handle 

 her as they now do canoes, and I also think that it would not take 

 any more men to handle her than it would to handle a canoe of same 

 weight. 



It looks veiy much as if the numerous reviewers of Mr. Clapham's 

 letter had read it through the same spectacles. Because the larger 

 craft is unfitted for running rapids, cruising down smaller streams, 

 competing in paddling races, stowing away in a gan-et, or being 

 picked up— because she ha^ none of these quaUties— there is no good 

 in her. Who ever thought of claiming any of the above good quali- 

 ties for the larger canoe? No one that i know of, and I doubt if 

 "Class B. Canoe," "A, C, A.," "L.," -'Katrina" or "Sm-ge" can pomt 

 to any one as making such claims for the wider boat. 



Suppose one should ask if a Class B canoe would be a safe, easy, 

 comfortable boat for an extensive cruise on, say for instance, the 

 Sound, or the Chesapeake, or the lakes, or for everyday use on the 

 Jersey coast. There would probably be a number answering affirm- 

 atively. The question I want to put is: For such pm-poses would not 

 a larger canoe be safer, easier and more comfortable ? Of course it 

 goes without question that these larger boats lose one essential of a 

 canoe, /. e.. paddling— oars wnll have to be used. But Jlr. Clapham's 

 reviewers lose si^ht of the point that these larger craft are not put 

 forward as "paddleable-saUlng" or "saiUng paddleable" canoes, but — 

 simply as saduig canoes— that and nothing more— boats preserving 

 all the good qualities of the smaller canoe model, canoe rig, canoe 

 handiness and canoe beauty— as being a better thing for the purpose 

 than the sneakbox. Thepretty romanceof "L." about cruising down 

 one of our rivers only goes to show that in canoeing, as In everything 

 else, "there is a jjlace for everything and everything in its place." 



In "Katrina's" home waters it may be that the larger sailing canoe, 

 as suggested, would be out of place. But there may be localities 

 where it would be looked upon as very much in place. "Captain," of 

 Chicago, seems to think so, and I dare say there are others— good 

 A. C. A. men, too— who in their "inner consciousness" think the 

 same. 



"Surge" asks, "But how about picking hemp and carrying her into 

 a boat house up a steep bridge at low water?" "Surge, ' how about 

 "picking up" a Mohican No. 2, eh? The writer has seen dozens of 

 canoeists together in camp at different times, but in ad the number 

 there were very few capable of such an act. If a man can't haul his 



