442 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 21, 1888. 



same weight, of wat er in the same position in a closed ball as t 

 tank, such as arc used in large steamers and war vessels. If a 

 bottle or other closed vessel be filled with water ami inverted the 

 water will uot run out. unless at the same time air can run in. 

 Now if the mouth of the bottle be inverted in a small saucer of 

 water, the water in the bottle will not run out and its weight will 

 be felt by the hand holding the. bottle. In precisely the same 

 way the water once admitted to the compartment of the Norton 

 boat by the air rushing out through the valve E acts as any other 

 water ballast would, and is valuable in so far as it can be rcta inod 

 in the boat. 



_ It has, however, one serious objection; being only partly con- 

 fined, it is certain to run down into the lee bilge from its normal 

 level to a a, while in the windward compartment it also lowers, 

 thus placing more ballast to leeward and less to windward as the 

 vessel heels. This is precisely the case in a water-logged craft, 

 or in craft with ballast tanks partly filled, and both classes of 

 boat are dreaded by sailors. Now, if by any chance the vessel is 

 heeled until the openings near the keel are in the least exposed 

 to the air. as in the capsize of the Mohawk, the .Sarah J. Craig, 

 the Grayling, and the last sad instance, the schooner Agnes, the 

 ballast at once leaves the weather side entirely and the vessel is 

 beyond all power of righting. In the Mohawk the lead ballast all 

 fell to leeward, with furniture and other movables, while in the 

 Craig the sand ballast did the same. In the Norton boat let the 

 air in any way gain access to the. holes in the bottom and all the 

 weather ballast must infallibly leave the vessel. We were in- 

 formed by the secretary of the company that this was not the 

 case, that the water could not leave the vessel; but we tried the 

 experiment on Capt. Norton's model and the water ran out as 

 soon as the aperture was above the surface, of the main body of 

 water in which the model floats. It is interesting to note here 

 that the model is hung so near to the side of the tank as to pre- 

 vent an inquiring visitor from raising it until the aperture is out 

 of water, but when we last, visited it the water in the tank was 

 at a low level and by a little force the model was raised just high 

 enough to bring the edge of the opening level with the water, 

 when all the water within the model at once ran out. 



As long then as the water was held in the boat by the pressure 

 of the atmosphere, the Norton boat would be precisely as sti ft as 

 a boat having the same amount of water ballast in closed tanks 

 not entirely filled; but while tne latter boat would retain her 

 stability under all conditions, the Norton boat is liable to lose 

 heis at any moment and- to be capsized beyond all recovery. 

 Should a sudden squall heel her as Gracie was heeled at Larch- 

 mont last year, or as hoth Gracie and Montauk were heeled on 

 the day when Grayling capsized, the ballast would at once leave 

 the vessel, or if when sailing in a heavy sea a lurch to leeward 

 exposes the bottom in the disturbed water, the vessel must go 

 over. Even under ordinary conditions it is probable that some 

 leakage of air would take place. If the vessel were making a 

 long tack in comparatively smooth water under a steady but 

 moderate angle of heel, some air would be carried under the 

 bottom and find its way in the openings, allowing the ballast to 

 escape, and in a few hours' sailing the trouble might become very- 

 serious. 



It is claimed by Capt. Norton that the air pressure in the lee 

 bilge. C, is so great that a capsize is impossible under any circum- 

 stances, but we have already shown on what a false basis his claims 

 rest. There is, it is true, a small amount of pressure on the sub- 

 merged air chamber, but it can be definitely calculated, and will 

 be found to he far less effective than a few pigs of lead stowed 

 near the keel. It sounds very .well to picture the resistless force 

 of the great Atlantic waves acting on the confined air and com- 

 pressing it to a great, degree; but, in fact, there is no pressure but 

 that due to an insignificant column of water whose base is limited 

 by the opening in the bottom. In practice there is a limit to the 

 sizeofthe.se openings; they must be very small in proportion to 

 the bulk of water in the compartment, or the latter would rush 

 out at once as the vessel heeled, the weight of the column of 

 water in A. B, being greater than the atmospheric pressure. 



There are other points connected with the air pressure, which 

 would be interesting to investigate, but they relate to speed and 

 not to safety, and are of secondary importance. It is claimed 

 that the vessel floats partly on the compressed air in the cham- 

 bers C, and thus is less difficult to move, while at the same time 

 she is mainly supported on the inner bottom, floatingon the water 

 in A, B, as well as on the air in C, consequently, as this air and 

 water move with her, there is no friction between the skin of the 

 vessel and the outer water. Such crack-brained idiocy as this has 

 obtained credit with the supporters of the invention, but as it 

 does not affect the main point, the stability and safety, we cannot 

 take the space to deal with as it deserves. We have, conversed at, 

 length with a number of persons interested in the scheme and all 

 distinctly disavow any scientific knowledge, claiming to be practi- 

 cal men and convinced by the. evidence of their senses in the in- 

 spection of the model we have described, by the practical tests 

 that have been made, by Capt. Norton; and with the most perfect 

 faith in all that he asserts. 



The details of tests made are very meagre and unsatisfactory. 

 One instance given is a 28ft. boat which originally displaced 

 3,0851bs.. but after alteration she displaced 4,1501bs., a difference 

 of l,1251hs., or half a ton. This added weight was all in yellow 

 metal tanks; consequently a full half ton of metal ballast was 

 placed in the bottom of a boat only 28ft. long, and it is small won- 

 der that she was stiffer than before; certainly any ordinary boat 

 would be without cither air or water tanks. A number of testi- 

 monials from various persons abroad— the Commander and In- 

 spector of Pilots at Cuxhaven, the harbor master at the same 

 place, the director of the shipyards of the Societ.e John Cockerill 

 at Serai ng, a captain and a harbor master at Kiel, the. manager of 

 the Danish Life. Saving Service— together with extracts from for- 

 eign newspapers arc given in the pamphlet. 



All of the testimonials refer to the Norton lifeboat, and it is 

 probable that this craft possesses the good qualities of any life- 

 boat of full model, large displacement, ample, sealed air chambers 

 and water ballast tanks, but all this is not new in any way. The 

 weak point in the boat, as we have pointed out, is the liability to 

 lose all the weather ballast through the exposure of the. opening 

 in the bottom, and though in a craft of this type the danger is re- 

 duced to a minimum, far less than in a yacht, it still exists and 

 renders the boat inferior to a, similar model with the ordinary 

 water ballast compartment. The. feature of admitting water 

 through a valve iu the bottom instead of pumping it in is a good 

 one, especially in boats that must, be carried at davits, but we 

 doubt whether Capt. Norton can prove, his claim to this feature to 

 be any better grounded than a claim for the invention of the cel- 

 lular system of construction would be. It is said that the yacht 

 Gleam would not have sunk when cut in two had she been built 

 on Capt. Norton's system, but neither would she have done so had 

 she been built on the ordinary system of cellular construction as 

 applied to passenger and war vessels, but unfitted to most yachts, 

 owing to the space required. In all the testimonials there is no 

 adequate evidence as to the value of the air chamber C and the 

 pressure on it, all that refers to this point being mere guess work. 

 It is stated that the Norton lifeboat has been thoroughly tested 

 in this country, also that a sailing craft on this system has been 

 tried with great success against other craft on the Potomac, but 

 no particulars are given. 



The system, however, has been officially examined by the Navy 

 and Treasury Departments of the United States, as shown in the 

 following extract from Hie report of United States Naval Board 

 on Norton's lifeboats, dated July 22, 1886. The large lifeboat was 

 26ft. in length; 7ft. 3in., beam; 3ft. 6in. in depth. The small life- 

 boat was 12ft. in length; 4ft. beam; 27in. in depth. 



"The stability of this boat is very much superior to that of 

 ordinary construction. Ten men were placed on one of the gun- 

 wales of the boat, representing a weight of 1,600 pounds, the boat 

 still having a freeboard of three inches. The masts of the boat 

 were stepped, which represented additional leverage tending to 

 heel the boat. This boat in our opinion is very difficult to cap- 

 size, though the circumstances of our trial of her stability will 

 not permit us to indorse the statement of the inventor, that the 

 boat is non-capsizable; that point we believe can only be demon- 

 strated by a long and exhaustive series of experiments under all 

 conditions of wind and sea. In our opinion boats of this con- 

 struction are very suitable for lifeboats." Signed by A. S. Crown- 

 inshield, ( ionnnander U. S. N., President of Board: J. II, Sands, 

 Commander U. S. N., Member of Board; Philip Hichborn, Naval 

 Constructor U. S. N., Member of Board. 



The following extract, is from the proceedings of thirty-fifth 

 annual meeting of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steam 

 Vessels, held at Washington, D. C, January, 1887: 



Mr. O'Brien, from the Committee on Life-Saving Appliances, to 

 which was referred the papers and drawings of P. L. Norton's 

 lifeboat, made the following report: "The Commute on Life- 

 Saving Appliances, to which was referred the drawings of life- 

 boat presented by Mr. Francis L. Norton, beg leave to report that 

 they nave given the matter close attention. The boat as pre- 

 sented is a well-proportioned lifeboat, the plaeings of the ballast 

 chambers and air chambers are good. The ballast chambers 

 should be built of yellow metal. Your committee recommended 

 the approval of this boat. Boats to be built as required by Sec- 

 tion 3, Rule III,, of Life-Saving;Appliances.— Matt. O'Bkien, 

 ChAS. C. BEMrs, Amehtcus Wabdes, Committee." 



The recommendation of the committee was agreed to by the 

 following vote: Yeas: Messrs, Starbuck, Curran, Ashbury, Hays, 



Dugan, Warden, Daly, Robinson, O'Brien and the Supervising 

 Inspector-General— 10. Nays: None. Absent: Mr. Bemis. This 

 recommendation was approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 in accordance wit h provisions of section 449] Revised Statutes of 

 the United States February, 11, 1887. 



A favorable notice of a similar tenor is also included in the re- 

 port of the Commissioner of Navigation, the late Jar vis Patten, 

 to the Secretary of the Treasury in 1886. 



Not one of the t hree ventures to handle the subject with thorough- 

 ness a,nd decision; they a ll indorse the features peculiar to life- 

 boats, but fail to investigate the system of construction as a whole, 

 leaving its promoters free, to use the indorsement, of the Navy 

 and Treasury Departments of the United States in its appeal to 

 investors. The subject is entirely too important to be left by the 

 authorities in this state; if the invention is all that is claimed, 

 then the sooner the fact is known the better for all seafaring 

 meu; if on the contrary, as we believe, it is dangerous in the ex- 

 treme, it should not be aided by the endorsement of the Govern- 

 ment in a course which is certain to result, fatally to some one in 

 time. 



In this connection we can instance the new boat built under the 

 Norton patents and described in the letter of her owner lately 

 published. Wo visited last week the yawl Alista at the yard in 

 Hoboken where she is fitting out for her cruise. Like all else con- 

 nected with the Norton system, there was an absence of definite 

 measurements and figures, but the boat is 30ft. l.w.L, 9ft. beam, 

 2ft. Oin. draft, including a wood keel of 1ft. and with 22in. least 

 freeboard. She is a boat of comparatively large displacement, 

 with full, round lines, practically a double-ender, and resembling 

 a lifeboat in general model. The sheer is moderate, she has a 

 high cabin bouse and a cockpit abaft it. There is very little over- 

 hang aft, the stern coming in almost to a point. Inside there is 

 just enough room to sit erect on alow locker in spite, of the height 

 of the bouse, the floor being very high. The space beneath the 

 floor is given up to the water ballast, of which the. boat has a 

 great weight, certainly enough to make her fairly safe under a 

 very small rig. 



The thousand square feet of sail which was promised has dwin- 

 dled sadly in actual area. The only figures which Mr. Wiener 

 could furnish were the length of main boom, 19ft., mizen boom, 

 lift., but the bowsprit we estimated at about 8ft. outboard, the 

 hoist of mainsail 20ft., the mizen 12ft., with a gaff of about 7ft. 

 The mainsail was rigged with a gaff on the passage up from Wil- 

 mington, but though it is confidently asserted that full and satis- 

 factory tests were made at sea, the sail has been reduced to a 

 small leg of mutton, 19ft. on boom and 20ft. hoist, or only 200ft. 

 Mizen and jib together will not make 300ft. more, so that the 

 working sail is under 500ft., certainly no great amount for such a 

 boat. The bowsprit is rigged for a jibboom and Mr. Wiener pro- 

 poses to set a "ringtail'' from the head of the high topmast to the 

 end of the main boom. For seagoing the rig is very bad, the 

 canvas being in poor shape and the spars unnecessarily long. As 

 to the alleged tests, Mr. Wiener could give no data, hut said that 

 he was thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the boat, 

 and that she bore out all of Capt. Norton's assertions. He ad- 

 mitted that he had no means of comparing her directly with a 

 similar boat with the same amount of water ballast in closed 

 tanks and without the air chambers, saying in a general way that 

 he had sailed all kinds of yachts and knew this one to be much 

 stiffer than any ballasted with iron or lead, and also that he could 

 feel the easy motion due to the compressed air in the chambers. 

 With her small rig the .boat will probably be safe enough under 

 ordinary conditions, but let her go down once under such a squall 

 as that which sunk the Agnes last Friday and she will inevitably 

 fail to recover herself. It is true that she cannot siuk, but if cap- 

 sized at sea this would mean that the crew could live for a time, 

 until rescued or washed off, instead of the boat Sinking at once 

 under them, but all this is counterbalanced by the immensely 

 greater risk or rather certainty of a capsize. We have received 

 the following letter from Mr. Wiener: 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



Since my last lines to you the little Alista, under the good pilot- 

 age of Capt. Mahoney, has made the passage, by the way of the 

 ocean, from Wilmington to New York harbor. With the wind 

 abeam and three sails set - jib, mainsail and mizen— the captain 

 assured me she made ten miles an hour while it blew fresh, the 

 boat comporting herself admirably at all times. I have about, 

 made up my mind that my little yawl is a treasure, reliable in 

 stays, fast, non-capsizable and unsinkable. I must emphasize 

 non-capsizable, for the reason that when off Sandy Hook we were 

 struck by a flaw that called for the slackening of the main sheet, 

 but this was a new and kinky rope and refused to render. The 

 heavy pressure of wind sent her gunwale to water, but there she 

 bung and refused to go any further. The pressure of the sea 

 against the air iu her ballast chambers along the waterline, and 

 the downward pressure of the water which was being lifted in the 

 ballast chambers to windward, held her firmly, and the wind 

 seemed to lose its force by the slant of the sails; spilling itself, as 

 it were. 



Ordinarily, in sailing small craft, it is the custom for all hands 

 to sit well to windward to make the boat stand up to her work. 

 The Alista does not seem to call for this; on the contrary, whoever 

 went below for rest on our ocean passage would select the leeward 

 side, that being the most comfortable for reclining purposes. 

 Another feature of the principle upon which she is built is that 

 her action in a sea way is less prone to occasion seasickness, as her 

 rolling and pitching seemed to be made very easy and gentle by 

 the air cushions upon which she rides. 



As the weather did not admit of painting at Wilmington, a few 

 days are being employed to "pret ty up" the ship at M r. Desmond's 

 boat yarn. Next Thursday sail will be hoisted again to dodge 

 around in New York Harbor for a week or two, during which 

 time it will give rne pleasure to show you, follow yachtsmen 

 and yacht builders, the merits of Capt. Norton's excel- 

 lent invention, particularly as there seem to be so many who 

 do not comprehend it. And yet the matter is admirable for its 

 simplicity. For instance, in considering my boat, that the sea is 

 pressing against. 16ft. 6in. in length, 8xl0in. in height and width 

 along her waterline, in the air portion of her ballast chambers to 

 leeward; this alone should give her sufficient stability, but there 

 is also the water to windward which she lifts and which conse- 

 quently helps to pull her down to her bearings. A facile experi- 

 ment to show that the water is lifted above the level of the sea 

 and that it does not leave the ballast, chambers is to place in a 

 bucket of water a tumbler; invert this so that it is full or par- 

 tially so and you can lift the water iu the tumbler above the 

 level of the water in the bucket until you reach the surface 

 thereof. This demonstrates the theory of the Captain's inven- 

 tion, with the exception that if you raise the tumbler a trifle above 

 the surface of the water in the bucket it naturally will pour out 

 and air take its place; whereas the holes along the kool of a boat 

 never becoming exposed the water will never escape from the 

 ballasting chambers. 



If the Gleam had been built on Capt. Norton's principle we 

 would never have heard of the lamentable accident, and Mr. Gar- 

 ret might he with the living to-day. He could have felt safe 

 though his boat were cut in two, and if cool-headed could have 

 remonstrated at his leisure from his half of the boat with the 

 pilot of the Joppa for running him down. 



There is but one way to destroy a Norton boat, as far as I can 

 see, that is to grind her to pieces piecemeal on the rocks. All 

 passenger ships and war vessels should be built on the new system 

 to assure speed, safety and luxurious traveling. Mark my words, 

 dear editor, the time is near at hand that the smallest, as well as 

 the largest vessels will be built on the Captain's principles, to 

 assure speed and safety. E. O. Wiener. 



Hoboken, N. J., June 12. 



The sloop Heron, a shoal centerboard boat, 33x13ft. on l.w.L, is 

 now being fitted up on the Norton system, the tanks being similar 

 in form to those in the model, each large enough to lit between 

 a pair of frames. The air chamber in each ea.se is somewhat 

 larger than iu the model, and about ten of these tanks are fitted 

 on each side. The lead ballast, some six tons, has been entirely 

 removed, and it is confidently asserted that the yacht will be 

 stiffer without it. The offices of the Norton Naval Construction 

 and Ship Building Co. in Jersey City are ornamented with plans 

 for a schooner yacht, a passenger steamer, gunboat, etc., to be 

 constructed on the Norton system, the designer being Mr. John 

 Haug of Philadelphia. We are told that the company now has 

 orders for thirteen vessels of various sizes, yachts, lifeboats and 

 yachts' boats. We were informed that Mr. Geo. L. Watson, 

 designer of the Thistle, now had an agent in this country to 

 negotiate for the use of the company's patents in vessels designed 

 bynim, and at the New York office we learned that Mr. Burgess 

 had sent an agent from Boston to secure similar rights, though 

 who the agent was, or why Mr. Burgess bad not called in person 

 on some of his numerous trips to New York and inspected the 

 model, we could not ascertain. 



We have not touched upon the structural features of the Norton 

 system, but there is one very important point to consider. Any 

 damage, however slight, to the air pipes or tanks, wUl allow the 

 ballast to run out. A leak in an ordinary vessel admits water 

 and maybe stopped, but a leak in several of the ballast chambers, 

 or any damage to the pipe which connects them, woidd at once 



I allow the water ballast to run out, leaving the boat unballasted 



! on the weather side. 



AN EARLY CROP OF CAPSIZES. 



THE national type, of shoal draft flatirons havo opened the 

 drowning season early and in good stylo this year by the roll- 

 ing over at her anchor, with sails stowed, of a schooner yacht 54ft. 

 on waterline, with the loss of one man. On Friday last a very 

 severe thunder storm from the N. W. passed over New York city 

 and the surrounding country, making its appearance at 3 P. M. 

 and breaking with great violence two hours later. A number of 

 yachts were anchored off Tompkinsvillc, Stat en Island, and vvber 

 the storm struck, one of them, the schooner Agnes, owned by Mr. 

 J, Norton Winslow, capsized and sank at ber mooring, off the 

 Corinthian V. C. house, in about, 8 fathoms of wa ter, her lower 

 spars being partly submerged. The Agnes is a shoal centerboard 

 yacht of the ordinary American type, 54ft. l.w.L, 16ft. Din. beam, 

 5ft. Oin. depth of hold, and 4ft. Gin. draft. She lay snugly a t anchor 

 within 300yds. of shore, with sails furled and all in order for the 

 night, only her crew of four being on board; and when the squall 

 struck her she rolled quietly over and sunk. The yacht Yision 

 was anchored near by with her owner on board, and a crew was 

 at once sent off, picking up three of the Agnes's crew, but the 

 fourth, Charles F. Anderson, could not be reached in time. Fur- 

 ther up the Bay the open boat Needles, of the Pavonia Y. C, was 

 capsized, her crew of five being taken off the bottom three hours 

 later when nearly exhausted. Several other small craft were 

 capsized or partly swamped, but no more, lives were lost. Messrs. 

 Brokaw and Blake, of the Brooklyn C. C, were in the middle of 

 the bay in canoes, on their way to Staten Island, when the storm 

 broke, but they reached the Bay Ridge shore in safety at last. 



The storm was a very violent one, but at least three or four 

 fully as bad may be expected every summer in this locality. 

 There was no reason why a properly designed and ballasted yacht 

 should not ride, it out in safety, especially when at anchor with 

 sails furled and after two hours' notice of its coming. The cap- 

 size of the Agnes was due to nothing but the type; shoal, wide, 

 with high ballast and a limited range of stability, she only did 

 what Mohawk, Grayling, Sophia, Sarah J. Craig, Minerva and 

 hundreds of smaller craft have done, with the exception that her 

 case was the worst of all, the others being under sail when cap- 

 sized. 



There are still scores of yachts in the fleet just as dangerous 

 and treacherous as she; yachts that are used year after year as 

 summer homes, where men take their wives and children, and 

 that are just as likely to be turned in a moment into floating 

 coffins like Mohawk. With so many awful examples before 

 them it is strange that men will go carelessly on, inviting the 

 same risks that have proved fatal to their friends. The dangers 

 of the sea are serious enough at best, but the one that is most to 

 be dreaded is the very one that may r be avoided with absolute 

 certainty. Collision and shipwreck can never bo foreseen and 

 prevented, but a capsize is something that is only possible'through 

 faulty design and ballasting. 



Such an accident as that to the Gleam can never be absolutely 

 avoided, but an occurrence like the present one is due entirely to 

 ignorence or recklessness in originating and perpetuating such a. 

 type of yacht. 



In 1886 there was the terrible loss of seven lives on the Sarah J. 

 Craig; last, year the Minerva, of much the same proportions as 

 Agnes, capsized in a puff on the Delaware River and drowned 

 two; while at the end of the season the Gracie nearly followed 

 her example, barely missing a capsize but drowning one man; 

 and now the season opens with the Agncss and a loss of one. 



The yacht was lifted by the derrick Reliance on Saturday night, 

 losing her mainmast, and will be refitted to start afresh on her 

 career. The week previous, at Montreal, a new yacht capsized 

 and so nearly drowned her crew that the race she was to sail in 

 was postponed. The danger of all wide, shoal-bodied, badly bal- 

 lasted craft has been so thoroughly proven by the examples we 

 have given that it is little short of murder to take the helpless 

 and ignorant on board of them, and in the case of a fatal termin- 

 ation the blame must rest heavily on those who do so. With the 

 case of yacht sailors and seafaring men who know the risks and 

 accept them it is a different matter, but all such craft if used a t 

 all should be kept for racing and never for the use of ladies or 

 landsmen guests. 



DUCKERS VERSUS CANOES. 



"Editor Forest and Stream: 



1 feel that it is due the yachtsmen and canoeists who read your 

 yachting columns that I should make a few comments on Mr. 

 Work's article in your issue of June 7. Mr. Work endeavored to 

 make the point that al though the Sadie and Gracie may win races 

 here they cannot, thereby establish any claims to a high order of 

 merit, on account of the slowness of the boats against which they 

 race, Priscilla, our last year's champion, was built by Wignull, 

 of Philadelphia, and may fairly be classed as a modern racer. 

 The Frank and Willie Playford won a race on the Delaware last 

 season before she was brought here. The G. W. Bowers is sup- 

 posed to have a record on the Delaware, but I cannot say what 

 it is. She has shown indications of speed on several occasions 

 here. The Volunteer is a new tuckup, by Wignall, and was 

 launched less than two weeks ago. There is nothing ancient about 

 her. However* it is not necessary to enumerate. A tuckup is a 

 racing machine, pure and simple, and if a ducker can come any- 

 where near equalling her in speed she is a very desirable craft, 

 and the same may be said of the canoe. I think Mr. Work un- 

 derestimates the strength of the wind on May 20. When the 

 wind is north to northwest the water is never rough here on our 

 course, and a man standing ashore might make a mistake in 

 estimating its force. That the Sadie, and Gracie were. badly r 

 beaten mainly on account of the strength of the wind I do not 

 deny; but the Philadelphia ducker did not go two rounds while, 

 they went one. One ot the Philadelphia d tickers carrying 18yds. 

 of sail was not ahead of the Sadie or Gracie at any time while 

 they were in the races. After they withdrew the ducker got 

 ahead by continuing on in the race. They withdrew because they 

 could not possibly overtake the leaders, and not from fear of a 

 capsize, or Because there was any likelihood of being beaten by 

 boats in the rear. In the afternoon there was a good sailing 

 breeze which lasted during the first round. The canoe Sadie led. 

 The wind fell very light on the second round and the Sadie still 

 led. The question narrows down to this. How much wind is 

 required to enable three men to outsail one man? Another point, 

 the Gracie would not be swamped by a passing steamer on the 

 Delaware; she will, in my opinion, stand as much rough water as 

 will a ducker. We occasionally have rough wa tcr here when the 

 wind is easterly, and then the duckers a re bailed out with a bucket, 

 while a small sponge suffices for the Gracie. 



On the- whole, Mr. Work's article is very fair, and the gentle- 

 manly and straightforward manner in which ho states his views 

 should command the respect of all. £. A. LEOronn, 



CORINTHIAN Y. C. SAN FRANCISCO-May 30.— The annual 

 regatta of the Corinthian Y. O. was sailed on May 30 over a course 

 fromMeigg's wharf to a stakeboat to northward; thence to Mid- 

 channel Buoy r off the Presidio, leaving buoy to poi t: thence to 

 Blossom Rock Buoy, thence, to Sonoma Rock Buoy or Mission 

 Rock Buoy, thence to Blossom Rock Buoy, thence to Mid-channel 

 Buoy, passing between Meigg's wharf and stakeboat going out, 

 and thence back to point of beginning. Second class boats, under 

 25ft. over all, to finish at starting line -without rounding Mid-chan- 

 nel Buoy the second time. After .some delay in waiting for wind 

 the start for second class was made at 2:05 with light N.E. wind 

 and strong flood tide. The first class stated at 2:20. After the. 

 start the wind shifted to N.W. and freshened, the race being 

 sailed within the limit, five hours. The times were: 



Start. Finish. Elapsed. 



Spray 2 30 00 7 01 30 4 31 30 



Ripple 3 30 00 7 13 00 4 43 00 



Pilgrim 2 30 00 withdrew. 



Windward 2 09 00 withdrew. 



Gertie 2 14 00 withdrew. 



MONTGOMERY SAILING Y. C— Fifth weekly regatta, June 

 10. — Course, Norristown to Indian Creek and return, distance five 

 miles. Weather fair; wind southwesteily. 



Length. Start. Finish. Corrected, 



Gracie, skiff 12.00 1 30 40 3 16 56 1 36 55 



Igidious, tuckup 15.00 1 40 00 3 20 55 1 40 55 



Playford, tuckup 15.00 1 40 00 3 21 15 1 41 15 



J.S. Frith, tuckup 15.00 1 10 00 3 24 t0 1 41 00 



Flving Eagle, tuckup. . ..15.00 1 40 00 3 21 10 1 44 10 



Priscilla, tuckup 15.00 1 46 20 3 24 40 1 41 40 



Ino, ducker 15.00 1 30 00 3 26 15 1 46 15 



Volunteer, tuckup 15.00 1 10 00 3 26 30 1 16 80 



Elsie, ducker 15.00 1 30 00 3 28 50 1 18 50 



Querner, tucker 15.00 1 40 00 3 30 35 1 50 35 



G. W. Bowers, tuckup... 15.00 1 40. 00 3 35 55 1 55 55 



The Igidious has won three races to date, Gracie has won two, 

 besides leading the fleet around the outer mark in three otheis 

 which did not finish within the time limit. The canoe Sadie has 

 not been interested in the last four races on account of the sick- 

 ness of her owner, Mr. Geo. Ritter. Win. Alcorn judge. 



VIATOR.— This name has been given to the Burgess schooner 

 built for Mr. Wyeth by Eddy, of Marblehead. Mr. Eddy has dis- 

 posed of his shop and will henceforth command the yacht, 



