Feb. 21, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



101 



caps are on, as is done in many instances, giving a cheap miser- 

 able affair. The metal of the cylinder should be of as fine and 

 even a texture as possible, with proper hardness to secure the 

 proper retention of its cylindrical form as long as possible and 

 alto prevent improper wearing of valve seat, causing tue valve to 

 leak and waste steam. The link should be of steel, made wide 

 and hardened, with joints at end of eccentric rods that give a 

 a large surface, thereby preventing excessive wear and lost 

 motion, which causes an imperfect motion of valve and thereby 

 an irregular and wasteful working of engine. 



Fine workmanship is an element of great control over the satis- 

 factory running and life of the steam engine, but in 75 per cent, it 

 is far from a fair standard. The cylinders are not bored evenly 

 throughout, and are left with a rough, coarse feed; heads are 

 packed with rubber, tLat soon burns or blows out, instead of being 

 ground in as they should be, thus giving a joint that needs no 

 packing and always remains tight, and the bead can be taken off 

 or put on quickly with no trouble. Piston packing should be 

 nicely fitted and ground to an easy and perfect fit. both in head 

 and cylinder; side valves should not be ground in with emery, 

 but planed and scraped to a fit and tested under steam pressure; 

 steam chest cover should be grooved and a copper wire packing 

 used; this gives a good wearing joint, tight, and one that allows 

 the cover to be taken off and replaced with little trouble, not 

 requiring scraping and a new packing every time, as with rubber 

 packing; piston and valve rods should have a hue finishing feed 

 run over them, and then be draw-filed by a machinist who knows 

 his business. Filing in the lathe is a barbarous wav of finishing 

 aiod. The rod packing should be patent metallic, which lasts 

 steam tight for a I one time, requiring no repacking; rodson which 

 this is used are found after a year or more of constant running to 

 be as perfect as when put in. Guides and cross heads must be 

 fitted and adjusted to secure a motion in perfect line, not wearing 

 the rod or packing onesided or cramping the piston head and put- 

 ting excessive wear on the piston rings. 



Connecting rod brasses and shaft brasses should be such a fit 

 in the bearings as to move easily for adjustment, and not give a 

 loose fit in any direction or position, scraped to an even bearing 

 on shaft journal, and against the collars on shaft. Engines 

 should be double-cranked in every instance, this preventing 

 wearing and springing out of line; the link should be hardened 

 and then ground to give a perfect and easy fit of block in any 

 position ot link, with no lost motion anywhere, thus securing a 

 fine working of valve, and insuring the link and block from ex- 

 cessive wear, as is found m many engines whose links are of soft 

 material, not hardening in the least, because it is in this way 

 easily and cheaply made. Eccentrics often give much trouble and 

 improper working of valve, by slipping around on the shaft from 

 their right position, wnich is caused by the. slipping of set-screws 

 used to hold them, instead of their being keyed, which should be 

 done with every eccentric, as there is no reason for ever moving 

 them from their original place. 



The general plan of an inverted cylinder engine, except on the 

 small launches or largest yachts, is very good; it gives a low cen- 

 ter of gravity, and a compact engine, the long connecting rod 

 putting less wear on the journals, and giving a more direct and 

 even motion, and less jar to the boat. With the valve gear in use 

 on most small yachts little or no expansion of steam is obtain- 

 able, where by a proper plan of engine an early cut off and high 

 expansion is admissible, thus making a marked saving in fnoL 

 The use of a double engine is excellent practice, giving uniform 

 speed, and admit ting usually very good expansion of steam. A 

 boat in point is one my experience acquainted me with, one in 

 which a double high pi essure non- condensing engine run at, ISO 

 revolutions, giving exceptional high speed of boat (boat about 

 •lOtt. long). The economy in the use of tuel is also very marked. 

 The boiler is a water tube, occupying small space for the power 

 developed, is quick to raise steam, and supplies the engine easily. 

 As yachts increase in size the advantage of a compound condens- 

 ing engine is very apparent, developing a given power on 50 per 

 cent, less fuel, the expansion of the steam is carried to an ex- 

 tended limit, thus utilizing much more of the power which it 

 contains. Next, the pressure of 12 or 131bs. additional, which is 

 made available on the large piston by the vacuum of the condenser, 

 gives a great increase in power from a given amount of steam. 

 vV hen a large power is desired in a boat, the cost of a compound 

 condensing engine is more than for ahigh pressure non-condensing, 

 but only about one-half the boiler capacity is required to develop 

 the given power through the compound engine, i hereby, through 

 the less cost of boiler, helping to counterbalance the ext ra cost, 

 the reduced amount of fuel used gives a great saving in the cost 

 of running. 



As to form of engine, it is controlled by circumstances. With 

 an engine using half the coal the saving in space taken by the 

 Coal is of much importance. The surface condenser should be 

 used by all means, the jet condenser is not a proper thing in any 

 tastance of steam engineering, where it can possiblv be avoided. 

 The method of running a surface condenser without the use of a 

 circulating pump is seldom if ever taken advantage of, though it 

 saves the cost of a pump and the power required to run it. What 

 is required to condense the exhaust steam is cold water; now 

 when the boat is surrounded and floating m water above tue level 

 of the condenser, giving a chance to lead it in directly from the 

 bow, thus forcing it to circulate through a properlv-plaeed tube, 

 the Heedlessness of a pump is apparent; this, of course, cannot be 

 done m all instances, but is available in some. 



By a proper proportioning and balancing of parts against steam 

 pressure it may be practicable to make a high expanding and 

 condensing engine without compounding; thus securing the ad- 

 vantage to quite an extent of a compound engine by the use of a 

 single cylinder condensing. There are practical examples which 

 lead us to think this can be satisfactorily accomplished, thus giv- 

 ing simpler and more compact engine, more easily handled. 



BOILEHS. 



A very large per cent, of the boilers used in yachts are not well 

 fitted for the purpose; they are large and clumsy; their center of 

 gravity is hign; they are excessively heavy f rom'the large amount 

 of water they contain; the fire boxes are improper in shape and 

 size; they are not economical, etc. in the first place, a boat boiler 

 should be as simple as it is possible to make it, because it can be 

 more perfectly made. In an irregular bailer, particularly when 

 the sheets are heavy and thick, the forging of them to shape or 

 sharp angles is a difficult job, seldom attained without some 

 injury to the metal; smalt cracks are started on the edges, 

 which weaken the slieet and all ow a chance for corrosion to work; 

 the metal by the forging is hardened in spots, and internal strains 

 are caused by it, which are not counteracted by proper annealing. 

 Next simplicity is demanded, because it gives more chance to 

 keep the boiler clear from scale, and can be thoroughly watched 

 to detect cracks or deterioration of metal and corrosion, which 

 is a serious element at work against boilers. It mav start along a 

 seam or in the smallest crack or in the laminated plate, where it 

 has a chance to work its destruction fast and sure if not detected 

 and prevented. The simple boiler is much stronger, both from 

 the element of taking the strains of nressure direct, and, as has 

 been mentioned, can be more properly made; next, it is more 

 easily handled in all ways. 



Steam room in a boiler should be large, and area of water sur- 

 face sufficient to allow a free disengagement <>f steam, thereby 

 not carrying water up with it, causing excessive moisture in 

 Bteam, which beside the disadvantage of having it in the engine 

 is very wasteful of fuel. A perfectly plain, simple firebox (free 

 from all patent arragemonts), that has an area of grate in proper 

 ratio to the heating surface, will give invariably the highest, 

 economy when properly fired, and as complete combustion ob- 

 tained as is possible. 



Simplicity recommends the cylindrical upright whore it can be 

 used, and not have the center of gravity too high. In high speed 

 yachts with their uarrow beam we want as much stability as can 

 be secured, especially m rough weather, and a high boiler which 

 brings a heavy bulk of water far above the loadlino, gives by the 

 swashing back and forth of the water it contains a dangerous 

 effect, added to every roll of the boat. When an upright cannot 

 be used, the proper form should be governed by circumstances, 

 but the first and most, important element to consider is simplicity 

 A properly made watertube is an excellent and very satisfactory 

 boiler, giving perfect safety, easy and quick steaming, and light 

 weight, both of metal and water contained, Capacity to carry ex- 

 tremely high pressure gives extended expansion in engine' and 

 thereby high economy, which is only attainable with a high initial 

 steam pressure. The boiler should be fed by an injector, and on a 

 small boat an independent bilge pump should be so connected 

 as to be used as a boiler feeder if any accident happens to the iu- 

 jeetor. On large yachts two injectors should be used, one for a 

 relay, as the bilge pump from the nature of the pump has too 

 large a water cylinder. W. H. Weston, m.'JS. 



Chelsea, Mass. 



CLASSIFICATION BY CORRECTED LENGTH. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



1 cannot imagine any one who has considered with horror and 

 amazement the prodigious monsters which the 40ft. clasE has 

 already developed— 40ft. with upward of 50ft. boom and 30ft. hoist 

 —not agreeing with every word in your article of Jan. 31 in de- 

 precation of such a type. If such boats are to come into anv class 

 then farewell to all racing in it to anv save very wealthy men 

 It is not want of racing spirit that kills yacht racing, that is a 



, .ju,- ,t uuawmjutnuijgc inruwa ail oven DI 



wav hut will race her all day with keenest pleasure. 



What kills racing is "racing machines," and the object of all 

 racing rules should be to handicap them out of existence, and 

 enable men to keep a boat for pleasure and racing too. But 

 opinions may differ as to how this can best be done 



Any one who considers the result of the season's racing in the 

 United (states and in Great Britain will be struck with the dif- 

 ference m the results as displayed in the development of type. 

 As to what it has been here 1 need not sav, y n have done so 

 more clearly than I could. Size every way is victorious, more 

 beam, more depth, more lead, more sail, more crew, more money 

 and monstrosities, good for smooth water racing and good for 

 nothing else. But in Groat Br. tain Yarana beats Pefcronflla. with 



and Lollypop, a 30ft. boat with 1,400ft. of sail, designed for a 

 cruiser and not for racing at all. The "lengthers," such as 

 Curtsy and Verena, are out of it altogether. All along the 



line sail aud size have been routed effectually". ' ' alon & 



Why sucii a difference ? At the first blush one would say that 

 the system of measurement must be radically differ™ r to produce 

 such different results. But it is not so. Both countries measure 

 by length and sail; and not long since, when the question of racing 

 Katnna against Yarana was up, the Field showed that the latter'! 

 time allowance from the former was almost identical by the rule 

 ot the K Y. Y. C. and the British Y. R. A. Where, then is the 

 difference? for difference there must be to produce such marked 

 difference in results. In his introducton to -'English and Ameri- 

 can Yachts," Mr. Burgess says: "It was not the measurement as 

 a basis for allowance which killed the beamy boat [in Great 

 Britain], but the unfortunate classification by this measurement 

 which compelled a, wide boat to compete with boats far longer 

 arid larger every way." Substitute length for beam, and you have 

 the reason of the difference between the result of the English 

 and American racing rules. It is classification, not measurement 

 that makes the difference. 



The British are the more logical in this matter. If length and 

 sail are the two factors of size to oe taken into account in meas- 

 urement, then surely classification should be by reference to 

 these two factors also, and that is what the British rule does 

 For a 20-rater you may have your boat as long as vou please and 

 as much sail as you please, but the combined product of length 

 and sail must not exceed such a number as when divided "bv 

 (5,000 will give 20, i. c, 120,000. A man is free to experiment in any 

 way he pleases, but with the class limit fixed bard and fast with 



ally tell us something of type, a competition where nu dol must 

 win, not size. I do not, suppose anybody will have much doubt 

 that in good racing weather the long lean boat would beat the 

 sail earner easily, while apart from speed the former would be 

 all that was desirable and the latter all that, was not. All I he 

 difficulties of slight construction, tearing out the inside cf a boat 

 be i ore a race, etc., disappear at once. Because if you take the 

 length you must take a small area, aud the consequent necessity 

 for all these tricks is gone. 



Pardon this lengthy scrawl, but it does seem to me that logic 

 and experience alike point to the desirability of classifying by 

 both factors of measurement instead of bv one. Economy. 



EASTERN Y. C— The 19th annual meeting of the Eastern Y. C 

 was held on Feb. 2 in Boston, the following officers being elected- 

 Com., Henry S. Hovey, scbr. Forttina; Vice-Corn., Alanson Tuc- 

 ker, schr. CTytie; Rear-Com., F. Gordon Dexter, schr. Foam; Sec, 

 Edward Burgess; Treas., Patrick T. Jackson, Jr.; Mesas., Edward' 

 Burgess; Council at Large, Charles O. Foster and J. Malcolm 

 Forbes, the other members of the council being the Hag officers, 

 treasurer and chairman of the house and regatta committees- 



™ A STEAM YACHT IN OOLLISION.-The steam yacht Meteor, 

 v Af f mm ?man Aimn-iean Y. C, left Norfolk on Feb. 14 at 3 

 P. M. for old Point Comfort, m charge of C»pt. O. Ludlow Be- 

 side her owner and his family she had on board the Rev. Canon 

 Lnox Little and son. of Worcester, Eng., (Jen. V. D. Groner and 

 several ladies. When betwee . Sewell's Point and the Rip Raps 

 the yacht collided with the sidewhoider Wvanoko, of the Old 

 Dominion Steamship Co., bound from Norfolk'to New York The 

 bow of the Meteor was very badly damaged, while the starboard 

 wheel of the steamer also suffered considerably. Roth vessels 

 proceeded to Norfolk where the Meteor was docked. B»v damage 

 is stated at $2,500. She was lately altered considerably in hull 

 and rig under tue direction of Mr. A. Gary Smith. It is not known 

 yet where the blame lies. 



ICE YACHTING.— The present season has proved a most disap- 

 lointmg one to the ice yachtsmen, there being very little good 



» wiuwBc uauiuug, ii. i., over u am. course, m a stron°" Ss W 

 wind. The starters were Ranger, Van Voorbees and North. Star.' 

 Ranger, a lateen-rigged _ boat, won in 5m. On Feb. 1« the first 



calculating allowance. The size of the class is fixed only in one 

 direction, in aU others it is free to grow as it pleases. So every 

 man takes all the length the class allows, and enters into a com- 

 petition, the result of which no one can foretell, to pile up beam 

 and draft and lead and sail. The work of outbuilding is going on 

 as briskly as ever it did under the old Y. R. A. rule in England 

 A heavier tax on sail may do tomethtng. It is hard to sav what 

 its effects on type would be. As like as not, as the English de- 

 signers pointed out in discussing, in their evidence before the 

 committee of the Y. R. A., the probable effect of the continuance 

 of the severe restriction on sail in the B and C classes, it would 

 result in cutting down displacement to an undesirable extent. 

 But time allowance is always unsatisfactory. The object of 

 establisning classes at all is to do away with the nec essity of it as 

 far as possible. And there can be no doubt that if the class limit 

 were fixed by both factors of size, designers would bring their 

 boats exactly up to the limit, and the races would be practically 

 without allow nee. 



Consider the effect on the 40-footers of classifying them by both 

 length and sail area. As it is. the only way one can hope to beat- 

 Baboon, let us say, is by a bigger boat; that is what Mr. Morgan 

 and others hope to do. But suppose the change is made. Tlien 

 how does the problem stand? Suppose, for illustration, we con- 

 sider the English 20 rating which corresponds most nearly with 

 the 40-footers. Baboo* bas, I suppose, about 3,000ft. of sail, there- 

 fore ^ffi^=30' N o w try her with Yreda or Bayadere. Then 



we have ^2^6°=20. Then we have a competition that will actu- 



lington, Vt., was the last boat in. so sue was snipped home. A 

 race tor the second class pennant was also sailed, being won by 

 by the Kitty. a J 



ATLANTIC Y. C— At the annual meeting of the Atlantic Y. C. 

 the following officers were elected: Com.. Jefferson Hogan, yacht 



oduw, vi. x. umuiimuaiii; trustees, VVlliiam r\.et, J. R. Max- 

 well, b. Lomes, Jacob T. Van Wvck, P. H. J e annul and F C 

 Swan; . Regatta Com., Charles T. Pierce, L. M. Sheldon. Jr., and 

 H. B. HjwcU. 



CORINTHIAN Y. C. OF CHICAGO. -Five new boats are now 

 building tor members of this young and active club, which will 

 begin its series of fortnightly races in June. The club has offered 

 a gold watch as a prize for a series of races on the. Indian River. 

 h la., wheie some of its memhers spend the winter. The new club 

 house at Chicago is now completed. 



THE 53FT CLASS.-The latest addition to this class in the 

 New York Y. C. is the beautiful ceuternoard sloop Eleanor 

 owned by Police Inspector "Alex" WUliams, who was pJec-ted at 

 the last meeting. The new yacht is one of the finest in her class, 

 and is likely to have a pull on all the cups, as her owner is not 

 only an old sailor, but a practical mechanic and shipbuilder. 



RHODE ISLAND Y. C— The second annual dinner of the Provi- 

 dence Y. C. was given on Feb. 14, nearly 200 persons being pres- 

 ent. The club has interested itself actively in favor of a naval 

 reserve, and the subject was discussed at length during the even- 

 ing. Letters were read from Sec. Whitney, Gen. Paine and Com. 

 tooley, of the Dorchester Y. C. 



RACING ON LAKE ERIE.— A match for $1,000 per side is now 

 being talked ot between the White Wings, of Hamilton the Ciry 

 of the Straits, of Detroit, and ths Minnie M., of Chicago The 

 Cleveland Y. C , is moving iu thi matter wi ll its -x;.,- ^st.-med 

 spirit, and every inducement will bo offered to the three boats. 



CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA.— It is reported that Mr. J. 

 V. ispreckles, owner ot the schooner Lurline, wilt off r a S10JWI 

 challenge cup for an international race between the yachts of the 

 Pacific coast, and Australia. Such a generous gift would give the 

 much needed stimulus to Pacific yachting. 



SEAWANHAKA COR. Y. C.-The next lecture of the Seawan- 

 rT ak Q xt Y - °V. % y ill ^ b8 delivered by Lieut. Sidney R. Stauntou, 

 U. S. N„ on Feb. 23, at 8:30 P.M., sharp. The subject will be: 

 Aids to Navigation— Lights and Lighthouses, Buovs, Fog Ste- 

 nals-their Value and Reliability." ' » 



'Jfl&W^f ^ F OWNERS HIR-FIossie, schooner, has been 

 sold to Mr. J. Vv . Hill. She will have a new double head rig and 

 cabin fittings. Wanda, cat, lias been sold to R. E. Robbing by W 

 D. Sheldon. Nonpareil, cat, has been sold to Win. O. Taylor by 

 Edward Lanmng. 



IROQUOIS.— The steel schooner Ircquois, formerly the Julia 

 designed by Mr. A.. Cary Smith, and built by Mr. C. W. Chapin in 

 1885, has been sold by Mr. T. J. Coolidse to a member ot the Sea- 

 wanhaka C. Y. C. 



AN AMERICAN DESIGN FOR DUTCH WATERS. —Mr. A. 

 Cary Smith is now at work on a desigu for racing centorlioarder 

 for Holland, to sail on the shoal waters of the M'euse. She will 

 be 40ft. l.w.l., 15ft. 9in. beam., 4ft. draft. 



NEW YORK YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION.-The next 

 meeting of the New York Y. R, A. will be held, at the Gilsey 

 House, New York, on March 8. 



NORMA, steam yacht, Mr. E. C. Rand, was disabled south of 

 Cape Heulopen by the breaking of a coupling. 



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