416 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Nov. 1, 1896. 
5. American Fire-Boats, by H. DeB. Parsons, Marine Kngineer. 
. 6. Oorn-Plth Cellulose, by H. W. Cramp, Vice-Pres. Wm. Cramp & 
Sons, Philadelpliia, Pa. 
FRIDAY, NOV. 13. 
7. The New Battle-Ships, by Chief Constructor Philip Hichborn, U. 
S. Navy. 
8. Speed Trials of a Screw-Propelled Ferryboat, by F. L, Da Bosque, 
Engineer Floating Equipment, Pennsylvania R. R. 
9. Hydraulic Sbpers for Lifting One Hundred and Twenty-five 
Tons, by Frank B. King, Marine Engineer and Naval Architect. 
10. A Method of Calculating the Stability of Ships, adnpted to the 
use of Standard Curves of Stability, by Hugo Hammar, Naval Archi- 
tect. 
11. Stability of a Ship in Damaged Condition, by James Swan, Mas- 
saohuFetts Institute of Technology. 
13. Damaged Conditions as Affecting the Stability and Fighting 
Efficiency of Battle-ships, by Assistant Naval Constructor T. F. Ruhm, 
U. S. Navy. 
13. Screw Propellers, by Prof. Geo. R. McDermott, Cornell Univer- 
sity, Ithaca, N. y. „ „ , 
Owing to delay in the completion and trials of the ship, Mr. Smith's 
paper upon the Grand Duchess was not read ; the others, however, 
were read in order, with the discussion filling completely the four ses- 
sions of the two days. As will be seen, they covered a wide range of 
subjects connected with both naval and commercial work. All pf 
them showed care in the preparation and were listened to with in- 
The papers evoked a fair amount of discussion, but it was by no 
means so general or so thorough as is desiroble in a case of this kind, 
in nearly all cases, as in preceding years, the preparation of the 
papers has been delayed until the last possible moment, so late, in 
fact, that they were only printed in time to be distributed on the 
morning of the meeting, and were not sent out in advance. Valuable 
as the meetings now are, they would be more so if it were possible to 
secure the papers from the writers In season to permit them to be 
printed and sent out to members at least a couple of weeks before the 
meeting, in order that those specially familiar or interested in any of 
the subjects treated might be able to make arrangements to be pres- 
ent and to prepare themselves thoroughly for the discussion. Unless 
this is done the discussions must be necessarily limited in extent; the 
nature of a paper is not known until it is read in the meeting, and 
there Is then no time for its careful consideration and the preparation 
of material for its discusMofl. A thorough discussion is hardly less 
valuable than the technical excellence of the papers themselves, and 
it is desirable in the extreme that the time of the meetings be devoted 
more to the discussion than the actual reading, to attain which end it 
is necessary that the papers should be read and studied by the mem- 
bers In advance of the meeting. There were indications at the present 
meeting of results that were clearly attributable to the discussions of 
previous years. <. 
Apart from its technical merits, the paper of Chief Constructor 
Hichborn was most important in that both ia the text and plates it 
treated fully and openly of the various features of the new battle-ships 
of the Alabama class. The information disclosed by it is probably no 
more than is already in the possession of foreign governments and 
other interested parties, and its open publication now can do no harm, 
and at the same lime is likely to prove of interest to many who would 
otherwise hive no access to it. At the same time, it is the almost uni- 
versal practice in connection with this same sort of information, both 
among governments and private firms, to maintain a pretense of 
secrecy, which is merely farcical so far as actual rivals are concerned; 
and merely keeps the information from the general public. The 
question of the free and voluntary publication of this class of infor- 
mation was discussed during the meeting, the general opinion being 
that no possible harm could result, and only good could come, from a 
reasonable and liberal policy. ^ ^ , . , . ^. 
The annual dinner of the society was held at Delmonico's in the 
evening of Nov. 13, the large dining hall being crowded. The chief 
guest of the evening was the Secretary of the Navy, who came from 
Washington for the occasion, returning the same nisht. A num- 
ber of speeches were made and the affair passed off very pleas- 
antly. 
That everything ran smoothly during the two meetings and the dm- 
ner as well was due to the labors of Secretary-Treasurer Bowles. Very 
fortunately, as it happened, the former secretary-treasurer. Naval 
Constructor Capps, now stationed at San Francisco, is in the East on 
a short visit, and was present during the entire meeting. In the en- 
forced absence of Mr. Bowles during the docking of the Texas on Fri- 
day Mr. Capos took charge of the affairs of the society with his old- 
time energy and enthusiasm. 
Seawanhaka Corinthian T. C. 
The regular fall meeting of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C. was 
held on Nov. 10, and was in an informal way a house-warming, the 
new house, at 19 East Twenty-second street, being thrown open to 
the members for the first time. For nearly ten years the town house 
hb.» been an important factor to the prosperity of the club, and last 
winter the need of one was 1 elt severely. The one so long occupied m 
Thirty-second street waa given up in May, 1895, on account of the 
refusal of the owner to make necessary repairs; and though several 
schemes for a new and better house were at once set on foot, it was 
found impossible to provide other than temporary quarters in the 
old Jockey Club building for last winter. These quarters failed to af- 
ford the necessary conveniences and were but little used by the mem- 
bers Within a month past it became possible to secure a fine old- 
fashioned city house that from its arrangement and the size of its 
halls and parlors is specially adapted for the uses of a club house; and 
by some rapid and energetic work on the part of the house commit- 
tee this house has been fitted up in time for the meeting. With a 
frontage of over .33ft., the house has two large parlors and In the 
rear of them a specially large dining room, the three being thrown 
Into one when desired for lectures and entertainments. On the sec- 
ond floor is a committee room and a billiard room, and abve are 
chambers that will be leased to m<fmber8. Next door to the house is 
an excellent restaurant, and arrangements have neen made to fur- 
nish meals to the club, a window having been cut between the kitchens 
of the two buildings. Breakfast and lunch will be served through the 
day and a table d'hote dinner at a very reasonable price w iU be 
ready every evening. In this way the club avoided the expense' risk 
and trouble attendant upon fitting up a restaurant service of its own, 
and much room is saved in the house; all the cooking being, of 
course, done next door. ... , j 
Arrangements have already been made to revive the navigation and 
rigeing classes that were so popular and successful in the old house, 
the former under the able instruction of Capt Howard Patterson. 
The terms for the course are specially low. Classes will be held both 
in the afternoon and evening if found more coavenlent to members. 
The entertainment committee will also arrange for a series of lectures 
during the winter. _ „ „.„ , 
In the absence of the flag officers ex-Com. G. H. B. Hill presided. 
Com Rouse being represented by a teiegram from the South, con- 
gratulating the club upon its new nome. The trustees announced the 
election of the following members: George J. Gould. Ernest Flagg, 
Edward Wetmore, James A. Stillman, John O. H, Pitney, Robert F. 
Ballantine, Cams C. Bragg. William Allen. Samuel T. Hubbard, Jr., 
George Ogden Gordon. William G. Boyle, Dr. Walter B. James, 
Stephen H Tyng, Jr.. William Crittenden Adams, Chfl!ord Richardson, 
Horatio W. Adams, Otto Ahlmann, Henry 0. Hopkins and Dr. Morton 
R Peck 
The race committee reported informally on the recent proposals 
and changes of racing rules in other clubs and the subject was dis- 
cussed but no action was taken. The club voted to confirm the chal- 
lenge issued in its name by Com. Rouse, the yachts to be of SOft. racing 
length with a Umit of 500sq. ft. of sail and 5ft. extreme draft of keel or 
fin The arrangements with the holders of the cup, the Royal St. Law- 
rence Y. C, have not been fully completed, but both parties are agreed 
to the above limits. Other regulations proposed are that the mainsau 
shall not exceed 80 per cent, of the measured sail area, the bead trian- 
gle shall be measured instead of the windward jib, the spinaker shall 
not exceed twice the area of the head triangle, and the spinaker boom 
shall not be lashed or guyed over the stemhead, nor shall the tack of 
any saU be set forward of the forward point of measurement. 
The subject of a bridge across Mill Creek, to shorten the land route 
from Oyster Bay to the Center Island Olub house, was discussed and 
referred to the trustees. 
87ft., 8Sft, and 27tt. It is also proposed to place a limit to the area of 
the midship section, which must be at least 35 per cent, of the product 
of beam and draft. The various proposals were put in definite form 
and will be submitted to the lake clubs for adoption. The meeting 
was in session from 7:30 P. M. to 4;1S A. M. 
The Liake ITacht Clubs. 
A VBRT important meeting was held in Buffalo on Nov. 7, there being 
TJresent Com. Brower, of Buffalo; G. T, Blies, of Brie, Pa , and E W. 
Radder, of Cleveland, representing the Interlake Yacht Racing Associ- 
ation- President ^milius Jarvis, of Toronto; J, E. Burroughs, of Roch- 
ester, and E. H. Ambrose, of Hamilton, Ont,, representing the Lake 
Yacht Racing Association of Lake Ontario, ^ . , ^ 
The meeting waa called for the purpose of forming a union of the 
many clubs on the fresh-water lakes; a matter chat has been very 
favorably discussed since the races between Canada and Vencedor 
last summer. Representatives were expected from Lake Michigan, 
but none were present. However, it is hoped and expected that the 
action taken will be ratified by all the lake clubs. The representatives 
decided that it would be advisable to retain, as nearly as possible, the 
classification now used on Lake Ontario, with a uniform code of rules 
in harmony with those of the Yacht Racing Union of Long Island 
Sound The proposed classes will be 50ft. or 48ft. R. L.. to include the 
largest ol the new Chicago boats, Vaneana, Siren and Vencedor, 43ft., 
Royal Sti Lawrence T. C. 
A VBRV large special general meeting of the Royal St, Lawrence Y. 
C. was held on Nov. 11, in the Windsor Hotel, Rear-Oom. Fitzjribbon 
occupying the chair, and Secretary W. A. C. Hamilton ready with his 
minutes. The objects of the meeting were to consider the advisability 
of holding a ball during the winter. There was very little discussion 
and it was unanimously resolved on motion of Mr. De Sola, seconded 
by Mr. Richardson, that a ball be given. The question of date caused 
some discussion, but it was eventually decided to name the second 
Monday in January in the Windsor Hall. The executive committee 
were empowered to add to their number as they thought proper. 
The next question had relation to the International Seawanhaka 
Cor. Y. C. Challenge Cup. Mr. Duggan, in explaining the question, 
pointed out that the Seawanhaka men had been very generous. They 
were willing to sail in any class above 15ft. and less than 25rt, It was 
therefore decided to work on the 20tt. class, with some slight differ- 
ences from previous rules, viz.: limited sail area, 500sq. ft.; draft, 
5£t, Measurement of waterline to be with crew on board, or 450lb8. to 
represent crew. 
Mr. Duggan thought it was high time that those members who in- 
tended to build should come forward immediately and place their 
orders. There would probably be fifty or sixty antagonists to pick 
from, and the Royal St. Lawrence would probably only have twelve 
or fifteen. The date that had been decided on was some time during 
the full moon of July. The rest of the matters were of minor detail, 
and Mr. Duggan thought they could be arranged without any diffi- 
culty whatever. 
The question next discussed was that of accommodation for the 
visitors from the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. This matter is still in embryo, 
but it was made apparent that there would be no lack of accommoda- 
tion. Mr. Duggan thought that a new club house was most desirable, 
but that an adjournment be made until the commodoire should return 
from Europe. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
Josephine, steam yacht, P. A. B. Widener, is at Harlan & HoUings 
worth's yard, Wilmington, where her bulwarks will be raised and 
other alterations made. 
The announcement is just made that J. Gardner Casaatt, of the 
New York Y. C, has ordered a steel steam yacht of large size from 
Mr. Watson, and the vessel is now building by Ramage & Ferguson. 
Leith, Scotland. Mr. Oassatt has for some time been a part owner of 
the steam yacht Anita with S. M. Prevost. 
Mr. John R. Purdon, the Boston designer, has now in hand the de- 
signs of two yachts of 24ft. I. w.l., one for racing and one for general 
work. The former is for A. H. Higginson, of Manchester, owner of 
Exit. She will be 32ft. over all, 8ft. 6in. extreme beam, 7ft. 6in. beam 
at l.w.l, and 7in. draft., with a centerboard of 4001bs. The construc- 
tion will be very light. The other yacht will be a keel boat of the new 
type, with reduced midship section, her dimensions being: Over all 
36tt. and draft 5ft. 6in. The sail plan will be of the knockabout type. 
The executive committee of the Massachusetts Y. R. A . has over- 
ruled the decision of the judges in the Dorchester race of June 20 in 
the Katydid-Elsa protest, which was appealed as allowed by Associa- 
tion rules. Elsa was defaulted by the judges for non-appearance at 
the hearing. It was shown to the committee that notice of the hear- 
ing was given too late for appearance, so the default was removed 
and the protest heard on its merits. The final decision was in Elsa's 
favor. This gives her the Association diploma for the yacht winning 
the highest percentage in any class, her average being 72 5 per cent., 
as against 68.2 for Gleaner, the next best bOBtt.— Boston Globe. [Elsa 
is owned by D. H. Crane, the "crew" of El Heh-ie, 
A. C. A. Membership. 
Applications for membership may be made to the purser of the 
division in which the applicant resides on blanks furnished by purser, 
the applicant becoming a member provided no objection be made 
within fourteen days after his name has been officially published in 
the Forest and Strkah. 
£ABTBRN DIVISION. 
Club, 
Name. Restdenct. 
Charles J. Halpen Haverhill, Mass ' 
Gardner B Williams Boston, Mass Boston Athletic Ass'n. 
RIFLE MATCHES IN THE TYROL. 
[Concluded from page 257.1 
The money in the pool waa divided among those shots 
only that hit the bull, and here again the nearness to the 
mathematical center rewarded the closest shots. Thus 
the fourth best shot (the three prize shots never shared in 
the pool) received generally about four times as much as the 
shot had cost, while the worst pool shot, just grazing the 
bull, received less than half what the shot had cost. Shots 
outside the bull did not receive anything. This division 
of the pool, of course, favored the crack shot, none of 
whose six shots would, we may be sure, be outside the 
charmed black circle; indeed they probably would be well 
within the "two" ring, or within a circumference of Z^m. 
He would thus receive his entrance money back three or 
fourfold, though possibly all the prizes, or one or two at 
least, had been won by some lucky young chaps who had 
fluked one of their six shots into the very center, while 
against the other Ave an ominous row of "0" was marked 
on the scoring sheet. The monetary value of his prize 
would in such cases hardly cover the cost of his six chief 
shots and the other outgoings, but the delight of winning 
that longed-for prize made him forget the sad hole in his 
slender purse. At the dance, which in the old days al- 
most invariably concluded the day's revelry, his prize 
would be proudly pinned to his best girl's hat or dress, and 
from thence on no rifle match in his own home or in any 
of the adjoining valleys would come off without his being 
among the competitors. From thenceforth his dearest 
ambition would be centered upon an exchange of his 
grandsire's antiquated arm for one of the new-fangled 
small-bore rifles shooting the conical bullet of which men- 
tion has already been made. In a word, the rifle-shooting 
fever had in its irresistible grip another victim, but before 
that youngster would be able to hold his own in the pool 
shooting, and could slap his breeches pocket covering the 
proof, in the shape of hard cash, that his skill with the 
rifle was above the average, many a week's hardly earned 
wages, or the returns of months of hard toil in the forest, 
would melt away in smoke. But withal, that man's sub- 
stance, earned in nine cases out of ten very literally in the 
sweat of his brow, was not wasted; for a more useful and 
patriotic form of national pastime it would be difficult to 
introduce. How many of the defeats suffered by our pio- 
neer armies, one might ask, would have been turned into 
victories were more attention paid to the marksmanship 
of the British forces? Certainly such disasters as occurred 
at Majuba Hill would not have stained the flag. 
So far I have spoken of the chief event, where the 
number of shots was limited. The second event, where 
this last restriction did not prevail, was the Schlecker, or 
unlimited target. There the shots cost a mere trifle, gen- 
erally a halfpenny each, which went to mine host, the 
giver of the shoot, who, in consideration of it, provided 
also the prizes for this event, generally five or six in num- 
ber, though slightly infemr in money value to tli.e chief 
prizes. They were also won by the shots nearest the 
center, and as the distance as well as the bull was exact- 
ly the same as in the chief event, one used to practice 
first at the unlimited before moving to the principal 
range. Very often there was an arrangement which per- 
mitted the good shots to indulge also in pool shooting at 
the unlimited target, in which case the shot cost 4d, or 
6d., which formed the pool. This, at the termination of 
the shoot, was divided, according to the total number of 
rings of the combined score. Thus, if six men competed, 
firing 100 shots at 6d. each, so that 50a. were in the pool, 
the total score or number of rings would be added to- 
gether. If there were say 150, each ring would get 4d. 
Or in other words, to hit at every shot the 5-i\in. circle of 
the bull was not enough to put money in one's pocket, 
This was called Wiirgen, or "choking off," not an inap- 
propriate term, for, of course, only good and sure shots 
would compete and the tyro was effectually choked off. 
The arrangements for marking at such village rifle 
matches were of a most dangerous simplicity for the un- 
fortunate marker. The two targets would be about 20 or 
30ft. apart; in the middle between them there was the 
marker's hut, duly provided with a stone wall facing 
toward the roofed-in rifle range from whence the shote 
were fired in as quick succession as the marking per- 
mitted. As signal for the marker there was either a wire 
with a bell at the end out to the marker's hut, or, what 
was far more frequent as well as dangerous, a cowbell 
stood in each "stand" from whence the men fired. This 
bell the marksman would vigorously toss after delivering 
hie shot, and the tone of the two bells being different, this 
was all that indicated at which target his services were 
required. To do so he walked perfectly unsheltered and in 
the open to the target, where, during his search for the 
bullet hole, he would stand right in front of it, so that his 
body covered for the time being the buUeeye. I have 
shot at very many of these matches, where not even such 
essential precaution as screening the target at which one 
was not shooting was taken. In consequence of this, and 
the fact that the difference in the tone was the only thing 
that guided the marker, fatal mistakes on the part of the 
marksman shooting at the wrong target, or equally disas- 
trous errors on the part of the marker going out to the 
wrong target at the moment a shot was being fired at it, 
were lamentably freq'ient Every year two tr tbree such 
TBB DEER TARQET, 
accidents occurred at one or the other of the hundreds of 
these Tyrolese rifle ranges. So numerous did they finally 
become that the Government took steps to obviate such 
careless sacrifice of life by prohibiting all unprotected 
marking at rifle ranges. The marker was com- 
pelled, generally very much against his wishes, to 
remain invisible in his hut and mark the shots 
from thence on the targets, which for this pur- 
pose were moved close up to each side of the shelter. 
This did away with many of the quaint old customs that 
heretofore had given color and life to the scene. 
'Thus, it was the custom that the marker, who was 
dressed in a clown-like dress, should out the funniest 
capers in front of the target when the "four" ring was 
hit. On perceiving where the shot had struck, he would 
creep back to his hut and fetch a huge pair of wooden 
spectacles, and after fastening them on his nose he would 
return to his target and institute a make-belief search for 
the shot, which he would finally mark in the usual way, 
and dance four times round the target. If the centrum 
itself was hit he would turn somersaults and cut the 
strangest capers till the lucky marksman could send him 
by the Kellnerin a flask of the country wine or a foaming 
beaker of beer. If, on the other hand, some shot hung 
fire, or from other cause the unfortunate man missed 
the target altogether, the frolicsome monkey tricks of 
the marker were equally amusing; his great spectacles 
would come out again, and he would look about the 
heavens as if trying to find whither the straying bullet 
had wandered. That such gambols and offerings of 
liquor, if often repeated, did not tend to make the 
marker or, for the matter of that, the marksman more 
careful, can be imagined. High time as it was that safer 
means of marking should be introduced, one's satisfaction 
was not unmingled with regret at the unavoidable disap- 
pearance of the many amusing incidents which had made 
these country rifle matches such pleasant meetings. 
Rifle shooting is to-day far more neglected in Tyrol 
than it used to be even ten or fifteen years ago. One 
cause of the waning interest I have just touched upon; 
the other waa the general introduction of breechloading 
rifles, against which the old-fashioned muzzleloaders, 
particularly at the increased distances which the Govern- 
ment attempted to force upon the people, could no longer 
compete. To purchase new breechloading rifles as well 
as the more expensive ammunition was beyond the frugal 
minded Tyrolese peasant's purse, and so it has gradually 
come to pass that the old village range is less and less 
used. The effort of the Government to revive this pastime 
by distributing army rifles and ammunition waa also less 
of a success than might be wished, for the coarse sights 
and heavy pull-off of the military arm, as well as the long 
ranges at which they had to be used, were all conditions 
to which these exceedingly conservative mountain people 
could not accustom themselves. 
In the towns where the wealthier burghers enjoy the 
