134 
FORES 1 .AND STREAM. 
tpEB. 12, 1898. 
the weight of scantling bears to the total weight of hull; 
K so, what is that ratio? 
Tenth. — Is it not impossible to fix in a scientific man- 
ner the sizes of scantlings, unless beam, depth, location 
and amount of ballast, position of sail, area of sail, free- 
board, length of hull on waterline and length of hull 
dver all, are all mentioned? 
Eleventh. — Is not ability to carry sail a desirable char- 
acteristic? 
Twelfth. — Are not these things true? 
(a) Sail area is the only factor producing speed. 
{b) Resistances are decreased by increasing the ratio 
of length to breadth, by increasing displacement, hy de- 
creasing wetted surface. 
(c) Abilitjr to carry sail is increased by separating the 
center of buoyancy as far as possible from the center of 
gravity. 
Thirteenth.— If length on waterline is to be a factor, 
why should this length not be measured when the yacht 
is inclined to her usual sailing angle? 
Fourteenth. — What fault can be found with a classifica- 
tion by sail area alone, each class to be restricted to a 
certain inclined water line length and displacement, the 
ballast to in no case exceed 45 per cent, of the displace- 
ment? 
The above is written to produce discussion, and clearly 
outlines the writer's position. It is to be hoped that 
some of those who make the racing or measurement rules 
will answer the questions, so that some reasons may be 
had, standing as reasons only, that progress may be 
made. The writer's own experience has been that almost 
any one will talk about measurement rules; a few are 
willing to make them, but very few have the courage of 
their convictions and are willing to write about them, 
so that discussion mav result and good may come of it. 
c. 
Through, the Sound in an Oyster Sloop. 
(Coniinued from page 116). 
"We came from Napeague Bay to-day. I'm from 
New Haven. This young man belongs to Greenwich. 
Our sloop is anchored right off there." I pointed to 
where Susie lay. 
''Well, I'm down here on a sort of a cruise myself. 
I'm with a party o' young men who don't know the 
first thing about sailin' a boat. We're from Hartford. 
I came with 'em on purpose to sail the boat. Here she 
is now, jest ahead o' Bernie's boat. Come aboard. 
Mebbe I can find a spare jig. If I can, ye can have it, 
and welcome. Ye see, we've been away three weeks 
now, and we're goin' to start home to-morrow, so we 
can spare a jig, I guess." He set the lantern on the 
edge of the wharf and slid down a pile to the deck of a 
small sloop. We handed down the lantern and followed. 
"This boat belongs in Madison, and the boys hired 
her for the trip. They're a nice lot o' young fellers; 
there's five on 'em, and as I said afore, they don't know 
nothin' at all about a boat. It's quite a strain on a man 
to have to look out fer the tiller, the sails and a party 
o' five all to wunst. They try to help, but don't know 
how. One day we run into more wind 'n was good 
fer us, Well, we slacked down everything, and while 
I was reefin' the mainsail I told a couple on 'em to reef 
the jib. When everything was ready I ordered 'em to 
h'ist away, and what do ye think? Them fellers had 
tied all the reef-p'ints o' the jib slap-tight around the 
bowsprit. Say! now mebbe I didn't hev a devil of a 
time gittin' them reef-p'ints undone. They'd tied 'em 
in the worst snag o' granny knots I ever see." 
All the while our new acquaintance was talking he 
was busily engaged overhauling fishing tackle; pres- 
ently he said: "Well, here they be at last. So long's 
we're goin' home to-morrow, I guess we can spare a 
couple on 'em. How much do I want fer 'em, did ye 
ask? Why, bless yer souls, I don't intend to ask eny- 
thing fer 'em. The boys are through with 'em, and I'm 
sure they wouldn't take a penny from ye. Well, if yer 
bound to pay, give me what ye've a mind to, Lord! 
don't ask me what they cost. Fifty cents apiece? No, 
sir. If yer bound to leave something', give me fifty cents 
fer the two, and take 'em along. The boys are all 
ashore, and I'm sure they wouldn't take a cent if they 
were here. Have a glass o' wine? It's good stuff, I 
tell ye. The boys wouldn't have enything aboard that 
wasn't good." I drank a glass with him, and found he 
hadn't misrepresented it in the ]ea.st; it was fine old 
port, 
Stanley is a teetotaler, so he refused the wme with 
thanks. "If it'll be no trouble to you, I'll take a drink 
of water instead," said he. 
The old man stopped pouring his second glass, and 
gazed at Stanley in amazement. "Water! Avater!" he 
gasped. "Young feller, I'd like to accommodate ye, 
indeed I would. Ye could have it and welcome, but 
f don't believe there's eny of the stuff aboard. 'Pears 
to me like we did put some aboard one day, but, bless 
ver soul, I don't know what took it. We used it fer 
tea and coffee fer a spell, then the boys claimed it 
sp'iled the flavor o' the other stuff, and— yes, now I re- 
member — ^they chucked it overboard. Ye see, water 
stands a poor show aboard o' this craft when there's 
near ten gallons o' the other stuff aboard. When we 
feel like washin' ourselves we goes in swimmin'." 
We thanked the old fellow again, and took our de- 
parture. The last I 'heard him say, after we reached the 
top of the wharf, was: "Glad I could accommodate ye. 
I was with a party last summer, and they didn't have 
eny jigs. We offered as high as $5 fer one, but none 
r.' the blamed islanders would sell us one, even at that 
price. Don't forget to stretch eel skins over the shanks 
of the jigs. That's what makes the bluefish bite." 
Silver streaks trailed astern of the skiff as we rowed 
to the sloop. I never saw so much phosphorus in the 
water as there was that night. Fish, swimming far 
bplow the surface, left ghostly trails, and the oar-blades 
stirred up countless glowing sparks. A log, rising and 
falling on the slight swell, resembled the ghastly out- 
lines of a floating corpse, while now and then a straight, 
pallid line showed the course of an anchored boat's 
cable, far down in the water. 
After getting aboard and giving an account of our- 
selves, all hands turned to and fished for eels, but we 
caught none. Finally a couple of the fish caught that 
day were skinned, and the skins were tightly sewed 
around the shanks of the jigs. The inside surface of 
the skins was left exposed. Sam thought bluefish would 
bite at this device as well as at an eel skin. This job 
finished, we sat on deck for awhile and watched some 
dazzling lightning flashing in the northwest. "I'm 
afraid the wind '11 be northeast to-morrow, and that '11 
mean no fishing for us," said Sam, as we went below to 
turn in, 
I was awakened near morning by a strange, mournful 
wail that broke on the air at regular intervals. I looked 
out of the companion way and could see nothing but 
our riding light. Not even the nearest yacht or smack 
was visible. The riding light seemed surrounded by a 
heavy veil and Susie seemed to be floating in an endless 
void of blackness. Once more came that mournful wail, 
and I crawled back into my bunk. A dense fog covered 
land and water, and the steam siren on the southeast 
end of the island was sending its ominous warning over 
the murky sea. 
Morning broke thick with fog. What little wind there 
was came out of the northeast. Boats a short distance 
away could be but dimly seen. The siren continued its 
mournful wail, and every indication pointed to a most 
disagreeable day. So thick was the fog that none of the 
fishermen had dared to venture out. We had a good 
breakfast, after which there was nothing for us to do but 
to loll about on deck or sleep. 
Sam and Stanley were below and T was sitting forward 
using the bitts for a writing desk while scribbling an 
outline of the cruise; Bub sat on the cabin roof, rod and 
reel in hand. He had been intently eyeing the point 
where his line entered the water for about an hour. 
When Bub's stock of questions would run short this 
was the way he would generally pass the time. That he 
surely expected something would happen some day i£ 
he only persisted in eyeing that particular point long 
enough was obvious to us all. At times his eyes would 
dilate, his fingers would twitch and his legs would con- 
tract ready to jump. We all hoped the expected climax 
would arrive during this trip — ^we little dreamed it was 
so near at hand. Suddenly there was the sound of a great 
commotion, and the heavy air was rent with whoops 
and yells. Fishermen aboard other boats afterward de- 
clared that from the sound of galloping and prancing 
up and down our deck they thought we must have a 
couple of cavalry horses aboard. "Whoopee! whoopee 
— who-o-o-p! Hi-yi-hi-yi! I've got him! I've got him," 
yelled Bub, spasmodically reeling in with all his strength, 
as he wildly pranced about. His line gyrated first this 
way, then that, and part of the line and the tip of his 
pole was under water, while again it would be above. 
"It's a whale — it's a whale! I'll bet a hun — " (he checked 
himself when he happened to think he had onljr a dollar 
in his pocket) "a dollar it's a Avhale!" 
Sam and Stanley rushed on deck, and I got there in 
time to see something that resembled a dish pan turn- 
nig somersaults loft. lunder water. With Sam's assist- 
ance the fish was soon flopping on deck. It wasn't ex- 
actly a whale, but it certainly was the largest fish we 
took on the trip. It proved to be a flounder, and weighed 
about 61bs, Soon after Bub took another one a little 
smaller than the first one. 
Near the middle of the morning Sam and Stanley took 
the skift" and started after crabs. Bub and I stayed 
aboard, and as the fog lifted so that the sun nearly shone 
soon after the steamer Montauk came in we tried a shot 
at her with the camera while she was unloading her pas- 
sengers; we also snapped the steamer Block Island. 
Then we took a shot at a swordfishing schooner that 
was anchored near us. We little expected the plates 
would develop good pictures, and were agreeably sur- 
prised to have them turn out as well as they did. Soon 
after noon Sam and Stanley returned. They had ovei 
a bushel of fine crabs, which they caught in a pond on 
the eastern side of the steamboat wharf. They said that 
the bottom was literally alive with crabs. 
It soon grew thick again, and the siren kept up its 
steady, mournful wail. We, however, didn't allow the 
fog to interfere with our appetites, and we had a fine din- 
ner of steamed crabs. While we were eating, our colored 
neighbor with the crippled accordion regaled us with 
a beastly serenade. I wished him and his accordion at 
the bottom of the pond, but Stanley strenuously stuck 
up for him and swore that he was manufacturing elegant 
music. I'm not much of a judge of music, but I can tell 
when it is being murdered. I decided that Stanley 
would probably drop off into sweet and dreamless slum- 
ber while listening to a midnight caterwauling concert 
on the back yard fence. I was filled with a fiendish glee 
when the musical descendant of Ham saluted the darkly 
tanned Stanley with "Ah, there!" Then he commenced 
to yawp "All coons look alike to me." Stanley glared, 
but said nothing. 
After dinner the fog was So thick that all idea of leav- 
ing our anchorage that day was abandoned. As the after- 
noon advanced it became very dark and looked as though 
it would surely rain. The rain held off, however, and 
about 2 o'clock Sam, Bub and I rowed ashore to view 
the island. We landed on the east side of the harbor, 
and walked across the narrow neck of land that separates 
Great Salt Pond from the bathing beach. So disagree- 
able was the weather that but few persons were in the 
water. We were surprised to find the surf so insignifi- 
cant when compared to that of Napeague Beach. We 
noticed that all the cozy nooks under sheltering sand 
banks held gay summer girls and their escorts. 
We stopped near the breakwater and examined some 
stanch double-enders. We were impressed by their 
grand seaworthy appearance. It is no wonder that these 
boats, with their great depth, good beam, sharp ends, 
simplicity of rig and water-tight decks, arfc_ worthy an- 
tagonists of any wind or sea. Their sea-going qualities 
have been fairly demonstrated for years, and their reputa- 
tion for safety has been more than earned. We spent half 
an hour here, then we continued our ramble in the direc- 
tion of Southeast Light. 
It is quite a walk from the breakwater to the light, 
and the road twists and turns in all directions over the 
treeless hills. On clear days many fine views of the 
ocean can be enjoyed, but the fog was then so thick we 
could see but a little ways. Now and then the fog would 
lift a little and disclose the sea dotted with the sails of 
pleasure craft. Block Island skippers appear able to 
drum, up excursion parties under any and all conditions 
of weather. 
As we approached nearer and nearer toward the light 
the siren wailed louder and louder. It seemed fairly to 
lift and split the heavy atmosphere, and must have been 
lieard many miles away over the fog-hidden sea. 
It was very late in the afternoon when we finally 
reached our destination, and. as we entertained doubts 
as to whether we would be allowed on the premises we 
decided to continue on a ways beyond the lighthouse be- 
fore approaching the cliffs. Of course we didn't wish to 
go unrewarded after our long walk, therefore when we 
had walked to what we considered a safe distance we 
crawled between the strands of a barb-wire fence and 
entered a lot on the edge of the cliffs. These cliffs were 
what we wished principally to see, and we knew that by 
working the matter in the way we did nobody could 
drive us away until we had obtained our view. 
We followed a faint path across the lot for a distance 
of 200yds. or so, then without warning Ave reached the 
edge of the cliffs. Never will I forget their appearance, 
nor the view from their summits that afternoon. 
When the heavens are cloudless and the sun shines 
brightly the view from where we stood must be grandly, 
gloriously beautiful. Now, howcA'er, the sight we looked 
upon was one of deep and hooeless gloom. Sea and sky 
Avere hidden by a dreary, restless curtain of dark gray 
mist. Far down beloAV us surges of inky blackness cease- 
lessly rolled from under the curtain's foot and beat 
themseh-es in fury on the black-rocked shore. Sharp 
dark gray pinnacles and jagged, saw-toothed edges 
pierced the gloomy curtain, showing Avhere the ragged 
cliffs were hidden by the mist. Tremendous holloAVS, 
scooped out by the elements here and there, had under- 
mined the edges of the cliffs and threatened to hurl them 
into the sea of destruction gnashing its fangs at their 
feet. Seared and wrinkled by ten thousand storms, these 
cliffs froAvn hopelessly on the heartless surges that are 
slowly but surely eating them away. In full keeping 
with the dreary scene the skeleton form of a wrecked 
tower reared its black outlines from near the foot of the 
cliff on which we were standing. 
NoAV and then the fog would lift and reveal ebony 
patches of sea. At such times a small sailboat could be 
seen rising and falling on the gloomy sui-ges. The fierce 
roar of the surf on the rocks seemed the pitiless laugh 
of a supernatural demon, gloating in devilish mockery 
over the helpless condition of condemned souls drift- 
ing to sure destruction in that frail craft. The mournful 
wail of the siren seemed the sob of an imprisoned god- 
dess, wdio, through pity for their helplessness, would 
Avarn the souls of the fate that awaited them, though 
sadly realizing her Avarning to be in vain. Were I an 
artist I would strive to paint that picture, and if success 
crowned my efforts I Avould name it "Despair," 
We spent OA^er half an hour on the edge of the cliffs, 
then as no one appeared to notice us Ave A'^entured into 
the inclosure where the lighthouse stood. We watched 
the machinery that worked the siren for a while, then re- 
traced our steps to the skiff, which we reached after 
dark. When we reached Susie's side we were surprised 
to see a large Government vessel anchored just astern. 
She had come in while we were away. 
A faint and almost indistinct crescent moon floated in 
the misty heavens when Ave turned out next morning. 
The siren was still sounding its mournful Avarning. In 
spite of all such unfavorable conditions, however, the 
clanking of windlasses, clatter of chain cables and rattle 
of halyard blocks told of many boats getting under way 
for the fishing grounds. Now and then the sails of one 
Avould loom through the fog, and she would sweep by 
us like a white-winged phantom. We ate breakfast, got 
our anchor, and started out with the intention of fishing 
on Southwest Ledge. 
While many boats had started ahead of Susie, yet in 
the light air that was blowing we overhauled them one 
by one, and when Ave passed the end of the breakwater 
we were leading the fleet. Once outside the pond Ave 
found the wind much lighter than Avhen Ave started, and 
dead ahead. The fog too was thicker, and as the other 
boats made the end of the breakwater they headed off 
on a northci-ly course instead of the direction of South- 
Avest Ledge. "The Aveather is so thick that they intend 
to keep in sight of land," said Sam. "They're going to 
fish off Sandy Point. Shall we keep them company?" 
We argued the question a while and decided to keep 
our course. "If it should clear any I'm in favor of vis- 
iting the ledge. If it still remains thick, though, we'd 
better keep going for the Race," advised Sam. We all 
agreed to this, and as matters hadn't improved in the 
least AA'hen we reached Dicken's Point our fishing trip 
to the ledge Avas regretfully abandoned. 
Now that we were fairly homeward bound the island 
was soon lost in the fog and we could see no land what- 
ever. Then the wind gradually petered out, and we lay 
listlessly rolling on the leaden swells. To make matters 
still more disagreeable and uncomfortable it commenced 
to drizzle, Sam had contracted a bad cold and there 
were ominous indications that Bub wculd soon be in the 
throes of malaria, so he and Sam went below and turned 
in. Stanlej*^ and I donned oilers and took up our watqli 
on deck. 
About eight bells a slight air commenced gently to 
bloAv from the west, and under its influence we were 
soon moving on our Avay again. The fog lifted some- 
what, but the heavens grew darker, and the mufBed 
sound of thunder could be heard in the direction of Mon- 
tauk Point. The sullen sound broke out again, and the 
SAvells grew heavier and heavier. I drew the conclusion 
that we were in for a nasty time. I am not the one to 
boast that I was thrilled with enjoyment at the prospect; 
there had been two occasions on the trip when it was 
nasty enough to suit me. Sunshine Avould have been 
a godsend about then. Much to our satisfaction the 
thunderstorm passed out to sea. 
About four bells Bub crawled out of the cabin on all 
fours. He crept over to the rail, where he held close 
communion with Neptune for three or four minutes; he 
then crawled meekly below again, forgetting to mention 
anything about "malaria" on his way. 
I thought I detected a deep feeling of sympathy in 
Stanley for Bub. He turned ghastly whenever Bub's 
