i40V, 21, 1^99. 'j 
FOHEST AND STREAM. 
William H. Webb. 
The la3t and one of the greatest of the old-time ship- 
wrights who made the United States famous in all the 
waters of the world died in New York on Oct. 30. We 
arc indebted to the New. York Times for the following: 
William H. Webb, in his day one of the best known 
steamship builders in the United States, and .up to the 
time of his death one of the foremost figures among the 
authorities on marine architecture, died suddenly yes- 
terday at his home, 415 Fifth avenue. He retired from 
shipbuilding years ago, but continued to interest himself 
in large financial enterprises. His father, Isaac Webb, 
had been a shipbuilder before the days of steam naviga- 
tion, and the son was a pioneer in the construction of 
steam vessels of large burthen for freight and passenger 
service. 
He was born in this city June 19, 1816: He Was edu- 
cated privately and in Columbia College Grammar 
School, learned the shipbuilding trade in his father's 
yard, and as early as 1840 had established a shipyard of 
his own on the East River, between Sixth and Seventh 
streets. From this yard a large number of steamships 
were turned out under contract and sent to all parts of 
the world. The United States, a vessel of 2,500 tons, was 
one of these, which made an international reputation. 
She was bought by the Russian Government and con- 
verted into a sloop of war just prior to the Schleswig- 
Holstein war. This steamer was launched at the Webb 
yard in 1843. In 1865 Mr. Webb built the Great Ad- 
miral under contract with the Russian Government. 
During the Rebellion no shipbuilder in the North was 
more active in assisting the Union cause. He gave the 
advantage of all of his experience to the Secretary of 
the Navy, and designed several of the first men-of-war 
built after Fort Sumter was fired upon. A number of the 
Webb ships were bought and used in maintaining the 
blockade of Southern ports. 
What was looked upon as the biggest achievement of 
the Webb yard, however, was the building and equip- 
ment of the ironclad ram^ Dunderberg for the French 
Government two or three years prior to the Franco-Prus- 
sian war. The experience of the Civil War here had 
entirely revolutionized the prevalent ideas of war ships, 
and old captains say that at the time she was set afloat 
the Dunderberg represented the very highest type of of- 
fensive and defensive naval architecture. 
The last big steamship built by Mr. Webb was for his 
old personal friend Charles H. Marshall, and bore the 
latter's name. She was launched in 1869. After that, hav- 
ing accumulated a large fortune and being already an old 
man, Mr. Webb retired from the business. Four or five 
years lated he erected the Hotel Bristol, at Forty-second 
street and Fifth avenue, partly on the site of his former 
private residence. 
After his retirement from the shipbuildmg busmess Mr. 
Webb became interested in a number of other commer- 
cia» ventures. He helped to organize a guano company, 
which was very successful, and was active in the Central 
American Transit Company, which ran a line of ships to 
Nicaragua. . , . . 
At the time of his death he was a director m the Atlan- 
- tic Mutual Insurance Company and was heavily inter- 
ested in real estate. He founded the new Ship Builders 
Home in Fordham and devoted a liberal share of his for- 
tune to endowing it. He hoped by this means to revive 
the industrv of shipbuilding in this country, and m the 
language of the charter "furnish gratuitous education m 
the art, science and profession of shipbuilding." 
The capacity of the home is 400, including the young 
men students and the aged, decrepit or invalid men who 
have devoted their lives to the profession. Mr. Webb 
was a member of the Union League, Republican Club, 
the National Academy of Design, the Metropolitan Mu^ 
seum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, 
American Geographical Society, the New England So- 
ciety and the Society of Nayal Architects and Marine 
Engineers. . , , » ,i tvj 
He leaves one son, William E. Webb. Another. Mar- 
shall Webb, died about a year ago. 
Long Island Sound Y. R. A. 
A GENERAL meeting of the Y. R. A. of Long Island 
Sound was held on Nov. 3 at the Manhattan Hotel, with 
Mr C T Pierce in the chair. The following report of 
the executive committee, adopted at a meeting on Oct. 27, 
was read : . .. ,^ , 
A year ago your executive committee recommended 
the adoption of the so-called "girth rule" of measure- 
ment for yachts of over 30ft. racing measurement, that 
rule having already been adopted by the \acht Racing 
Union of North America. In making this recommenda- 
tion the committee acted in harmony with what appeared 
to the members to be the prevailing sentiment .among 
yachtsmen, and the Association took action with the 
recommendation. Unfortunately for the successful appre- 
ciation of this girth rule in racing on Long Island Sound, 
two important clubs, one of them represented in this 
Association, refused to adopt it, and conducted their races 
under the local waterline and sail area rule. As a con- 
sequence, there was great confusion and embarrassment 
during the summer of 1899. _ 
The committee believes that it is of paramount im- 
portance that there be absolute uniformity m the methods 
of ascertaining racing measurements, and theretore while 
reserving opinion as to the merits of the girth rule of 
measurement, it recommends that this rule be rescinded 
and that the Association readopt the load waterline and 
sail area rule for all classes. , . -r v 
For the same reason, a desire to bring about tmiformity 
of measurement and classification, the committee recom- 
mends that vachts of over 30ft. i-acmg measurement be 
made with crews aboard; also that classifications above 
Sift be re-estabhshed on these lines: Schooners first 
class 9Sft. class, 85ft class, 75ft. class, 65ft. class; sloops, 
etc 7oft. class, 6oft. class. Sift- class 
The vawl rig is evidently growmg in favor A number 
of vawls have been built during the year, and others ha^^e 
been purchased and brottght into the fleets of clubs 
afBlated with this Association. During the last summer 
thtve were several very interesting races for the yawl class. 
In view thereof this committee recommends the creation 
of separate and distinct classes for ya^vls, namely, 43ft. 
class, 36ft. and 30ft. classes. 
The committee recommends making distinct enumera- 
tions of the separate classes of cabin and open yachts. 
This will be merely malcing a distinct statement of a 
condition already existing. 
The committee recommends that the 2Sft. load waterline 
class of the knockabout yachts be abolished, as the class 
does not appear to have gained the support that was ex- 
pected of it, and it is unadvisaWe to maintain.: classes which 
exist practically on paper only. •. . ^ i ■ 
The committee recommends that the racing' division 
provided for in Rule.3 of the.Eules qf 1899 be abolished, 
as the division has only a fictitious existence. 
The committee' r«jrd(iii(?tn4^^fijgt^ all regular races m 
regular classes time allowance be abolished. At present 
there is no timf allowance for new yachts. We have been 
gradually workitig toward the aboIWon of time allowance 
for several years, and the committee believes that nothing 
will be gained by waiting longer. As a matter of fact, 
shown by the records, the races won on time allowance are 
very few, as compared to the whole number of races 
The committee recommends that all starts be "one gun" 
starts, so-called, as such is already the practice in nearly 
all the clubs affiliated with the Association. • • ; ^ 
Finally, the committee recommends that those restric- 
tions govcrniner the construction of the 21ft. load waterline 
knockabout yachts be made uniform with those of the 
Knockabout Association of Massachusetts. This is de- 
sirable in that many more yachts of that class have been 
built under the Massachusetts restrictions, and in that 
many Long Island Sound yachtsmen apparently desire 
liberty to purchase Eastern-built yachts, without preju- 
dicing their chances of winning races in our waters. 
The following amendments were adopted: 
Rule 2, relating to the measurement of yachts of the 
36ft. class and all larger classes, was amended by striking 
out Clas.ses i, 3, 4, 6 and 8, and amending Clause 7 so as to 
rcJid * 
Yachts of all classes shall be rated for classification and 
time allowance bv racing measurement, which .shall be 
determined by.add'ing to the load waterline the square root 
of the sail area and dividing the sum by two. 
Clause 9 was amended so as to read: 
If a yacht, after having been officially nieasured, be 
increased in any dimensions that are a factor in determin- 
ing her racing measurement, the yacht must be re- 
measured before starting in a race. 
The other proposals of the executive committee were 
adopted. 
The Canada Cup. 
According to the Chicago papers a challenge for the 
Canada cup from the Royal Canadian Y. C, is a certainty 
for next year, Mr. Will Fife, Jr., being engaged to design 
the challenging yacht, while Mr. C. C. Hanley has been 
retained by the Chicago \^ C. to furnish a defender. 
This news is rather premature, as no steps toward for- 
mulating a challenge, much less building a yacht, have 
as yet been taken by the Canadians. While they are anx- 
ious to challenge, there is no one but Mr. Jarvis to take 
the lead in providing and working up a challenger, a_nd 
as the task is likely to demand undivided attention for 
several months, to the exclusion of all business, he is re- 
luctant to undertake it. Thus far nothing has been done 
toward retaining a designer, and the probabilities are that 
after his success with Beaver the choice would fall on 
Mr. Arthur E. Payne. Those who know Beaver best are 
fully satisfied with her provided .certain alterations are 
made. ^ , ■ -n • 
Apropos of the late races, the Canada cup is still m 
Toronto, owing to a dispute between the Chicago and 
the Rochester yacht clubs. After being formally pre- 
' sented to Com. Morgan, of the Chicago Y. C, on the 
evening after Genesee's third victory, the cup was in- 
trusted by him to the care of Com. Plummer, of the 
R C Y C. to have a suitable inscription engraved on it 
The Rochester Y. C. and the owners of Genesee wished 
this inscription to state that the cup was won by the 
yacht Genesee, of the Rochester Y. C, for the Chicago 
Y C while, as the report goes, the Chicago Y. C, wished 
to omit all mention of the Rochester Y. C. The Roches- 
ter men also desired that the cup might be exhibited m 
Rochester before being forwarded to Chicago. As a re- 
sult the cup is still in the possessiion of a Toronto jew- 
eler. • - - 
Capt. James CrandalL 
After spending a long life at sea Capt. James Cran- 
dall was drowned on Oct. 30 off Eastern Point, only a 
short distance from his home. Capt. Crandall was a Sev- 
enth Day Baptist, and after resting from his labors Sun- 
day started out as usual Monday morning m his small 
sloop to look after his lobster pots. 
While he was sailing near Black Ledge the three- 
masted schooner Wandrian, with coal, from New 'York 
for Nova Scotia, came into collision with the sloop and 
sank her almost instantly. Capt. Crandall could not 
swim and kept up for only a few seconds. . A boat was low- 
ered from the schooner, but no trace of the Captain was 
^^Tlie Wandrian put back into the harbor and reported 
the accident. The Wandrian' s captain says that he was 
on the wind, close hauled and headed for the Race. The 
sloop was seen sailing close by, and the Captain supposed 
the schooner would clear her, but suddenly the sloop 
appeared to swerve from her coitrse .apd the collision 
followed. , . , "/-. ■ 
Capt Crandall was barn at Magouk,, -Conn., seventy 
years ago, and was one of the best known .skippers on the 
Atlantic Coast. He had commanded some of the fastest 
sailing craft afloat. His first charge was the sloop yacht 
Gertrude. He then changed to the Widgeon, m which 
yacht he made two trips to Europe. He was sailing mas- 
ter on the schooner Magic previous to her defending the 
America Cup. FoV nearly eighteen years Capt. Cran- 
dall was on the.Eleetwing " ^ r • u 4 
Capt Craridall,''Capt. Thomas Beebe. of this city, and 
Capts Wood and Hazleton, df New York, were sailing 
masters of the Fleetwing in the race with the Henrietta 
and Vesta, from Sandy Hook to the Needles of Cowes, 
for a purse of $30,000. During the trip the Fleetwing eil- 
countered a gale: that swept Wood and. Hazleton and sev- 
eral of the crew 'overboard. The Heiirietta managed to 
escape, the. gale and won the race. • -i^.- . •.; -■a... '• 
• Capt. Crandall's latter days Were spent on fisW'hg ves- 
sel.s, and during the last fe\v Weeks he had confined , his 
fishing to local waters. Capt. Crandall leaves two.daugh- 
ters, who reside in the Pequot Colony, and a son, George, 
who is captain of the Thames ^Riyer ste'arnef Gypsy. — 
New York Herald. . ' " ■ ' : 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
Wanda," steani yab'ht, Stanley Tweedy, of New York, 
was docked on Oct. 24 in. Crane's sectional dock, Erie 
Basin) for painting, preparatory to laying up. In launch- 
ing the yacht next day, after painting, she fell and stove 
in her starboard side, breaking off her masts and smoke- 
stack and injuring her~de"ck "houses against the side of 
the dock. She was raised-jbj- the Chapman-Merritt der-* 
rick Reliance. The .danJ^^>'''is -estimated at $ro,ooo to 
$12,000. 
Eugenia II., steam yachtj'has been sold by J. G. Cas- 
satt to Mrs. A..,S. Van. Winkle, of Bristol, R. I. 
The annual meeting of the Inland Lakes Yachting As- 
sociation was held at the Hotel Pfister, Milwaukee, on 
Oct. 28. Lake Geneva was selected for the next annual 
regatta, to be held during the last two weeks in August. 
It was also decided to hold future annual meetings after 
the wind-up of tlie annual regatta. " A motion to allow 
each club to enter two boats in each class of regatta 
events was lost. 
The Old Mill Y. C. held its annual meeting at its home, 
No. 165 Clymer street, Brooklyn, on Nov. i, and elected 
the following officers: Com., G. A. Cooper; Vice-Com., 
Adam Bliethick; Rear-Com., Augustus Eberhardt; Sec'y, 
Henry Teare, Jr.; Rec. Sec'y, Joseph Buehler; Treas., H, 
W. Walker; Steward, George Rowbotham; Sergeant-at- 
Arms, William Myers, and Measurer, Andrew Porta- 
vecchia. The new Trustees chosen were D. S. Van Wick- 
len, Thomas Bird, Charles Terry, Otto Krisch and E. 
Boyle. 
The Knickerbocker Y. C- has just purchased of the 
Stovier estate, at College Point, L. I., the grounds which 
it has leased for several years. The property is about 
200 by 300ft. and cost $6,200, which sum will be raised 
by subscription, two members having already subscribed 
a large portion of it. This gives the club a permanent 
home in a location which experience has proved is a 
very desirable one. 
The anntial meeting of the Jamaica Bay Y. C. was held 
at the headquarters, corner of Broadway and Kent avenue, 
Brooklyn, on Oct. 28. The annual report stated that the 
club had acquired thirteen new members in the past year 
and had paid off $3,500 of the bonds. The following 
officers were elected: Com., H. F. Hewlett; Vice-Corn., 
Benjamin F. Daley; Rear-Com., Oscar, M. Lip- 
ton, all' re-elected; Fleet Capt., L. R. Jaeger; 
Treas., M. H. Christopher ; Chairman House Com- 
mittee, George A. McDermott; Chairman Regatta 
Committee, John C. Lefferts ; Chairman Member- 
ship Committee, C. V. Dykman; Chairman Entertain- 
ment Committee, Cornelius W. Hay; Board of Directors, 
John J. Jone.s, Theodore B. Englehardt, and John B. 
Sabin; Rec. Sec'y, Charles P. Daley; Fin. Sec'y, A, C. 
Christopher. 
The Lakeside Yacht and Boat Club, of Syracuse, 
opened its new club house at Lakeside on Oct. 30, 
The Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. held a metting on Oct. 
26 at the Windsor Hoetl, Montreal. The questions of a 
new measurement rule and of scantling restrictions were 
discussed at length, but both were left to the coming sail- 
ing committee. The agreement made with the White 
Bear Y. C. settles these points so far as the international 
races are concerned, but the club is desirous of amending 
the rule for the benefit of the local fleet. The following 
resolutions were adopted: 
Resolved, To make an arrangement with a company to 
build and repair yachts, rent storage shed from the club, 
and provide a steamer for towing yachts to races to be 
held at various points on Lake St. Louis and taking out 
members wishing to watch the races. 
The report from the committee on upper lake station 
read: 
Resolved, That for the present no definite action be 
taken until the arrangements re the steamer be further 
advanced; 
That new measurement rule be left to incoming sailing 
committee; 
That the action of the special committee on White Bear 
agreement be confirmed. 
Iroquois Rifle Club. 
Tttk iToqiloJg Rifle CKib -^commencefs itg fBtir^day tournament-^ 
its twelfth annual— on Nov. 7, in the indoor rifle range, 1717 Jane 
street, Pittsburg, Pa. 
The programme is arranged as follows: 
Tuesday, Nov. 7. — Members' Match. — Open to members only 
Commences at 3 P. M. Each contestant to fire 50 shot-s off-hand 
in in targets of 5 shots each, with .22cal. rifles, on the reduced 
standard American targets. The member having the highest total 
tcore to receive a golil medal; all other contestants will' receive 
consolation prizes, "awarded according to scores made. Contest 
to be governed bj^ the club's rules: for indoor rifle shooting. 
Wednesday evening. Nov. 8, 1899, commencing at 7 P. M.; Thtirs- 
day, Nov. 9. from 2 P. M, to 10:30 P. M.; Friday, Nov. 10, from 
2 P. to 10:3ft P.. M. 
All Gjmers' Matches. 
Continuous Prize Match.— Open to all. Entrance per target of 3 
shots each, 35 cents, or 3 targets for $1. Re-entries unlimited. The 
best three tareets of each shooter, made during the three days ■ 
shooting, will count for prizes, of which only one is obtainable 
ijy any one competitor. In case of ties the next best single target 
will count for place. To be shot on the reduced standard Ameri- 
can target, having a Hn. bull, with the 7-ring in the black; $120 in 
2B orizcs 
Bullseye Match.— Open to all. A bullseye target, consisting of a 
Sin cartoon will be u.^ed in this match. Entrance, $1. No re- 
entries. Each contestant is- entitled to "three shots, the best single 
shot by machine measurement ' count. Two prizes will be 
awarded in this matct: a fine silver plated .3Scai: Smith & Wesson 
