Dec. 3, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
473 
did not wish to purchase quail for foxes to kill j but if a 
bounty could be put upon them so as to give the birds a 
chance, they would contribute. The bird hunters wish 
their brothers who love the baying of the hounds good 
luck, but think they are not killing the foxes off fast 
enough. Reports from every direction indicate that foxes 
are multiplying very rapidly, and are not only thinning 
out the birds, but are causing great annoyance to the 
farmers. One sportsman told me this week that, in his 
opinion, they are destroying more birds than are shot by 
the hunters. _ _ 
The gunners on our south shore have been getting ex- 
cellent bags of sea fowl the past two weeks. Some of 
our North Attleboro friends have lately secured a good 
number of partridges, but theirs is an exception to the 
general experience of the men who have been in the 
brush this fall. C. 
Mr. Stone is not a Skeptic. 
Cape Vincent, N. Y., Nov. 21.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Looking over some old files of Forest and 
Stream, the other day, I came across an article in the 
issue of May 9, 1903, headed "Salmon Culture m Amer- 
ica," and signed C. H. Barkdull, in which Mr. Barkdull 
classes me with the "unfortunate skeptics" who do not 
believe in salmon culture. I think Mr. Barkdull must 
have had me mixed up in his mind with someone else, 
for I do not know of anyone who has worked harder than 
1 have to increase the salmon of this country, or who did 
more for the cause during the quarter of a century be- 
tween the vears 1872 and 1897. 
It is a small matter, I know, and only a personal one, 
but I must say that I do not like to be called an unfor- 
tunate skeptic who disbelieves in salmon culture, when I 
spent nearly the • whole of this quarter of a century try- 
ing to' prove that I did believe in it by diligently hatching 
and distributing salmon during that period, to say noth- 
ing of the fact that I inaugurated salmon culture in this 
part of the world by building and operating in 1868, at 
my own expense, the first salmon hatching station in 
America. 
I agree with Mr. Barkdull about the pretty girls and 
the gold mines and the big trees of the Pacific Coast; 
but I think he must give me credit for not being much 
of a skeptic on the subject of salmon culture. 
A. Livingston Stone- 
All communications for Foeest and Stream must be 
directed to Forest and Stream Pub. Co., New York, to 
receive attention. We have no other office. 
KS 
British Letter. 
G. L. "Watsor. 
By the untimely death of Mr. G. L. Watson, which 
took place at his residence in Glasgow on Nov. 12. after 
a short illness, Great Britain has lost her greatest yacht 
architect. His loss is indeed irreparable, and will be 
felt not only in this country, but all over the world. 
Mr. Watson first came into prominent notice a quarter 
of a century ago, when, after having experienced some 
success in the 5-ton class, he produced the 10-ton 
cutter Madge, destined three years later to be the 
pioneer in American waters of a type of boat which was 
to cause a complete revolution in yacht designing in 
the States and to kill forever the dangerous crabshell 
stamp of boat which had been in vogue there for many 
years. Madge's performances produced as startling an 
effect in America in 1882 as the famous schooner 
America had done in Great Britain thirty-one years be- 
fore, and the result of her racing, crowned as it was by 
the subsequent brilliant performances of the Fife boats 
Clara and Minerva and the Herreshoff cutter Gloriana, 
was that the ultra deep and narrow British model and 
the flat-sectioned, shallow-bodied type, so common in 
America, became gradually merged into the boat of 
moderate proportions to : the distinct benefit of both 
countries. In 1880 Mr. Watson turned out in Van- 
duara, 98 tons, the first of a long list of big racing cutters 
and yawls, nearly every one of which has been a suc- 
cessful prize winner. Vanduara was built of steel, was 
easily head of her class, besides being by far the best 
looking boat in the fleet, and is racing to this day in 
the handicap class under the name of Nicandra. 
Mr. Watson has never succeeded in producing an 
America Cup winner; but in 1883 he designed for Mr. 
James Coats, owner of the 10-tonner Madge, the 72-ton 
cutter Marjorie, the most beautiful specimen of a 
straight-stemmed cutter ever seen, and one of those ex- 
traordinary samples of perfection of type which Watson 
alone knew how to create, and which never seem to 
grow old. There was some talk of Marjorie going 
across the Atlantic in 1884 to try for the America's Cup. 
Had she done so, there can be little doubt but that 
she would have brought it back. The idea fell through, 
however, and a golden opportunity was lost. 
Of all the British designers who have. been employed 
in the attempts to recapture the cup, none have gone so 
near success as Watson. His first attempt in 1887 was 
a failure, and there can be no doubt that Thistle was 
outclassed by Volunteer. Valkyrie II. was the second 
boat from his board which crossed the Atlantic to try 
and regain the coveted trophy. She was one of four 
new big cutters built in 1893, the others being Britannia, 
also a design of Watson; Calluna, W. Fife's first big 
racing cutter, which turned out a failure, and Soper's 
Satanita. 
Valkyrie II. before her trip across the Atlantic was 
raced consistently with these boats, and was far and 
away the best of the bunch. She beat Britannia twice 
out of every three races, and had she been left, in her 
original trim, there is no reason to suppose that she 
would not have disposed of Vigilant. Unfortunately, 
with the supineness which has characterized the man- 
agement of most of the later cup challengers, she 
was tinkered up on the very eve of her departure by 
having some lead removed from her keel, and her sail 
area increased. These alterations were an absolute ex- 
periment, for the boat was no longer floating at her 
designed line and there was no possible chance of a 
trial with a known opponent before starting on her 
voyage across the Atlantic. The experiment resulted 
in disaster, as indeed it deserved to do, and another 
glorious chance of winning the cup was gone. 
It was not until Valkyrie II. was back in British 
waters the following season that the full extent of the 
damage done to her speed was made manifest. It was 
at once apparent that she was no match for Britannia, 
whose master she had been the year before, and it is 
probable that she was 15m. or 20m. slower over a 40- 
mile course than when she first came out. Unfort- 
unately, before she could be put back to her original 
trim she was run into and sunk by Satanita at the 
regatta of the Mudhook Y. C. Britannia proved her- 
self a better boat than Vigilant, and it may be taken for 
granted that the America's Cup was never in greater 
danger of capture than it was in 1893. 
Watson designed two more cup challengers, Val- 
kyrie III. and Shamrock II. The former was not a 
boat of great promise, but the latter, under better man- 
agement, might have been successful. She was the first 
cup challenger thajt ever sailed home ahead pf her 
rival in a race devoid of accidents. She lost the race 
on time allowance, but it was really thrown away by 
bad judgement on the part of her skipper. Had she 
been as well managed and sailed as Columbia, she would 
in all probability have beaten her. It is only fair, how- 
ever, to remember that Columbia was in her third 
season. 
Watson has designed racing yachts of all sizes from 
the very smallest to the largest, and they have been 
distinguished alike for their speed and great beauty. 
There was a refinement of finish about the racers which 
no other designer, British or foreign, has been able 
to equal, and his wonderful talent for symmetry has 
also left its mark in his cruising yachts and steamers. 
Of late years he had given less attention to sailing 
yachts and was chiefly engaged upon steam yachts. He 
was engaged upon the design of a steam yacht of 2,000 
tons for Mr. Kenneth M. Clark, owner of the cutter 
Kariad, at the time of his death, and he was responsible 
for the lines of a dozen of these palatial vessels ex- 
ceeding 1,000 tons, many of which found their way to 
America and are too well known to require description. 
Mr. Watson had been out of health for some time, but 
only became seriously ill a few days before his death. 
The funeral, which took place at Glasgow, on Nov. 16, 
was by his own request quite a private affair, but the 
German Emperor sent a magnificent wreath and was 
personally represented. 
The news that Mrs. Turner Farley has given Herres- 
hoff an order for a 52-footer has been received in 
England with general, satisfaction. It is ten years since 
Niagara came over here and sailed with such marked 
success, and it will be interesting to see whether the 
Bristol designer can do better with our rating rule than 
our own designers. Our 52-footers have not been im- 
proved upon to any great extend since the present rule 
came into use; in fact, it is an open question whether 
Fife's Magdalen, which came out in 1900 — the first year 
of the new rule— is not a better boat than anything we 
now have, except perhaps, in very light winds. At any 
rate she could stand up to her canvas, and the newer 
boats seem unable to do so. The tax on girth has 
had the undesirable effect of cutting down draft of 
water too much for stability, and the class is now un- 
mistakably tender. If Herreshoff can see a way out of 
the difficulty he will earn the gratitude of British yacht 
owners, if not of the designers. E. H. Kelly. 
Usona H. 
This photograph shows the Lozier launch Usona II. 
on her arrival at Trouville, France, after the "Paris-to- 
usona XT. 
Sea" contest last August. She was entered in the cruiser 
class,_ and finished first out of sixteen competitors by a 
margin of over two hours. 
S. & M. Motor Boats for Me. Frank Croker's 
Launch. — The Smith & Mabley Company have re- 
ceived at their boat shop, the 45ft.. speed launch de- 
signed a year or so ago by Mr. C. F. Herreshoff. Tr., 
of this city, and built by the Chase Pulley Co., of Provi- 
dence. R. I., for Mr. Frank Croker. "This boat was 
Id have been furnished two high-power Rochet- 
Schneider automobile motors, by the late Alex. Fischer. 
It has not yet been decided whether installation will be 
a. 73 or 15° h; P- Smith & Mabley Sixplex. If the larger- 
motor |s chosen, the boat will surely be heard from in, 
JpoSf . ' ........ f - -- 
Propellers* 
BY A. E. POTTER. 
There is more than one auto boat designer just at 
present "up against it" in propellers. His boat shows 
up-to-date construction, he has seen the engine tested, 
and is reasonably sure of its power ; but the speed of the 
boat is not up to his expectations. He is well satisfied 
that his propeller is at fault, but in what essential respect 
he does not know. He consults all the written authorities 
he can find, and his mind is soon addled with blade sur- 
face, pitch, slip, frictional resistance, etc. 
The party from whom he purchased the wheel showed 
him recommendations galore, and told him his wheel 
would fill the requirements. He buys and tries his luck, 
fails; buys another, fails; gets desperate, and soon he has 
a collection that appals him, and a bill for wheels that 
frightens him. 
In selecting a propeller for a high speed auto boat, one 
should go at it intelligently. He cannot expect to get 
the right wheel the first time, but the second time he 
ought surely to make an improvement, until finally he 
begins to realize his hopes. 
Now, for instance, his first wheel comes from the man- 
ufacturer ordered a certain diameter and pitch, either 
two, three, or four-bladed. It is well understood, I think, 
that an absolutely true pitch wheel offers the least resist- 
ance on high speed. A true pitch wheel would have the 
same pitch at each and every diameter. At 20 inches 
diameter it may be, and usually is, more or less pitch 
than measured at 16 inches. Each blade should have the 
same pitch. Obviously it is true that it is possible to 
get two blades true to each other; something next to im- 
possible to find three or four blades all alike. If he will 
make a careful record of his measurements, note his en- 
gine speed, and carefully time his boat at full speed be- 
tween two fixed channel or other marks, with and against 
the tide, this data will be invaluable in the selection of 
his next wheel. If his engine does not turn up to what 
the builders suggested, the wheel, if true pitch and blades 
are all alike, has probably too much pitch, which should 
be reduced. If the boat goes faster or nearly as fast at 
slower engine speed, especially in lumpy water, the wheel 
has insufficient blade surface. Very rarely does a pro- 
peller fiave_ too much blade surface, but many times has 
excessive pitch. Too much blade surface will make com- 
paratively little difference so long as the blades are true 
themselves and true with each other. The only drag they 
. will make is the additional frictional resistance through 
the water. 
I should _ strongly advise auto boat owners and de- 
signers against trying any but guaranteed and tested true 
pitch wheels, except they are put on and tried out by the 
manufacturers themselves, and sold subject to approval. 
One should remember that an engine rated at 1,200 revo- 
lutions per minute is not developing so much power at 
800 and still less at 600. If the wheel slows the engine 
down beyond its rated revolutions per minute, it is not 
correct. 
In cruising boats and launches the propeller question is 
not quite so important, although there is hardly a case 
where the performance of the boat and engine cannot be 
improved by an intelligent study of the wheel. The field 
is probably not so fruitful, but I have seen cases where 
15 to 20 per cent, improvement in speed has been made 
by substituting a wheel more suitable for the work. I 
understand that at least one manufacturer is contemplat- 
ing putting an interchangeable wheel on the market which 
will be true pitch and can be exchanged for one of the 
same diameter with more or less pitch at small addi- 
tional cost The motor boat has surely set the pro- 
peller designer and manufacturer to thinking. 
Work at Morris Heights.— The New York Yacht, 
Launch and Engine Co., of Morris Heights, are equipping 
the launch Canvas Back for the Spesutia Island Rod and. 
Gun Club, of Havre de Grace, Md., with two 12-15 horse- 
power Twentieth Century gasolene engines. They are 
also building a 90ft. cruiser to be equipped with a 6-cylin- 
der 100 horsepower Twentieth Century engine for Mr. 
J. E. Fletcher, of Providence, R. I., to take the place of 
his 55ft. Coronet II., recently sold to Mr. R. L. Hull, of 
Philadelohia. 
X * * 
Our English cousins describe our two-cycle and four- 
cycle types of gasolene explosive engines as the "two- 
stroke" and "four-stroke." Undoubtedly the long appella- 
tion of the "one in two strokes cycle" and "one in four 
strokes cycle" would be much more easily understood 
but these names are too long. Why would not "two.-^troke 
cycle" and "four-strpke cycle" be less confusing and 
more explanatory? •>"" .. :. 
