4iO 
PokESt AND STREAM 
tNw. i§, 1905. 
There will always be men who prefer class racing pure 
and simple to any other form, but there will' always be 
others— and plenty of them — who, either from necessity 
or choice, will stick to handicaps, and they must not 
be neglected. -Into their hands will come the ex-racers 
for which a m'arket must be found, or else class racing 
could not go on, for owners would be left with their 
outclassed boats on their hands. So long as there is 
yacht racing, so long there will be handicap classes. 
The remedy for the revival of class racing is not in the 
abolition of the handicap classes, but in a proper system 
of construction, whereby racing yachts may be turned 
out strong and substantial. The Y. R. A. can do a lot 
to foster class racing, but they will always have to look 
forward to. the encouragement of the handicap classes 
as an essentiaTpart of our sport. 
A New C.LA-sSr Rager. — Mr. R. Young, who last year 
raced the loo-ton cutter Merryrnaid, has given an order 
to Camper & Nicholson, of Gosport, for a first-class 
racing cutter of 80-rating. It is stated that the new 
boat will be built to Lloyds highest class, so that in one 
respect at any rate she will not be what is commonly 
called a thoroughbred, for classification at Lloyds re- 
quires stout scantlings, but is unfortunately ill-adapted 
for racing yachts with heavy lead keels, as most of the 
strength is in the wrong place. The probability is that 
Mr. Young’s new boat will be much after the style of 
White Heather, Valdora and the other more recent- 
boats in the handicap class, and an attempt will be 
made to form a class with these vessels, including also 
Bona and Navahoe, and race them under Y. R. A. rules 
and time allowances. This is the nearest approach that 
one can hope to get to a bona fide rater class until the 
question of an international rating and scantlings are 
fixed on. It will be rather a mixed lot, for Navahoe will 
be running her fourteenth season and Bona her tenth; 
yet these two boats will be the pick of the class unless 
the new Gosport craft turns out a flier. If owners are 
really so tired of handicap racing, such a class as 
mentioned above would be a distinct novelty and an 
interesting experiment, and it will be one step in the 
right direction — namely, that of getting back to the 
real racing. E. LI. Kelly. 
Designer of the Swampscott Dory. 
From the Boston. Globe. 
“Then if you are looking for the designer of the 
Swampscott dory, you are looking at him now,” said 
Capt. I'heophilus W. Brackett, who had just landed 
at Fishermen’s Beach with a catch. 
“It was in the 40s that I concluded that there could be 
an improvement made on the old flat-bottom, straight- 
side dory, and after a good deal of drawing I hit upon 
what I thought it ought to be, and then I carried my 
plans into James A. Knowlton’s shop and asked him if 
he could build me a dory after the plans. He said he 
could, and be went to work on it. The old fishermen 
dropped in while he was building it and made all sorts 
of fun of it; they all declared it wouldn’t be a boat 
when it got done, but after a while she was ready to 
launch and I rowed away from everything on the bay. 
That v/as the start of the Swampscott dory.” 
The evolution of this now famous little boat seems 
to have begun with the primitive forms in various 
quarters of the globe. Influences of climate and pecu- 
liarities of race have had much to do with deciding the 
type in use in each locality. But the starting point was 
evidentlv the single log of buoyant wood made pointed 
at both ends, and not hollowed out. These may be seen 
yet in places along the Australian coast. 
The catamaran, which is made by lashing three logs 
together, the two side logs being larger than the one 
in the center, were used in Ceylon and India for fishing 
and for landing goods. These are also fpund on the 
east coast of South America and the West Indies. 
Catamarans navigated by sail were found in use on 
the coast of Peru, but the dugout canoe is traceable to 
the stone age, while the American Indian is the author 
of the bark canoe, Napoleon caused to be constructed 
a flat-bottom boat for use in his proposed invasion of 
England, which was called Catamaran; but its precise 
form and outline are not given. It is believed to have 
been of flat-bottom, slanting up to square ends. 
According to Capt. Brackett, who has spent his lite . 
in fishing boat at Swampscott and the Cape, the three 
boats which have been used by fishermen in American 
waters are the punt, the straight and sloping dory. The 
punt has a round bottom, with straight, broad stern. 
The old dory has a broad, flat bottom, straight up sides 
and broad V-shaped stern, while the Swatnpscott doryi, 
has a narrow flat bottom with sides rounding up, and 
a very narrow V-shaped stern. It is claimed and con- 
ceded that the Swampscott dory is safe on the water, 
easier of propulsion, hence speedier, and more sightly 
than any other boat. 
“When I came here from the cape,” continued Capt. 
Brackett, “there was no boat building at Swampscott; 
all our dories were built at Salisbury with straight sides 
and broad bottonis. But pretty soon a few small -shops 
were in operation, and carpenters would spend their 
spare time building dories.” 
The fame of the Swampscott dories spread, and a de- 
mand for them sprang up everywhere. They are even 
shipped to Australia, that country in the remote parts 
of which is still found the single Tog with sharpened 
ends, the true primitive forebear of the craft which they 
are seeking in Swampscott to-day. 
Capt. Brackett’s idea, which amounts to a discovery 
of more than 60 years ago, enters into the construction 
of all power dories, launches and light sailing boats of 
the present time. But, alas! the discoverer, at 86, is 
forced to brave the hardships and dangers of weather 
and sea in order to sustain himself in -his declining 
years. 
New Orleans Notes. 
Capt. Robert Galloway, of Memphis, Tenir., has sold 
the 85ft. auxiliary yawl Daisy, one of Gielow’s last, year’s 
designs, which is enrolled in the Southern Y. C., to_ the 
Hon. Joseph Sibley, of Franklin, Pa., who will continue 
to use the craft in Gulf waters. Captain Galloway has 
placed an order for a larger yawl to take the place of 
Daisy, which in turn replaced the 60ft. yawl Coon, which 
he aTso brought South. Daisy made the rnemorable voy- 
age from New York to the Great Lakes, via the St. Law- 
rence River and down through the small lakes of the 
State of Wisconsin to the Mississippi River and the Gulf 
to New Orleans. 
,Mr. H. U. Hayden, of the Southern Y. C., is having 
-ljuilt by Messrs, Burgess & Packard, of Boston, a 200 
horsepower twin-screw power boat of 103ft. length over 
all, 93ft. waterline, i6ft. breadth and 3ft. gin. draft, with 
a guaranteed speed of over 18 miles an hour. This craft 
will have two 100 horsepower Standard engines. She is 
something of a departure in boats of this size. Her pilot 
house is unusually well forward. Mr. Hayden has just 
recently sold his 50ft. motor launch Zora to Mr. E. M. 
Toby, also of the Southern Y. C: 
'The - 35ft. yawl ;Whim, recently purchased at Cottage 
City, l! ' 1 ., I'.y Drs. S. S. Grosjean and W. C. Richard- 
son, of New Crleans. has created quite a favorable im- 
pression on Lake Pontchartrain. Since getting here 
Whim has been fitted with a 5 horsepower Wolverine 
engine. A large power yacht, purchased at New York 
by Dr. J. R. M. Dillon, just arrived, is a welcome addition 
to the fleet, as will be the 20-knot autoboat designed by 
Mr. Henry J. Gielow for Mr. A. F. Jay, of New Orleans. 
The owners of , the sloop Country Girl, of LaPort, Tejd; 
are out with a challenge to race any of the New Orleans 
vachts for $1,000 a side. Mr. S. F. Heaslip, owner of thfe 
ex-champion of the Great Lakes, Cadillac, enrolled in- the 
fleet of the Southern Y. C, has responded that he would 
accept the challenge with Cadillac and race for any sum 
ups to $5,000, and the Southern Y. C. has notified the; 
Texas yachtsmen that they will give them $250 toward 
their expenses to have the race here. L. D. Sampsell. 
Bronze Sloop for F. M. Smith.— The bronze sloop 
designed bv Mr. Henry J. Gielow and mentioned in these 
columns last week, is for Mr. F. M. Smith, owner of the 
steam yacht Hanoli. Mr. Smith has -aa-wned two racing 
craft, namely. Effort I. and Effort II., and while these 
I'joats flew his pennant they were raced constantly. The 
new boat is larger than anything Mr. Smith has at- 
tempted, and she will meet Neola and Weetamoe. Mr. 
Smith is a member of the New York, Larchmont and 
Shelter Island Y. C.’s. 
m. n 
British Delegates at Rating Rule Conference. — 
On Oct. 24 a meeting of the council of the Y. R. A. of 
Great Britain was held and delegates were elected to 
■represent England at the conference to consider the ad- 
visability of an international measurment rule for racing 
yachts. Messrs. W. P. Burton and R. E. Froude, F.R.S., 
were the delegates elected. It was decided that the_ first 
meeting of the conference, at which Great Britain, 
France, Germany, the United States, Denmark, Sweden, 
Spain, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland are expected to 
be represented, will take place at the Langham Hotel, 
London, on Monday, Jan. 15. 
— ♦ — 
The Individual Championship Match. 
The twelfth annual individual rifle championship match was shot 
on Election Day over the 200yd. ranges in Greenville Shooting" 
Park, New Jersey. The winner was- Dr. Walter G- -Hudson, 
presidexit of the Manhattan Rifle and Revolver Association of New 
York city, who scored 2268 points out of the possible 2600, while 
second man, W. H. French, of Newark, N. J., was only 3 points 
behind, but tied the Doctor shot after shot during th® 
of the match, and evidently could not stand the strain of such a 
long contest, which lasted from 9 o’clock in the morning until 
dark. Harry M. Pope, of Springfield, Mass., won the ten-shot 
trcphy with the great score of 237 out of the possible 250 points. 
The interest displayed in this affair is ever keen, for, while it 
was originally intended as a sort of farewell shoot at the end of 
the outdoor season among the riflemen who take part in all the 
important matches in and about New York city, and was there- 
fore more or less of a local character, it carne to be watched with 
keen interest by all the riflemen of the United States, and those 
who could find time to come to New York on Election Day came 
to consider it quite an honor to take part in the match and were 
glad to meet the fa.mous riflemen who always congregate to watch 
if they do not take part in this affair. To-day it is by no means a 
local match, but those who stand behind the comrnittee of ar- 
rangements. have carefully avoided calling it by any high-sounding 
name, yet it is considered a very high honor to win the old 
medal originally presented by William Hayes, the veteran rifle- 
man of Newark, but now attached to eleven gold bars, each bear- 
ing the name of the winner and the year in which he won the 
trophy. And it is also an honor to capture the trophy given the 
contestant who has the highest 10-shot score, for when so many 
expert riflemen meet to fire 100 shots in competition, it is reason- 
able to expect that very high scores will be made, although the 
winner of the 100-shot match cannot take the 10-shot trophy, too. 
Tire lowest score that has ever won this 10-shot match was 229, 
in itself a score of no mean order. The records which follow in 
their proper place prove that riflemen have shown steady ad- 
vancement during the past dozen years, and it is only fair to say 
that rifle-makers and ammunition makers are entitled to a share 
of the credit, since vast iinprovement has taken place in rifles, 
sights and ammunition. This affair has also brought to light the 
real value of telescope sights, which until a few years ago were 
barred from important competitions. Most of the high men in 
this match used telescope sights, and several of them shot smoke- 
less powder with satisfactory results. Improvements show steadily, 
but surely. 
Election Day was a glorious one on which to be outdoors, but 
from the rifleman’s point of view' it was not of the best for fine 
shooting. At one time the sun shone brightly, but at another the 
sky was overcast, and again light clouds hid the sun momentarily. 
The result was an almost constant changing of the light, with a 
corresponding changing of elevations. The wind was fresh, but 
not an important factor in this match, as the Greenville range 
is enclosed by high fences that prevent the wind from sweeping 
across with much force. The best light conditions prevailed 
during the early mornitig, and after 3 o’clock in the afternoon. 
The number of contestants this year was about the average, 
allhough fewer took part than last year. This time twenty-two 
men finished their scores, and out of this number eight had totals 
of 2200 points or more. There were perhaps one hundred rifle- 
men in the .shooting house during the exciting finish of the match, 
and almost as many sat down to the dinner which followed, when 
the trophies were presented, notes compared and stories handed 
round concerning Election Day matches in other years. Within 
recent years the old Zettler Rifle Club has taken charge of the 
affair, and its officers have done everything they could to make it 
a success. So smoothly did everything pass off that there was no 
hitch of any kind, yet there was a scarcity of rules and con- 
ditions. . , , 
Nearly one-half of the contestants used telescope sights (drench, 
I-’ope, Dorrler, Hubalek, Tewes, Ross, Barker, Buss, Schlicht, 
Smith and Earning), and it was noticeable that those to whom 
the use of these sights is still somewhat new showed remarkable 
improvement in their holding. Dr. Hudson had a telescope with 
him, but did not put it on his rifle, and Mr. Earning, who used a 
glass, had trouble with its shifting from the recoil of the rifle, 
and lost his chance before he discovered what was wrong, then 
could not remedy the fault with the few tools available in the 
shooting house, and his scores suffered badly in consequence. 
Mr. French was the only contestant who used a full length tele- 
scope, something that is not so popular to-day as formerly. Mr. 
Dorrler’s fine work with a telescope of only three power shows 
that improvement in sighting lies not so much in great magnifica- 
tion as in rendering the target clear enough so ■ that it may be 
seen distinctly. Harry Pope used a five power glass, which he 
thinks is best for his eyes. 
George Schlicht is another of the riflemen who have taken up the 
telescope recently, and while he admits that it aids him, also 
admits, that he has not yet mastered its peculiarities, and finds it 
quite a different proposition to the old pinhead sight. Fie is a 
veteran target shot, who seldom misses a shoot of importance. 
, Louis Maurer can always be found shooting in the big matches, 
just as he has done for more years than most of us can remember. 
He is seventy-three years of age, but is full of vigor and activity, 
and after firing his 100 shots showed less fatigue than some of 
the youngsters. He has been a rifleman ever since 1844, and says 
he has taken a deep interest in all the improvements to firearms 
and shooting during those sixty-ont years, both in Germany, his 
native land, and in the United States, where he has spent nearly 
all his life. 
The match was scheduled to begin at 9 o’clock, but all the lati- 
tude possible was given the contestants as they arrived. Some 
came in as late as 11 o’clock, but each one was permitted to fire 
his 10 sighting shots, if he chose, and as some shot faster than 
others, the scores were not finished simultaneously, and it was 
almost dark when the last shot was fired, and the contest finished 
beyond all doubt. 
The contest in detail follows: 
At the end of the first score French and Flubalek were tied 
with 229 each, third and fourth being Hudson and Dorrler, tied 
with 225, while Pope and Ross were tied with 219. ' 
■ Hubalek forged ahead in the second round and finished with a 
total of 458 for the 20 shots. Hudson was second with 456, and 
French third with 449. Pope forgot to put a bullet in his rifle on' 
his fifth shot in this score, and this cut his total down to 424. 
The third round closed with Hudson leading, with 688 for the 30 
