184 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[Jak. 30, 1909. 
owning large lead keel or fin-keel boats keep 
their dinghies for knocking round in and 
racing. In September this year a boy of six¬ 
teen won the championship of the harbor, but 
upon being challenged by a former holder of 
the honor, sailed over a four mile course, and 
it was a ‘scrap’ from start to finish. The for¬ 
mer champion (who was over double the ap^e 
of the other) won by only four seconds! 
“Lose no time in getting a 12ft. dinghy, 
hlore will be built, and then watch the benefit 
to the club derived directly therefrom.” 
To Improve Waterways. 
The New York State Waterways Conference, 
held last week in Brooklyn, it is expected, will 
result in much being done to improve the com¬ 
mercial development of the port of New York, 
and the improvements will also benefit yachts¬ 
men and specially owners of small power boats 
who are fond of cruising. The object of the 
conference was “the discussion of ways and 
means and the adoption of methods best calcu¬ 
lated to secure the improvement and develop¬ 
ment of the waterways of the State in general, 
and of New York city in particular.” In the 
past civic associations and special commissions, 
while advocating the local improvements in 
which they are interested, have not shown any 
tendency to co-operate with the advocates of 
waterway betterments in other localities for a 
general plan of improvement. The aim of the 
conference was to bring together all these scat¬ 
tered local interests, to formulate a compre¬ 
hensive scheme of inland waterways covering 
the entire State, to secure appropriations from 
municipal. State and Federal Governments and 
to apply such appropriations to the most im¬ 
portant undertakings. The part that relates to 
this city calls for the transformation of Jamaica 
Bay into a great inland harbor and shipping 
center, the construction of an inside waterway 
along the south shore of Long Island, the build¬ 
ing of connecting canals between Sheepshead 
and Gravesend bays and between Jamaica and 
Flushing bays, the removal of reefs in New 
York Harbor and the dredging of deeper chan¬ 
nels in the East. North and Harlem rivers. 
The Jamaica Bay improvement is in the hands 
of a commission, which has recommended con¬ 
solidating all the small hummocks now sepa¬ 
rated by shallow creeks into three large islands, 
two in the middle of the bay and one at the 
westerly extremity. Between North and South 
islands the report called for a channel 1,500 
feet wide and 25 feet deep at mean low water, 
permittiipg the docking of ocean-going steamers. 
Surrounding the islands on four sides and sepa¬ 
rating them from the mainland would be a 
channel 4,000 feet wide and 25 feet deep, into 
which would extend piers 1,000 feet long. The 
material dredged from the bottom of the bay in 
digging these channels could, the commission¬ 
ers suggested, be used in forming the main 
islands and in filling in the surrounding fringe 
of marshland. 
The greatest obstacle to the proposed im¬ 
provement of Jamaica Bay from an engineering 
standpoint is the problem of maintaining a 
navigable channel between the end of Rockaway 
Point and the Coney Island shore. The present 
channel is blocked by broad sand bars that shift 
with every changing tide. Even the point itself 
is continually shifting, reaching further out into 
the bay as the sand flow from east to west adds 
to the length of its beach. Indeed, so serious 
is this obstacle that th'e Board of Army En¬ 
gineers after repeated surveys has reported that 
a channel across the bar would be imprac¬ 
ticable; that the sand would flow into any ex¬ 
cavation faster than Government dredges could 
dig it out. 
The commission, however, maintains that a. 
stone jetty 7,500 feet long extending due south 
from the tip of Rockaway Point, together with 
several smaller groins to the eastward, would 
impound the westward sand flow along the 
beach and would nrevent the filling uo of a deep 
channel dug beside it. This plan has so im¬ 
pressed the National Board of Rivers and 
Harbors that the army engineers have been 
directed to make a resurvey and to report upon 
the feasibility of the amended plan. Their de¬ 
cision is expected shortly. 
The same engineers were engaged last fall in 
collecting testimony for and against the proposed 
inside waterway, a channel 100 feet wide and six 
feet deep connecting and extending through the 
shallow waters of Jamaica Bay. Great South 
Bay, Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay, with 
smaller branches through Parsonage and Sam- 
pawams rivers and Ereeport and Massapequa 
creeks. As a result of their tentative inspec¬ 
tion they have been directed to make a pre¬ 
liminary survey outlining the most advantage¬ 
ous route, the engineering difficulties to be en¬ 
countered and the estimated expense of con¬ 
structing such a waterway. The survey will be 
made this spring. 
The Gravesend ship canal, a proposed channel 
connecting Gravesend Bay with Sheepshead 
Bay, through the partially filled in bed of 
Coney Island Creek, would if constructed form 
a connecing link between Jamaica Bay and New 
York Harbor and would prove a valuable ad¬ 
junct to the two improvements already referred 
to. A special committee, composed of the chief 
engineer of the Board of Estimate, the Dock 
Commissioner, the chief of the Bureau of 
Sewers and his consulting engineer, was ap¬ 
pointed a few weeks ago to draw up plans and 
report to the Board of Estimate. Their work 
is almost completed and the results of the in¬ 
vestigation, together with their recommenda¬ 
tions, will be submitted to the board within a 
few days. 
The proposed cross island canal, connecting 
Elushing and Jamaica bays, through Elushing 
and Cornell creeks, is planned as a short cut 
between the East River and the bay. Used in 
conjunction with the Harlem River and with 
the new deep water channels to be dredged by 
the Government engineers through Hell Gate, 
such a canal would provide a direct route from 
the upper waters of the Fludson River to the 
seacoast and would eliminate the present 
roundabout trip through the congested water of 
the lower Hudson, the upper bay and the East 
River, 
But there are two very great objections to 
the building of a cross island canal. The ridge 
of high ground in the center of Long Island 
would necessitate either a deep cut or expensive 
lock construction. Then, too, the waterway 
would pass through the thickly populated towns 
of Richmond" Hill and Jamaica, where the cost 
of a right of way would be excessive. The pos¬ 
sible interference of the canal with the opera¬ 
tion of railroad and trolley lines would also 
need to be carefully considered. 
Visitor Sails South. 
Visitor IL. owned by W. Harry Brown, of 
Pittsburg, has sailed from Boston, bound for 
New Orleans. On board in addition to her 
owner and Mrs. Brown are Mr. and Mrs. 
Stephen C. Lowe, of West Newton; A. Loring 
Swasey, find Arthur B. Raymond, designers of 
the vessel The yacht will arrive at New Or¬ 
leans in time for Mardi Gras, and will spend 
the winter cruising south. Next summer she 
will cross the Atlantic and begin a cruise around 
the world, which is to last two years. 
American Y. C. Officers. 
At the annual meeting of the American Y. C. 
these officers were elected: Commodore, Geo. 
Mercer. Jr.; Vice-Commodore. Joseph M. Mac- 
donough- Rear-Commodore, Stuyvesant Wain- 
wright: Secretary-Treasurer, William Porter 
-Allen; Measurer, William Hallock; Trustees— 
J. Howard Wainwright, Joseph F. Stillman and 
Henry W. Eaton. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBER PROPOSED. 
Eastern Division.—Willard B. Anthony, 12 
Carter street, Providence, R. L, by Edgar F. 
Garland. 
To Boom Dory Racing. 
Negotiations have been going on between 
New York and Massachusetts dory men, with 
the idea of arranging a series of races between 
dories representing these two States. For the 
man of moderate means the dory has become 
quite a popular small craft. It is an inexpensive 
boat, and a dory can be purchased for $60, and 
better craft will cost more money. The Graves¬ 
end Bay type of dory costs $225. 
The boom in dory racing has been brought 
about through the success of George Gardiner 
Fry in races he sailed with his Tautog on the 
other side. The Massachusetts men have two 
races on this summer, one with dories from 
Nova Scotia and one with dories from Maine, 
and in these waters there will in all likelihood 
be races in which the Dutch sailors will take 
part. Secretary W. G. Torrey, of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Dory Racing Association, took the 
initiative in the matter and communicated with 
the New Yorkers on the subject. . He suggested 
teams of three boats and neutral waters for 
the series if the New Yorkers preferred those 
conditions. The latter have advised Mr. Torrey 
that they would prefer the rules that governed 
the international races last year in Holland, in 
which George Gardiner Fry, with his Tautog, 
won the trophy. These rules will be used this 
season if the Dutch clubs accept the invitation 
for a return series of races in New York waters 
next summer. 
_ The invitation of the Massachusetts organiza¬ 
tion will be presented to the regatta committee 
of the American Y. C. immediately after the 
annual meeting next week. Besides the mem¬ 
bers of the American club there are several skil¬ 
ful sailers of dories in the New York Athletic 
Club and the Florseshoe Y. C., and it is quite 
possible that a joint committee may be ap¬ 
pointed from these three clubs to arrange de¬ 
tails regarding the class of boats, rules and rac¬ 
ing courses for the contest that the local yachts¬ 
men are anxious to bring about with the New 
Yorkers. 
If a contest between the New York and 
Boston dories is arranged it will undoubtedly 
lead to the building of two or three new boats 
by New York enthusiasts as candidates for the 
team. Several have expressed hope that the 
match will be successfully arranged, as it will 
add materially to the small-boat activity and 
bring about racing zest with the New Yorkers. 
Catboats for Bayonne Y. C. 
Members of the Bayonne Y. C. have arranged 
to build a class of one-design catboats for rac¬ 
ing in local waters. Six members have already 
ordered boats, and it is hoped that four more 
and possibly six will be ordered before the 
season opens. These boats are 16 feet over all. 
The committee in charge of the class has sent 
a letter to members of neighboring clubs, in 
which it says: 
“Since the advent of the gasolene engine, 
there has been a tendency toward deterioration 
in seamanship among many yachtsmen, and the 
club has started the class as an inexpensive 
means of awakening interest in boat sailing on 
the waters about Bayonne and Jersey City. 
Boats built under the restrictions will be within 
the reach of the man with a small pocket-book, 
and the interest in the races will be just as keen 
as with boats twice the size.” 
The Bayonne Y. C. committee will arrange 
a series of races for a point prize, another 
series to be sailed every other Saturday for 
novices, and the prizes in these series are pre¬ 
sented by the commodore and secretary. 
Walter M. Bieling has also offered a prize for 
a special race. 
The newly elected officers of the club are; 
Commodore, Henry W. Pratt; Vice-Commo¬ 
dore, Fred M. Esper; Secretary, William V. 
Collins; Treasurer, Arthur J. Shadek; Measurer, 
Joseph Hickey; Director, Henry James; Mem¬ 
bership Committee—Chauncey Holt, Frank 
Haberer. Charles J. Metting; Race Committee — 
A. G. Rossig, Charles Meninger, L. A. Pratt. 
Commodore Pratt has appointed Joseph H. 
Stahl Fleet Captain. 
