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Twin Screw Steam Yacht Liberty. 
This steam yacht of 1,600 tons has been built 
by Messrs. Ramage & Ferguson Ltd., Leith, 
Scotland, for Mr. Joseph Pulitzer, of the New 
York World, from designs by Merrs. G. L. 
Watson & Co., Glasgow, who haye also care¬ 
fully superintended her construction in every 
detail. The Liberty was launched on Dec. 5 and 
will leave Southampton this week for Nice 
where her owner will join her. Mr. Pulitzer's 
yachting connection has extended over a num¬ 
ber of years, though he has not before pos¬ 
sessed any large vessel. Last year he chartered 
for six months Baron De Forest’s 1,000 ton 
steam yacht Flonor, which was also built at 
Leith from Messrs. Watson’s designs, and so 
well was he pleased with that vessel that he de¬ 
termined to have a yacht of his own, but one 
of larger dimensions. So he commissioned the 
same designers and builders to dd the work for 
him, and before his charter had expired the new 
yacht was under way. As was natural under the 
circumstances Honor was taken as a basis, and 
to outward appearance the new vessel has a 
strong resemblance to her. But she is also a 
decided advance, and there are many points in 
which she shows a decided improvement. 
Liberty is*schooner rigged with two pole masts 
and large smoke stack, clipper bow with scroll 
head, and an ellipitical stern which seems to 
suit this type of vessel best. She is practically 
a three-deck vessel, though there is a shdrt break 
forward, which, however, is scarcely observable 
to a casual observer. On the top deck she has 
a long unbroken range of steel deck houses 
amidships, with chart room and flying double 
bridge above. 
The accommodation has been carried out en¬ 
tirely to Mr. Pulitzer’s own ideas, and in this 
respect is something quite different from other 
pleasure vessels of her size. 
The part of the yacht forward of the machin¬ 
ery space is entirely devoted to the owner’s own 
private quarters and storerooms, all the guests’ 
rooms and the servants, officers and crew being 
aft. This insures entire privacy for the owneV* 
and all the bulkheads have been specially deaL 
ened to eliminate noises due to the engines, etc., 
and so add greatly to the owner’s comfort. 
To get forward when necessary the crew need 
not come on deck at all during the night, for a 
special passage way has been arranged on the 
port side of the lower deck leading from their 
quarters aft to the store rooms, etc., forward, 
and by a stairway they get to the forecastle 
deck. 
In the range of deckhouses on the upper deck 
commencing forward is Mr. Pulitzer’s own study 
with lavatory and private vestibule adjoining; 
then there is the dining room, a very large 
apartment in oak, from which an oak corridor 
runs aft on the starboard side to the drawing 
room. which is aft of the machinery. On the 
port side there is a passage leading from the 
dining room to the main pantry which is placed 
in the casings. The drawing room is finished 
in white, with panels of silk on the walls. A 
smoking room in darker oak is placed aft of 
the drawing room, and at the aft end of this 
room there are double doors which can be 
thrown open to a fine deck shelter which forms 
the aft end of the deckhouses. All these rooms 
have been specially designed by Mr. Murray. 
London, and executed by Messrs. Wylie & Loch- 
head, Ltd., Glasgow. 
On the main deck, as already mentioned, the 
owner’s rooms are forward. These are reached 
by a comfortable stairway from his private vesti¬ 
bule in the deckhouse. There is a large bed¬ 
room, and also a sitting room, bathroom etc. 
The windows to these rooms look out over the 
break deck, the side walls being kept in from 
the side of the vessel a few feet, though the 
deck above extends out to the side. This af¬ 
fords protection, while giving ample light and 
air. Below these rooms on the lower deck there 
is another very large room, bathroom, clothes 
room, etc., and then forward of these there is 
a gymnasium or exercise room fitted up with 
the best apparatus for getting exercise at sea. 
This gymnasium is a large room, and has great 
height, extending right up from the lower deck 
to the break deck, with large skylight on top. 
There is a spray bath, etc., attached. There is 
a passage way on the lower deck starboard side 
to allow the guests to enter the gymnasium. 
The part of the vessel forward of the gym¬ 
nasium is occupied by the chain lockers, store¬ 
rooms, a hospital with lavatory attached, lamp 
room and other offices. 
On the main deck on the starboard side of 
the engine and boiler casings there are six 
guests’ rooms with bathrooms, etc. These are 
intended for bachelors. Aft of the casings "there 
are six fine large staterooms, with bathrooms, 
etc., and a boudoir. All these cabins are very 
well lit and ventilated. On the port side of the 
casings there are servants’ rooms, with large 
sitting room, cold larder, scullery, etc., and also 
the captain’s room. The main galley is placed 
in the casings. 
The crew’s quarters are all aft occupying the 
whole of the lower deck aft of the machinery 
and that part of the main deck which is aft of 
the guests’ quarters. There is a large open space 
on the main deck for the use of the crew, and 
aft of this there is their galley, wash places, 
bathrooms and water closets. On the lower deck 
the extreme aft end is occupied by the firemen. 
Forward of them the seamen are berthed on 
the port side, and the officers on the starboard 
side. In the holds there are ample storerooms, 
those forward being reached by a trunk hatch 
from deck as well as by an internal stairway 
for the steward. The cold rooms' for owner and 
crew are very ample, a powerful refrigerating 
plant being installed. 
. Liberty carries four boats and two steam 
launches, all berthed on skids above the upper 
deck; in fact, almost like a boat deck. From 
here the sails, etc., are worked, so that the upper 
deck is left quite free as a promenade. 
Her machinery consists of two sets of triple 
expansion engines, cylinders H. P. i6in., M. P. 
26m., L. P. 42m., by 24m. stroke. The pro¬ 
pellers are of bronze, and are different pitch so 
as to reduce vibration to a minimum. She has 
two cylindrical return tube boilers of the Scotch 
type. These are of different sizes, the large one 
being ample to supply steam for cruising speeds, 
the small one suitable for use in port and for 
short runs at moderate speed. While there is 
no extravagance whatever, all the latest, im¬ 
provements in auxiliary and deck machinery 
have been adopted. There is a powerful refrig¬ 
erating plant, two large and independent sets of 
electric engines, also a storage battery. She has 
a steam windlass on the forecastle deck with a 
powerful steam capstan forward of this. The 
anchors are stockless, stowing in the hawse 
pipes. Underneath on the main deck there is 
an electric capstan for working a kedge anchor, 
and there are separate hawse pipes for this pur¬ 
pose. Aft on the main deck is the steam steer¬ 
ing engine, controlled from the flying bridge, 
and there is hand gear on the upper deck imme¬ 
diately above the steering gear. On the upper 
deck right aft there is a steam warping capstan. 
In the casings amidships there is an electrically 
driven boat hoisting engine with capstan heads 
each side so that all boats may be easily and 
rapidly handled. The vessel is heated through¬ 
out by the most approved method of hot water. 
On Friday, Jan. 31, Liberty went out on her 
first steam trials, and though the weather was 
anything but pleasant her behavior was entirely 
satisfactory to all concerned. 
There was a stiff northwesterly wind blowing 
all day approaching a gale in strength, and this 
afforded an excellent opportunity for testing the 
yacht’s behavior at sea. The result was that 
she proved herself an excellent sea boat, easy 
and comfortable in motion, and the impression 
formed from an inspection of the vessel before 
she was launched was confirmed, namely, that 
she will also be a dry boat. 
On the measured mile at Gullane, where there 
was a considerable sea, she had a few progres¬ 
sive runs, and a mean speed of I5J4 knots was 
easily obtained. The boilers gave ample steam, 
so there was no difficulty in maintaining this 
speed which is considerably over the contract 
guarantee. A five hours’ continuous run was 
then undertaken at a cruising speed of twelve 
knots per hour, and during this run. the auxiliary 
machinery was put through exhaustive tests with 
successful results. During the whole day the 
machinery gave excellent results without any 
hitch, notwithstanding the fact that this was the 
first run the machinery had. One remarkable 
feature of the day’s trials was an almost total 
absence of vibration even at the highest speed, 
which is particularly gratifying to all concerned. 
Coal consumption trials were most successful. 
Liberty has been specially designed for ocean 
cruising, and she promises to be particularly well 
adapted for that purpose. She has very large 
bunkers, so that she can carry sufficient coal to 
allow her to cross the Atlantic and back again 
without coaling. For the same reason she has 
•2 - 
TWIN SCREW STEAM YACHT LIBERTY AFLOAT. 
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