May 12, 1906.] 
———— 
FOREST AND STREAM. 


VACHITING | 


= aS 
AN OBSERVATORY AND NAUTICAL MU- 
SEUM FOR NEW YORK. . 
WITHIN a few days it has been announced that 
plans were nearly completed for the establish- 
ment in New: York city of an observatory and 
nautical museum. ‘This is a broad-minded enter- 
prise that has only now come to a community 
just awakening to the fact that besides being 
large and powerful, it is also one of the greatest 
shipping ports of the world. 
Aside from the obvious need to the mariners 
frequenting the port of New York, of having 
complete and up-to-date information which. only 
an observatory can supply, the nautical museum 
will have an important function in educating and 
interesting the general public. The crowds of 
people who daily pass through the foreign naval 
museums give an indication of the fascination 
that the sea and its ships and all inventions 
tending toward the safety of navigation exert 
on the masses, whose pursuits do not permit 
them to become familiar with the mysteries of 
the deep. 
The observatory will be within reach of stu- 
dents and others employed in various fields of 
research. The instruments are to be of the most 
modern and improved type. 
The museum will contain, besides ancient and 
modern models and relics, examples of appliances 
of all kinds. Not of least importance will be an 
astronomical and nautical library, in which prob- 
ably will be assembled all the collections touch- 
ing these subjects in the various libraries of the 
city. To-day the question of reference on sub- 
jects relating to naval architecture is a. difficult 
one, as no one has had sufficient interest in the 
matter to bring together all these books into one 
place, and the search for such works is made 
most quickly successful by visiting London, 
Paris and other Continental cities. 
The successes of the Model Committee and 
Library Committee of the New York Y. C. have 
had undoubted effect in paving the way for and 
making possible the establishment of such an in- 
stitution as the New York Observatory and Nau- 
tical Museum. This is the greatest and most 
laudable work in respect to things nautical that 
has been -undertaken in New York, and is an 
evidence of the gradual development in broad- 
mindedness and progressiveness that is slowly 
but surely taking place in our great city. 
The good accomplished by such an institution 
cannot be over-estimated, and the names of the 
men who form the committee on preliminary or- 
ganization are warrant of the ability, determina- 
tion and skill which have been enlisted for the 
carrying out to a successful issue of a project 
which ranks yet higher than the fine arts. 
Committee on Preliminary Organization: Fred- 
erick G. Bourne, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Edward 
S. Isham, George A. Cormack, J.-D. Jerrold 
Kelley, Charles Lane Poor. 
New York, the second largest city in the world, the 
greatest maritime port in this country, has no institution 
devoted to the interests of the navigator, to the investi- 
gation of new methods and new discoveries in shipbuild- 
ing, and in ship sailing; no museum where can be studied 
the development of the modern vessel, where can be 
found the charts and aids to the navigator. In London 
we find the Greenwich Observatory and a _ nautical 
Museum; in Paris, the Paris Observatory and allied in- 
stitutions; in Berlin, in Potsdam, in Nice, magnificent 
observatories; in Boston, the Harvard College Ob- 
servatory; in Washington, the Naval Observatory and 
governmental departments and institutions; in Chicago, 
the Yerkes; in San Francisco, the Lick Observatory, 
New York alone of all the great cities of the world is 
without an institution of this kind. 
Navigation, the science upon which depends the safety 
and speed of vessels at sea, the art from the successful 
practice of which New York derived her greatness, is de 
pendent upon astronomical observations and calculations. 
New York city should have a great institution, an ‘as: 
tronomical observatory and nautical museum”’ devoted to 
encouraging and developing the study of navigation and 
astronomy, of advancing the general knowledge of the 
safe navigation of the sea, of the development of harbor 
facilities, and of kindred’ subjects, and to that end of 
furnishing theoretical and popular instruction. 
Such an institution would -naturally consist of two 
distinct departments: a nautical museum and an as- 
tronomical observatory: 
1. Where would be collected and exhibited models of 
all types of vessels, safety and signal devices, nautical 
instruments and methods of determining position, charts, 
marine engines and motors, and historical instruments and 
relics. The museum and collections should be open to 
the public and should be arranged so that properly qual- 
ified persons could avail themselves of the facilities there 
offered for investigation and research. 
2. Where would be made scientific investigation in the 
field of astronomy, navigation and kindred subjects, and 
for this purpose the observatory should be provided with 
a complete outfit of astronomical and astrophysical in- 
struments of large size. Certain portions of the ob- 
servatory should be open to the public on two or three 
evenings per week. 
Such a museum and observatory could be made a 
center of scientific activity. It would supplement and 
add to the usefulness of many institutions, and organiza- 
tizons now in the city. There are many institutions and 
many persons having the facilities for collecting data, 
but unable to properly reduce and discuss such data. 
Ali material and data so collected could be sent to the 
museum, there to be worked up, put in shape, and 
made available for scientific use. 
PRELIMINARY PLAN AND ORGANIZATION. 
To establish such an institution worthy of the city 
of New York, it is proposed to form a corporation, 
chartered by the State, and to be known as The New 
York Observatory and Nautical Museum. ‘This corpora: 
tion, which will be governed by a self-perpetuating Board 
of Trustees, will have an endowment, it is hoped, of 
not less than $500,000. and will purchase and own all the 
instruments, apparatus, and collections necessary to carry 
out the general plan. The income of the corporation, 
derived from endowment and from membership dues, 
will be used for scientific work and for the advancement 
of the art and practice of navigation solely. 
It is hoped that the city of New York will provide a 
site in Bronx Park and will furnish buildings for the 
museum and the observatory. If this be done, the cor- 
poration will open its collections to the public, and 
under proper restrictions, will allow the use of its tele- 
scopes and apparatus for purposes of instruction. 
The corporation will endeavor to secure the co-opera- 
tion and support of the institutions of learning, of the 
various museums, and of other kindred organizations in 
the city by contracts of mutual aid and advantage. It is 
proposed to establish a Board of Scientific Advisers, 
consisting of the leading astronomers, nautical experts, 
and scientists in the country, who shall advise “with the 
president, the director and the trustees on all matters 
of general scientific policy. 
MEMBERSHIP. 
The corporation will establish various degrees of mem- 
bership, by which citizens of New York, who may be 
interested in the general work of the institution, or in 
some particular line of investigation, may become allied 
with it and contribute toward its support and the mainte- 
nance of its scientific reputation. In accordance with the 
custom prevailing in the various museums and similar 
institutions in this city, the following classes of member- 
ship will be established and appropriate privileges granted 
to each: Annual Members, Life Members, Fellows, 
Patrons, Benefactors. 
Special arrangements will be made whereby officers ot 
the United States Navy, the Marine Corps, the Revenue 
Service, and the Mercantile Marine may become affiliated 
with and entitled to the privileges of the museum during 
their active service. 
BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. 
A principal building will be the Nautical Museum, 
wherein will be placed the collections of models, of 
nautical instruments, and of marine engines and motors. 
In this building will be included the executive offices, 
the library, fhe laboratories, workshops, and computing 
rooms. Adjacent to this central hall will be grouped the 
various buildings of the observatory, each instrument so 
far_as practicable, having its own separate house. 
The equipment of the observatory will be planned with 
special reference to the work proposed to be done therein. 
New York Observatory must be prepared to take up 
problems not usually studied in other institutions, and 
especially such astronomical problems as are related to 
“to the committee. 
navigation; the moticns of the planets, the study of tides 
and tidal currents, the formation of special tables and 
aids to navigation; the rating of chronometers, the ad- 
justment of compasses, and the scientific examination and 
study of nautical instruments and safety devices. Again, 
the observatory must have instruments for student use 
and for popular instruction. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
AMERICAN Power Boar  AssociATion.—The 
committee in charge of the annual cruise of the 
A. P. B. A. make the following announcement: 
The cruise of the A. P. B. A. will be open to 
all boats owned by members of any club enrolled 
in the Association, The fleet will rendezvous at 
the Manhasset Bay Y. C., Port Washington, L. L., 
Saturday morning, July 21. Captains, upon ar- 
riving at the rendezvous are requested to report 
The fleet will be prepared to 
get under way at 2 o’clock in the afternoon of 
the same day upon signal from the committee 
boat. The daily runs will be as follows: 
July 21, to the Norwalk Y. C., Norwalk, Conn. ; 
July 22, to the Thimble Islands ; July 23, to New 
Case July 24, to Newport; July 25, remain at 
Newport; July 26, to Block Island; July 27, to 
Shelter Island; July 28, at Shelter Island. The 
cruise will officially end at sunset, upon the low- 
ering of the flag on the committee boat. 
Entries may ‘be made to the chairman of the 
committee, and on account of the arrangements 
that it is necessary to make, it : desired that 
entries shall be received not later than July 18. 
Captains are requested to fly ie TNE tole wyeNe 
flag, which is a rectangular blue flag with a white 
propeller in the center, around which are the let- 
iene AS Eee Dean white. Details of the daily 
runs and of the entertainment of the fleet will 
be issued at the rendezvous. 
Mr. C. W. Lee, New York; Col. F. A. Hill, 
Norwalk, Conn., and Mr. J. H. McIntosh, chair- 
man, 32 Broadway, New York, committee. 
RRR 
Yacuts Firtinc Out.—At the Seabury Co. the 
following yachts are fitting out: Vixen, Mr. John 
D. Archbold, New York Y. C.; Vitesse, Mr. Bray- 
ton Ives, New York Y. C.; Vel thra, Mr. S. Par- 
ker Bremer, New York Y. (e# Nanita, Mr. C. V. 
Brokaw, New York Y. C.; Edithia, Mr. John H. 
Hanan, New York Y. C.; Cherokee, Mr. S. H. 
Vandergrift. New York Y. Gir Grey Fox, Mr. 
Lewis Herzog, New York Y. C.; Linta, Mr. Wal- 
ter Luttgen, New York Y. C. 
At the Morse Iron Works, South Brooklyn, 
there are now being overhauled and repaired the 
following vessels: Steam yacht Alvina, Mr. Alex- 
ander S. Cochran, New York Y. C.; auxiliary 
brigantine Aloha, Mr. A. Curtis James; steam 
yacht Buccaneer, Mr, Leonard Richards, New 
York Y. C.; steam yacht Elsa II., Mr. Evans R. 
Dicks auxiliary yacht Intrepid, Mr. Lloyd Pheenix, 
New York Y. C.; steam yacht Ituna, Mr. Fred- 
eric H. Stevens, New York Y. C.; steam yacht 
Nourmahal, Mr. John Jacob Astor, New York Y. 
C.; power yacht Pharamond, Mr. W. H. Briggs; 
steam yacht Rambier, Mr. Pliny Fisk, New York 
Y. C.; steam yacht Noma, Mr. William B. Leeds, 
INewery otk: ny. .G.: steam yacht Susquehanna; 
steam yacht Scud, Mr. Ss) Untermyer; steam 
yacht Say When, Mr. W. J. White, and steam 
yacht Theresa, Mr. G. Sidenberg; yawl Comet 
and schooners Endymion, Commodore George 
Lauder, Jr., Indian Harbor Y. C.; Comanche and 
Alsacienne, Mr. W. T. Van Brunt, New York 
RAD 
The auxiliary yacht Apache, Mr. Edmund Ran- 
dolph, New York Y. C., has arrived at the Morse 
Works, to be overhauled and refitted. 
a 
SULTANA DiISABLED.—On the night of May 4 
the steam yacht Sultana, Mr. J. Montgomery 
