Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, August 23, 1899, Page 9, Image 9

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    GREAT RACE OF RIVAL YACHTS
Snprema Trial of the Constructive Ingenuity
and Seamanship of Two Nations.
MILLIONS SPENT TO HOLD AMERICA'S ' CLP
Sonic NO T niul IntcrcnllitK HIni-lcn
About Yiiclitn uiKl Van lit llnllilliiK
nnil the ProKrrna of Ilccrnt
Ycnr Instructive
From the standpoint of absolute purity ,
broad disinterestedness , hlch motive and
general Interest no other sport or sporting
event can even compare with the Interna
tional yacht races scheduled for October
3 , C , 7 , 9 and 11 outsldo the harbor of New
York. These races represent Ideas that
THM OMAHA DAILY BEE ; WEDNESDAY , AUG-UST 23 , 1SIMJ.
as slake boats , otc. This wilt foot up well
In the thouwnds , AS the demand for tugs
and nil other craft -will bo enormous.
On iho British side tiiu cost will be oven
greater , If anything , than it Is on the Ameri
can , Sir Thomas Llpton. who built the
Shamrock , must do nil that Morgan and his
associates have done , besides standing the
expense of sending the challenger across
under her own sail.
Some Idea ot the cost of nttlng up the
racers may bo obtained from the fact that
ono milt of sails cost In the neighborhood
of $2.000. These sails are specially woven
from Egyptian and Sea Island cotton mixed
with silk. They cost Jl a yard. In addition
the yachts carry a spinnaker and other light
sails of pure silk , which cost all the way
from $2 to $1 a yard.
Measured by the amount of money that
has been spent In the contests for the Amer-
lean cun , It Is without exception the most
valuable thine In the world. The crown of
the czar of Russia , the richest ornament on
earth , with Us marvelous diamonds nnd
The hr t win bu u triangular course ; the uacontj Ilftccti miles straight to windward
and return. Dotted lines show course taken to beat to windward and round stake
"boats. The best three out of flvo races will decldo the fate of the cup.
appeal oven to the most slothful citizen.
They mean almost ns much to the man who
has never seen a sailboat as to the enthusi
ast who talks yachting all winter and sails
all summer.
With theao races It IB not simply n test of
skill nnd speed between two sized yachts.
It Is a battle of the world against America.
Every man who loves his country's su
premacy will -watch the contest with the
keenest Interest , for the success or falluro
of the yacht Columbia will mean the suc
cess or failure ot American skill over the
skill of the world , The Shamrock , the chal
4 lenging yacht , comes not alone as the repre
\ sentative of Great Britain and Ireland. The
tronhy she sails for , the America cup , Is
open to the competition of the whole world.
The German , Russian , French , Dutch and
other yachtsmen are about as keenly con
cerned In the outcome as * are the British.
Evidence ot this Is furnished by the news
caibled recently from the other side to the
effect that Emperor William of Germany has
detailed the skipper of his racing yacht , the
Meteor , to aid the skipper of the Shamrock
on the occasion of the international races.
( Almost as strong an attraction as the
patriotism that the-yacht races embody is
the fact that In these contests thers Is abso
lutely no taint of commercialism. There Is
no Idea ot gain , no gambling.
\Vluit , tlir Huce 'Will Cunt.
. The races will cost the promoters over
half a million dollars. For this enormous
outlay there Is absolutely no return except
the satisfaction of promoting the great
eport. It Is all outlay and no Income.
There Is no1 "gate , " no purse , no "side bet , "
no anything ; It la Just sport for sport's sake.
On the American side thoucost of the con
test Is bqfHe 'principally ' * b/Jr Plerropont
Morgan , the great banker , and the com
modore ot the Now York Yacht club. As
sociated with him arn C. Oliver Iselln nnd
William Butler 'Duncan. ' Mr. Iselln Is a
member ot a. millionaire family , and has
epent hundreds ot thousands ot dollars for
yachting. Ho ranks as the managing owner
of the Columbia , and has full 'charge of her
operations. Mr. Duncan Inherited bis for
tune from the estate of A. T. Stewart , and
haa spent his Income lavishly in the pursuit
rubles nnd other priceless gems , becomes al
most a tiaublo In comparison with this bat
tered old silver cup. The trophy has been
fought lor ten times , In 1851. 1870 , 1871.
1876 , 1881 , 1S83 , 1S8C , 18S7 , 1893 nnd 1893. In
the past , while the cost of preparation nnd
the money spent for nil Items has not boon
ns great as will bo the case this year , the
average cost for the ten races will easily
foot up $500,000 for each , or a total of
$5,000,000.
Her Grcnt Snll lArcn.
The total sail spread ot the Columbia Is
about 14.000 square feet. Cut In strips a
foot wldo the sails would stretch nearly
thrco mllca In 'length. ' Laid flat on the
ground they would cover a good part of a
city block , or about one-third ot nn acre.
It la because ofthis mass ot can\as that
euch a largo crow la required on the yachts.
No ono without experience can appreciate
the tremendous task of handling surely and
rapidly a sail spread such ns the Columbia
carries.
An ordinary commercial vessel o three
times the Columbia's size would carry Just
about half her sail spread. To carry moro
would bo unprolltablo and unsafe from a
business standpoint. A 400-ton schooner
cannot afford to carry over flvo or six men
and make money. Then , too. It Is out of
the question for any vessel to carry n spread
of sail such ns the Columbia's except In
smooth water and in a comparatively light
wind. A gale coming upon the Columbia
with all sails spread would strip her clean In
a second. Even with her largo crew she
could not escape complete 'loss If she was
suddenly overtaken by a high wind.
The power of such a vessel ns the Co
lumbia when she has nil her canvas set Is
ntinrmnnq. TTnr Rnpntl fls tested In
THE HEnUESHOFF HOMESTEAD , IJIUSTOL , ME.
of yacht racing honors. Ho Is the managing
owner of the Defender , which defended the
International cup against the Valkyrie III.
The Defender haa been modernized nnd fitted
to servo as a pacemaker in the preliminary
trial races Arranged to test the Columbia's
speed.
To remodel the Defender , put her In com
mission and handte her will coat Mr. Morgan
and Mr. Duncan nnd the other gentlemen who
are Interested In the venture something in
the neighborhood of $50,000 , a pretty fair
Item for a "trial boat. " As a matter of fact
the Defender ia almost ns fast ns the Colum-
bla herself and , according to the record
made on the other side by the Shamrock , the
pacemaker might safely bo trusted to hold
on to the cup on her own account.
CoHt of Itlvnl ViifhtN ,
The cost of tha Columbia nnd her main
tenance until after the last rnco has been
sailed wjll , In round numbers , bo about
? 1DO,000 , according to experts on the sub-
JeoU To begin with , the boat cost to build I
about $60,000. Sbo carries a crew of thirty
men , all high-priced , picked experts , from' '
the captain donn. These men must be quar-
tercd outside ot the vessel herself , tor , like
all racers , the Columbia has absolutely no
accommodation below dock. She la simply
a huge shell 130 feet long and nbout eighteen
foot deep. Standing on the platform which
serves for her deck , ono can GOO through the
hatchway right down to her bottom. Inaldo
there Is nothing except a series of steel
girders and braces. When tbo races are
over , and If her owners" choose , the Colum
bia may be fitted up with cabins. But even
if this Is the case , all such cabin work ,
flooring , etc. , would be ripped out again as
eon as aha was ready to enter another race.
Unable to find room on tun yacht , her
crew are , therefore , quartered aboard a
etcam tender which accompanies the Colum
bia wherever It goes. To maintain this ten
der and to feed the crow alone costa sarnc-
where In tbo neighborhood of $25,000. The
Defender IRtewUo Is equipped with a tender
for Its crow , the cost otwhich U little less
than that of the Columbia Itself. All thcso
Items must be Included In making up tbo
cost of tha race. After the race has < bccn
tailed the Columbia , If thrown on the mar
ket , would probably not fetch over $10,000
or $15,000 , a * It Is practically wprthlesa for
cruising purposes , having been designed en
tirely for speed , all Idea ot comfort bc'as
eacrlflced. Some of the ether Items of ex
pense connected with the American side of
the race will be the cost of maintaining a
Ceet of tuga to patrol tuo course , to eeryo
cent trials against the Defender Is about
thirteen knots an hour. To drive a vessel
her size at a similar speed under steam would
require about 300-horso power. In other
words , 300 horses would bo required to do
the work that the sails of the Columbia do
when she Is going with the wind. An en
gine to drive her at the same speed would
consume nbout 750 pounds of coal per hour.
This would bo a "long ton" for thrco hours'
sailing , maximum speed , or eight tons per
day of twenty-four hours. Allowing twelve
days for crossing the sails of a vessel such
as the Columbia would have given power
equivalent to about 100 tons of coal.
Moni-y Kri'cly Sjii-nt.
There ore oiany other interesting features
about thcso races. Not the least Interesting
is the fact that -with all the vast sums of
money spent on perfecting and fitting them
I I out , there are any number of boats In New
York and cfscnvlioro that could easily dis
tance them lna * straightaway race before
the wind. Both the Columbia and the Shamrock -
! rock draw nbout eighteen feet of water.
I j i This do op draught creates a proportionate
I ' amount of resistance that must be overcome
by the sails. A boat drawing only one or
two feet of water has llttlo or no resistance
to overcome. Naturally , therefore , it could
run away from the .fastest vessel of the deep
draught Columbia nnd Shamrock cltus as
long as It was going with the wind.
It Is when sailing ngnlnet the wind that
vuch vessels as thu Columbia become ( lycra
as compared with the others. It Is then that
their lines count , and it Is tor this that the
designers and builders have spout years and
years In experimenting and the owners have
epent minions of money In building. It Is
for woik of this clara that the vessels are
made to draw so much < water. Sailing against
the wind , or "lacking , " Involves a peculiar
principle of mechanics. Hero the wind Is
pushing one way , and In order to overcome
this force and to prevent the vessel from beIng -
Ing driven backward , a proportionately large
surface must be presented underneath
against which tbo water must push the other
way , Under these opposing forces the vessel
glides , and It Is hero that the fine Hue In
which yachtsmen delight count. The finer
the lines , the greater the speed with which
the vessel glides out from the opposing
force * .
To bring out the speed under nil condi
tions the course has been arranged with nnd
against the wind under the regulations
governing the International cup. On the
first day the Shamrock nnd Columbia win
start from the Sandy Hook lightship , sailIng -
Ing a straight course for fifteen miles , re
turning the same way. On the occond day
the vessels will sail a triangular course. The
triangle will bo laid starting from oft the
Sandy Hook lightship ten miles on ono leg ,
ten miles on the second leg nnd ten mllca
on the third leg , making a fuU course of
thirty miles. The triangular course will test
the speed of the vessels sailing under every
condition , with the wind and against the
wind.
Hundreds of thousands a ! visitors will
pour Into New York from the neighboring
cities , spending vast sums for railroad fares
and hotel entertainment. Hundreds and per
haps thousands will co-mo all the way from
Europe. Business will be almost suspended.
And for what ?
To see two beautiful specimens of the best
things In International shipbuilding battle
for an old weather-beaten silver cup that
Isn't even a cup , for It has no bottom. It
Is hollow nil the way through , a fact that
was discovered when the Jolly members of
the New York Yacht club tried to toast the
original champion , the schooner yacht Amer
ica , which won the trophy In 1S51 on the
other side. The liquor that was poured Into
the cup at the top ran out
at the bottom. But the fact
that the cup Is hollow and wouldn't fetch
J100 in the open market only adds to the
zest of the battle for Its possession.
It Is the embodiment ot true sport.
The Old America.
So far as It Is possible to find out , there
Is ( but ono survivor today of the original
crow that sailed across the ocean In the old
yacht America In 1S51 nnd returned with the
International trophy.
Captain Henry Hodman , therefore , Is the
only ono who can tell us from a reminis
cent standpoint nbout the" first of those races
which have now como to bo historical events.
Ho was the youngest member of the crew ,
being only IB years old , but a smart sailor
at that , for ho had run away to sea from
his home lu Dantzlg , Prussia , four years pre
vious nnd had his training before the mast.
At C3 years of ace Captain Hoffman Is a
typical old salt. Keen of eye , firm ot chin ,
square-shouldered and so fond of the wind
and weather that Ills eyes snap when you
ask htm If ho would not like to help sail the
Columbia In her coming race.
"That -would , " he- assured the writer.
"I'd Join the crew tomorrow If I could get
away from buslnesn. " The captain haa for
a lena time been Identified with a large coal
company which haa offices on lower Broad
way , his duty being to look after the towing
department. As a Brooklynlte ho belongs
to the Parkway Driving club and Is celc-
brated for 'his ' fast trotters. Like all sca-
failng men he Is 'brief of speech , and this
Is particularly so in talking of the old
America. His peculiar loyalty to his friends
nnd shlpmateo Is almost pathetic. Ilia love
for the yacht they sailed has never waned ,
and he speaks of her as of a boyhood sweet
heart.
.1 Vcrltnblc AVuier WHcIi.
"She was a witch In any breeze , " ho will
tell you , "and every ono of us fell In love
with her the minute we stepped on the deck.
It took a dozen men to handle her , not
counting Captain Brown , our skipper , and
two mates. Wo were picked from many a
locker , but ovcry man knew how to sail a
boat. Most of us had been to sea , and the
others were old hands at navigating the
pilot boats about Now York harbor. Cap-
lain Brown himself had this berth for many
years , and he could sail a yacht with any
of the later cracks. Ho was a good Yankee ,
and It was duo to his Influcwco that wo hung
together so well. He tpld us the boat was
built for a syndicate headed by Commodore
Stevens and the New York Yacht club , who
was a dead game sport , 'by ' the way. He
came on 'board ' several times with George
T. Schuyler and Mr. Steers , the builder , and
looked us over very carefully. 'Boys , wo
can clean up anything that Iloats , ' he said ,
and ordered up some superior rum. This
was after wo hud beaten a number of sloops
In trial races down the bay , and word came
to make ready for an ocean trip. There was
not h man who did not feel a llttlo uncer
tain at this proposition , for crossing In email
boats was not so common then as now , and
the America was only 100 feet over all and
twonty-threo feet across the beam. But
when the skipper asked If any ono uas
white-livered enough to stay bohlnd not a
mnn sung out. Soon ns wo got under way
the boat showed she -was Just ft queen. Wo
seldom used topsails , for there was enough
breczo to keep us going without them , nnd
though we struck heavy weather twice , wo
never felt In danger ,
Ynnkei * Secrecy.
"On putting In at Cowes we were boarded
by nearly every small boat In the harbor.
Captain Brown had called us all aft before
making port and cautioned us against talk-
lug. 'You needn't say anything about our
ccnterbonrd , nor what wo draw,1 ho said ,
adding that Mr. Stevens had offered to sail
anything In England , and there would bo
a race. Not a day passed that the deck did
not swarm with visitors and part of the crow
were told off to see that they did not pry
too much. In fact , they kept so close that
wo lost the flrst races wo were In. "
Thia la a feature of the narrative that
Captain Hoffman cannot be persuaded to
dncll on , "You know , " he said , with a
wise blink of the eye , "that sometimes yea
want to pitch a stove overboard when you
are getting a yacht Into sailing trim and It
Is not convenient to have spectators about.
Well , when the day came for the cup raoa
no had thnt boat cleaned from stem to
stern , We did this before the English re
cruits came on board. These chaps never
forgot that race , I'll bet. You see , twelve
men were not enough to handle the boat In
a race and the skipper had six go ashore
and hlro six Britishers , who were turned
over for us to watch.
"Wo didn't like the looks of them very
much and they didn't eecm to fancy us.
'We're going to have trouble with these
John Bulls , ' reported a big quartermaster
named Connors. 'Not If you know your bus.
Iness , ' replied the captain. Ono of the crew
suggested that the Englishmen bo divided
up so that not moro than two \\ould be to
gether at one station and this was done.
They were thus surrounded and under such
vl&llanco that they could not do anything
crooked.
"Tho morning of August 22 broke with n
clear skv and soft breeze from the west ,
and before 10 o'clock fifteen boats , of nil
lengths and sizes , had gathered about us.
As the Aurora went by mnneuverlnc , her
crew were hoisting the mainsail. When
they cot abeam a llttlo cockney started up
the old sons , 'A Yankee Ship Sailed Down
the Bay , ' and the rest of the crew came In
on the chorus. 'Pull , boys , bully boys ,
pull. ' 'You'd better save that sheet for n
tow , ' called ono of our men , but the Aurora
had zmssod and did not hear It.
" 'I fancy It's us'll need the tow , ' sold ono
of our Encllsh recruits.
" 'Let ( mo give you some advice , ' said the
second male , who overheard the remark.
'Don't let the skipper hoar you say that , '
"Wfaen the signal was given the breeze
blew very light , and some of the English
boats forged ahead , among them the Aurora.
Wo crowded on every Inch of canvas , nnd
cot a man ot us who did not pray for It to
freshen. Word vas passed auletly to BCO
that the Englishmen did not shirk. Cap
tain Brown stood by the English cllot , for
him also wo had to take on , as the course
round tbo Isle of Wight uas new to us ,
and wo 'had ' to rely entirely on the pilot's
guidance. Captain Brown watched him like
a hawk , but I want to say that he acted on
the square with us nil the way. With a
llttlo freshening wo began to pick up , nnd
our good boat soon fairly leaped along. 'I
say , ' remarked a Scotchman \\ho was ono of
the six taken on at Cowes , 'Do we get some
prize money If we win this for you ? ' 'You
see that flag up there ? ' answered the mate ,
pointing o the stars nnd stripes. 'Well ,
that's what you're working for. That's nil
And with a good , clear diagram of a yacht
before the eye , a thorough understanding ot
sailing talk can be bad In half an hour.
Without it , the Inlander falls dumb when
ho embarks on any craft moro pretentious
than a ferryboat , and ho loses half the keen
pleasure of Stevenson , W. Clark Kuasell ,
Cooper and many another famous writer of
the sea.
The diagram which accompanies this article
shous a sloop yacht , or a cutter yacht , 0.3
the Englishman would say. A loop yacht
has one mast , the mainmast. If a forward
mast were added , and the arrangement
changed to suit , the vessel would then bo
called a schooner yacht , or In sea talk , a
"two-sticker. " The great race between the
Columbia and the Shamrock Is , therefore , a
race of sloop yach's. The America , which
was the original winner ot what Is now
known as tha America cup , was a schooner
yacht , but ncarfy all ot the cup contestants
elnco that time have been sloops.
, IVnlurrn of Ynolil * .
It Is supposed , to begin with , that the
reader knows that the extreme forward tip
of a yacht Is called the stem , that the for-
nnrdflirtlon Is called the bow , that the rear
end Is called the etcrn , nnd that the sides I
of the boat arc the beams. Every ono also
Though the Columbia Js but two feet longer than the America on the water line , her ninety-ton ballast twenty feet below the
water , and long overhang , enable her to stand an enormous spread of canvjis. The little diagram shows how the 'ballast ' holds
her up , A being the fulcrum. a - >
How thu Coluuibla'w crew lie out on thu d uck "like fish to dry , " so as not to catch any
11 lud and. thus impede the progress of the yacht.
the bloody prlzo you get. ' Beforq that our
crew had ulven no thought to the subject ,
and no ono would have mentioned It again
if the skipper had not after the race.
'Americans are too damn Independent to do
this for prize money , ' ho explained , 'but
you've done so well that there's a small
divvy comln. ' As a matter of fact , wo
each got a few dollars and our passage
money home.
AinprtPit'd AVenllier.
"When the treezo got fresh wo simply
walked away from everything In sight. . The
English yachts seemed to bo standing still.
As wo passed the leader nt a steamboat
speed , the pilot made a remark which after
ward caused trouble. 'Captain Brown , ' ho
said , by way of a Joke , 'I believe you have
a propeller astern. '
"This was caught up nnd passed along
until the English sailors heard It , and asked
it it was true. They would not bo convinced
usually made of the very best and stralghtest
spruce timber , although In the case of the
Columbia an immensely strong steel tube has
been used. At the top of tbo mainmast , the
topmast (2) ( ) ia attached. In the case of the
new cup defender this topmaet Is so made
that It will slide down Into the hollow portion
tion of the mainmast , but in ordinary yacht
construction it Is firmly attached to the out
side of the mainmast , as shown In the dia
gram. Thcso moats are held In place by
what are known as shrouds , long , heavy wlro
ropes (10 ( and 11) ) , which run from the
"hounds" at the top of the mainmast and
from the top ot the topmast to each side of
the hull , where they are firmly attached. In
order to further strengthen the topmast a
crosstrco (9) ( ) is 'placed at the head of tbo
topmast for spreading the topmast shrouds.
It was the breaking of this spreader which
caused the recent accident to the Columbia.
When the crosstree snapped the topmast was
\J > ARED IW StZE
COLUMBIA ,
In addition to the ColunVbla's ordinary tall urea ( AAA ) she carries n 'balloon ' Jib top
sail and a spinnaker. With this additional area the difference In opread of can
vas may bo seen.
otherwise , and after the race spread this
report ashore. Then wo were boarded 'by '
greater crowds than ever and were not
cleared of the charge really until the Amer
ica was put Into dry dock. No one could
understand how the Aurora was beaten so
badly without some device euch ns thin ,
She finished about halt an hour behind us ,
and this time would have be < m tripled had
not a strong breeze come up after wo had
crossed tbo line. "
For lock of twenty simple words yacht
racing to 05 per cent of the people of tbo
United States Is a sealed volume. It Is true
that the language of tbo yacht , which hns
as many terrors to the Inlander as Sanscrit
or Choctaw , has many more than twenty
words ; but a thorough knowledge of this
twenty-word vocabulary will transform the
story of an International race from a dreary ,
imlntelllglblo waato of technicalities Into a
narrative of fire and power. It will make a
yachting contest as fascinating as a game
of base ball or foot ball , or a horto race.
loosened and fell before the -wind with
such force that the steel mainmast broke
short off about half way of Its length. Next
to the mast In Importance la the bowsprit
(3) ( ) , which is hold down by the bobstay nnd
the bc/bstay / fall (10 ( and 17) ) . The main
boom (4) ( ) rpreads and holds fast the lower
portion of the mainsail ( A ) . At the top of
the mainsail is the caff (5) ( ) and above that
Is the club topsail ( D ) , reaching higher
oven than the top of the topmast. These ore i
the principal sticks In a sloop yacht. Tbo
racers are also provided with a very 1m- ' i
' portant boom called the spinnaker boom (7) ( ) .
j This boom Is removable nnd Is only used
i when the yacht is running full before the
I wind. It Is always conveniently placed on
1 the deck , so that when the wind is right it
can bo instantly placed In position. It Is let
down by the topping lift ( IS ) and held In
place by the spinnaker boom brnco ( ID ) and
the spinnaker boom guy (26) ( ) . It Is usually
spread almost opposite the mainsail , so that
It gives to the yacht practically two broad
wlngi , by means of which It can take full
advantage ot a following wind. In this way
Immensely Increasing Its fpced. A yacht
with spinnaker set and bellying full of wind
Diagram showing the arrangement of spars and sails on a sloop yacht.
knows that the keel of n yacht is the portion
which cuts deepest Into the water , and It
ia In the construction of the keel that the
grca'tcst changes and progress have been
made In yachting. Every ono who reads
the papers knows of the discussions which
have gone on for years as to the com
parative value of the center-board keel a
board which lets down sldowlso from the In
terior of the boat thrgugh the- bottom , the
fln keel , which is a deep , sharp , fln-llko
projection on the bottom ot the boat , the
bulb fln nnd the ordinary cutter keel.
So much for the liull of the boat. The
backbone of a sloop's rigging Is the main
mast , marked (1) ( ) in the diagram. This Is
Js a moat beautiful sight , resembling some
huge seagull skimming over the surface of
the water. Indeed , the sails are so big nnd
reach so far on each side ot the yacht that
the body of the boat Itself Is hardly visible.
No doubt much will bo said In the reports of
the coming races nbout the spinnaker and
how It Is set , for It Is nn exceedingly Im
portant feature In yacht racing.
FlICtH AlllHlt Sllllll.
The principal sail of a sloop Is the main
sail ( A ) . H Is held In place by the ropes
and tackle shown at (25) ( ) . These ropes are
called the sheets and they are by nil odds
the most important ropes connected with a
yacht. The skill ot a yachtsman Is based
l.lrirnlv nn Ilia fihltltvn Intiilf nr tnl/n In
thcso sheets , thereby giving the sail moro
or less wind. The speed of the yacht is de
pendent very largely upon the exactness
with which the mainsail Is managed. If the
wind is behind the boat the sheets will , of
course , bo cased out until the mainsail
stands at a wide niiRlo with the iencth of
the boat , thereby exposing as much surface
as possible. In sailing Into the wind or "by
the 'wind ' , " as the old seamen say , the sheets
are drawn in very close ; In other words ,
the yaoht Is "close-hauled , " so that the
mainsail stands almost parallel with the
length of the boat. The skipper must keep
his eyes wide open and never allow his hand
to leave the sheets for a moment , If ho would
get the best speed from his boat and prevent
being capsized by sudden squalls. The main
sail Is assisted by a number of smaller sails
before the mast. These are attached to vari
ous ropes connecting with the tip end of the
bowsprit and with the stem of the yacht.
The rope which connects the bowsprit with
the top of the topmast (15) ( ) is called the
topmast stay and holds the topmast from
jiolng pulled backward. Just as the topmast
backstay (20) ( ) holds It from bolng driven
forward. The line which reaches from the
top of the mainmast to the stem ot the
boat (14) ( ) is called the forcstay and It sup
ports the mainmast from falling backward.
The sail . ( B ) Is called the fore
sail. The sail ( C ) the Jib nnd
the sail ( E ) the Jib topsail. They
are all held In by ropes which can bo
easily extended or shortened so as to. draw
more or less wind. Ono of the most pictur
esque of the calls Is not shown In the dia
gram because it Is used only under certain
favoring conditions. This sail , the balloon
Jib , Is an enormous sail made of very light
cloth In the Columbia o silk and It Is
larger than either the mainsail or the spin
naker. It Is attached at the very front of
the boat and It Is supposed to gather up nil
the wind that there Is. It Is usually used
when the winds are very light. The correct
method of using a balloon jib Is a very Im
portant feature of the yachtsman's work , and
It may play an exceedingly Important part
In the C9ming race. The little flag at the
top ot the topmast (22) ( ) Is called the burgee ,
and that which flics from the tip of the
gaff is called the pennant. In case of heavy
winds It Is found necessary sometimes to
reef the Rails. This is done by means of
the little strings which are seen hanging in
rows along the lower part of the mainsail.
The canvas is pulled down to the boom nnd
tied with these strings , so that less surface
will bo exposed to the kind. Reefing Is only
done In case of a very heavy storm or
squalls.
With those few definitions the ordinary
reader will bo able to understand the pub
lished account of a yachting race , or , If
the diagram Is taken to the Hoashoro , It will
help the visitor to pick out the sloop-rigged
vessels and to distinguish dearly the various
sails nnd spars , thereby adding very greatly
to the pleasure of watching a vessel under
sail.
Mother of All Hit * IIcrrcHliolfH.
Across the street from the Hcrreshoff
shipyards In Drlwlol , where the Defender
and the Columbia were built , there stands
an old country house with a generous Now
England "stoop. " In front of It there Is a
row of magnificent trees and It looks out
upon the bay of Bristol , Sometimes In
pleasant weather a llttlo old woman In
black comcB out and sltn for a while with
ono of her daughters and watches the
stately yachts como up the harbor from
Newport and Kail Hlver. She Is the mother
of all the Hcrreshoffs. Last February ebo
celebrated her eighty-ninth birthday and
she was yet halo enough to take pride In
the Columbia as It was building In the
fillers , Che is a descendant of the famous
family of Lewises of Boston , merchants nnd
Bhlpmen , and she brings to the present
biaach of tlio family much of Its skill as
ship designers and builders.
Her husband , Charles Frederick Horrcs-
htiff , died thirteen years ago , leaving a fam
ily of seven oans and two daughters , two of
whom , James Jl. and Nat 0. , aio the organ
izers ot the famous shipbuilding company ,
Never was there n family moro positively
touched with genius. John II , Herrcshotf ,
the president ot the company , who has been
blind new for more than forty
years , developed In bin early boy-
NAT * hCRRESHOFP
THC HERRESHOW BROTHERS
I hood a genius for Invention. Some
of the older rcsldenls of llrlstol toll
today nbout the wonderful Horre-
shoft churn , which converted the milk nn
the Herreshoff farm at Providence Island
Into butler. Itns the Invention of John
H. "Captain Nnt , " as ho Is called in Hrls-
tel , built boats from the time hi > was n
nicro boy. At ono time ho constructed a
catamaran with which ho crulsixl up cud
down the harbor. It was an odd-looXlilg ,
wide craft , with abnormally largo R IK uid
when he flrst appeared ho was the butt of
much good-natured raillery. Forthwith ho
began to IMUO challenges to race , oiul much
to the astonishment of everybody , ho won
nil the races. And finally , to show what ho
could do , ho sailed down the hatbnr from
Newport , watched for ono ot the big sound
steamers bound up from Now York and
veering Into line beat the steamer Into
Providence.
Another of the Wind HorreshoITs. Lewl\
Is nn export swimmer , as well as Fomuthlng
of n literary man. I saw him not : iany day *
ago wading out Into the bay with n Hock of
little girls. Two of them held to hlj shoul
ders and ho swam out to n float anchored
twenty yards away , and there li * taught
them to dive. Still another of the blind
brothers has become nn accomplished mu
sician and gives lessons Ui Providence. Two
others are experimental chemists , and ono
lives on the old homestead of Iho family rn
thu quaint-named Papnequnsh point , across
the harbor from Bristol ,
Cnpt. W. II. Dtinlnp , Chatta
nooga , Tonn. . says : "Several years
ago boils ami carbuncles Appeared
upon me to an nlarniing extent ,
causing me grcnt trouble nnd pain.
Physicians' treatment did not seem
to avnil , nnd finally I decided to
give 8. S. S. a trial. I improved at
once , nnd after taking six bottles ,
thoboilsnndcarbunclesdiaappeared
entirely. "
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