The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

(ESTABLISHED 1878.) PUBLISHED EVERY [THURSDAY BY THE MARINE RECORD’ PUBLISHING CO., [INCORPORATED. ] GEORGE L. SMITH, President, MANAGER. G3 E. RUSKIN, 30: . é : W. L. McCormick, .- j : 3 EDITror. Tuomas WILLIAMS, Chicago, . ° ASSOCIATE. CLEVELAND, CHICAGO, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, ROYAL INSURANCE BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR. Room 308. SUBSCRIPTION. One copy, one year, postage paid, $2.00. One copy, one year, to foreign countries, $3.00. Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office. THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING Co., FOURTH FLOOR, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, CLEVELAND. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as Second-Class Mail Matter. ae RS 2 A TE CLEVELAND, O., AUGUST 27, 1896. RE! A EE SERRE A TT LS EY HERE AND THERE. Forest and Stream quotes at length THE RECORD’S remarks, in the issue of July 30, which were made in reply to a diatribe appearing in that paper in opposi. tion to the Payne bill, now pending in Congress, which places yachts practically on a level with the merchant fleet as regards American ownership and registry. THE RECORD devoted itself especially to the slurs upon the lake-built steamyachts Wadena and Comanche, upon which the Forest and: Stream comments as follows: When Wadena was lengthened has nothing to do with the question of her design, it is even a fact that she made a trip across the Atlantic and back before being rebuilt; but many of the old salt water sailors who saw her leave Tebo’s with her decks nearly level with water never expected to see her again. That she did get back proves just about as much as the recent crazy venture of rowing across the Atlantic in an open boat. ‘THE RECORD chooses its words very carefully in explaining that the object of lengthening was to reduce her draft 10 feet 6 inches, certainly not excessive for a sea-going yacht of her length. The real reason for the alteration was that the yacht as designed had not suffi- cient displacement for her machinery and coal, and with enough coal aboard to carry her to a convenient coaling station on her ocean trip she had next to no freeboard, her deck being perilously near the water. If this is not bad design, we do not know what to call it, for the yacht was especially designed for a trip around the world. The faults were later remedied at an ex- pense that would have paid a designer’s fee many times over. Comanche is avery serviceable craft, far superior to many other American steam yachts, a good sea boat and elegantly furnished below; but that she is abso- lutely devoid of that graceful appearance which is pop- ularly supposed to characterize the more costly steam yachts is hardly capable of argument, it is only neces- sary to look at her. Her deck plan is only one point of many open to comparison in considering her ap- pearance. * ° . . . . ° . We.were under the impression that most shipbuilders ask for trade under the representation that they are masters of their profession, fully competent to carry out all contracts that they make; according to THE RECORD, however, it is the duty of the customer to pay for the education and the unsuccessful experiments of the builder. This is closely in accord with the idea prevalent in many trades, that the yacht owner of all men was specially created to pay bills, and for no other good purpose. The plea of the interference of the owner has come up repeatedly in this discussion, but whatever weight may attach to it, there is in it nothing to justify an ignorance of design. Some of the most conspicuous failures have been made in filling what was practically a carte blanche order, with a minimum of limitations from the owner. On the other hand, one of the largest of the new Watson yachts was practically designed in THE MARINE RECORD. New York last fall under the eye of the owner, who was most rigid in his requirements. Like others who have advanced this same point, THE REcorD fails to explain why there is such a difference as it claims be- tween steam yachts and sailing yachts; in the latter, as in Yampa, Lasca, Emerald and Defender, both owner and designer manage to work in harmony anda perfect vessel is produced; if this method of proceedure is pos- sible with sailing yachts in this country, and with both steam and Sailing yachts in England, why is it not possible here in the case of steam yachts? : Tue RECORD’S remarks about mudslinging and malice are strongly suggestive of our recent experience with the Marine Journal, which started on the same tack by denouncing our statements as untrue, but when con- fronted with an opportunity to prove them so promptly declined the issue. As THE MARINE RECORD has as- sumed to speak with authority as to Wadena and Comanche, possibly it will give us some information which we have been unable thus far to obtain, and tell us who the designers or draftsmen were who made the plans for these American yachts. * * * Beginning at the end of the above extract, we would say that THE REcoRD is glad to give such information regarding the yachts as lies in its power. The Wadena was designed by Mr. A. Angstrom, now with the Ber- tram Engine Works, Toronto, who was with the Cleve- land Ship Building Co. when the Wadena was built. She was intended originally for a lake yacht, and not for atrip around the world, as Forest and Stream states. She was, itis true, built with a view to going to sea, if desired, but only for coasting cruises, and for these reasons the coal-bunker capacity was limited. After work on the hull was well advanced, the owner decided to put in an ice-making machine, a very heavy affair, and some other auxiliary apparatus. This put her down to10 feet 6 inches, which, if not as Forest and Stream says ‘‘excessive’’ for a sea-going yacht, is certainly a little too much for a craft which has to traverse a number of nine-foot canals in the St. Law- rence River. It is true that when the Wadena left New York on her first voyage across the Atlantic, she was pretty well down in the water, but her behavior was of the best, and after she was half-way across she was far enough out of the water to suit the most fastid- ious. When she was lengthened 11 feet to give her more coal-bunker room for long voyages, the work was done under the direction of the original builders, and performed to their satisfaction. * = * The criticisms of the Comanche are too general to ad- mit of any reply. Ifthe open deck is only ‘‘one fault of many,’’ another point of attack must be her zig. She carries square yards forward, which do, it is true, give her a peculiar look; but Forest and Stream has been the first to charge that it detracted from graceful appearance. The Comanche’s spars are for other uses besides carrying lights, and falling back on Mr. Rus- kin’s theories, we must uphold the spar that actually carries canvas against that which serves only for orna- ment. But the Comanche needs little in the way of de- fense, as will be seen by the extract quoted above. She was built by the Globe Iron Works Co., and several members of that company, with the corps of draughts- men, had a hand in her design, the owner also having a good deal to say about it. And it didn’t prove a case of too many cooks, either. es We make no claim that shipbuilders take any more modest ground than that they are masters of their pro- fession. They certainly consider themselves such when they enter into a yacht contract, and their cus- 1omer would be the last to dispute the truth. But the owner knows the yacht is to be built for his own con- venience and comfort, and he has no hesitation in stating what he wants. He rarely meddles with the hull model; but unfortunately, the hull must be modeled to meet the requirements of the interior, or trouble is encountered at once. The reference to sailing yachts seems almost like begging the question. When owner and builder come together to design a sailing racer, all forces are pointed in one direction and the owner will willingly relinquish his desire for certain little luxuries when he is assured by the architect that they would in- terfere with the speed lines of the hull. The prospect- ive owner ofa steam yacht builds her primarily after ideas of comfort and luxury, speed being secondary consideration. If the impression has gone abroad that the chief use of a yacht owner is to pay bills, we have only to say that most fresh water owners have acted in a manner to fully justify that idea. The excess penses have accrued in every case at the expr mand of the owners, who have always set a murrer with the statement that if they were willix pay the bills, the shipbuilder was losing nothing b experiments. The builders do get the blame for takes, however, and this fact ought to be more sidered by owners. * * The Marine Journal, of New York, has an intere s editorial discussing the probable names of the th new battleships authorized by Congress. These are be named after States, and the names most prominer mentioned are Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Virgin The first and third are offered o into naval construction. of a claim, and the name is considered euphonious. The Journal says that but two Ohio cities, Cincinnati and Wabash, have been honored in naval nomenclature. A closer study of American geography by the Journal will reduce this number to one, as Wabash happens to_ be one of Indiana’s leading cities. There are Ohio _ towns thriving under the names Alliance, Lancaster, and Marion, and a hamlet known as Marblehead, but it was not to distinguish any of these that the several ships were so named. Battleships have been named in honor of three lake States—New York, Michigan and Indiana, Now Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois should come to the front. For the six gunboats there are perhaps six dozen cities anxious to serve as namesakes. Indian names seem to be in the lead. Rhode Island offers Narragan- sett and Pawtucket; Mississippi, Natchez and Chatta hooche;. Kansas, Witchita and Topeka; Wisconsi Itasca and Winnebago; Ohio, Scioto and Miami; Illinoi Kaskaskia; Arkansas, Ouichita; West Virginia, Ka- nawha; and soon. The idea of using Indian names i commendable from both sentimental and practical stand- points. There is nothing else so thoroughly American, 2 and asso many other names of towns are taken from cities of Kurope, there is a possibility of duplication with names of foreign ships, although their naval vessels are not named on the same system. as those of the American navy. a * * For the new torpedo boats the selection will honor the memories of men illustrious in naval science and war- fare. This will be one of the most delicate tasks in this line that ever fell to a Secretary of the Navy, an doubtless more thought will have to be given to its per- formance. Commodore Perry has long been remem- bered in the revenue cutter service, but it seems har that the memory of aman so eminent among naval wa riors—and of these America has not a long list—should be relegated to lines so nearly approaching those of civil duty. The name has been applied successively to revenue cutters to perpetuate his fame on the lakes, where warships are almost tabooed; but now that the iB: Perry has been assigned to ocean duty, it would hardly — be amiss to make a change, and put the name of Perry _ where it rightly belongs. a 0 — OBITUARY. CAPT. JAMES PARKS. Capt. James Parks, a retired veSsel master, died at his ~ home in Toledo last Saturday evening, August 22, aged ~ 76 years. Capt. Parks began sailing the lakes in early a manhood, and commanded the schooner Rebecca in Ante- bellum days. Afterwards he sailed Russell Dart, — Miami Belle, and Evelyn Bates. oe CAPT. HALVOR JOHNSON: : Capt. Halvor Johnson, an old and well known retired Lake Michigan master, died last Monday evening at the home of his son in Two Rivers, Wis., as the result of frightful injuries received in a runaway accident a few days previous, He was about sixty-five years old and leaves a family. -_ —-——— —— The Minnesota Iron Co. has already enough ore stock. pile for all shipments this season and min operations are now being carried on simply to keep t married men at work. Se ae