Herreshoff #189104es [Unbuilt Schooner for J. E. Brooks]

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled sailplan of a gaff schooner proposal titled 'The rig that will win in the 90ft class. N.G.H.'. With list of particulars 'Length of deck 134ft. Length Billet head to taffrail 142ft. Length on w.l. 88ft 3in. Beam 25ft 4in. Draft 11ft. Draft with c.b. down 23. Displacement, about 155 tons gross. Dimentions[sic] of large model'. With sail calculations arriving at total sail areas of 9746sqft, 9940sqft, and 12240sqft as well, under the caption 'Cruising Rig', 7955sqft. Overlaying Model 1102 which has been shown to be a model for #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for J. E. Brooks of November 1891 shows a perfect match with this boat." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0516. WRDT04, Folder 41, formerly MRDE10. No date (1891-10 ???).)
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"[Item Description:] Three penciled sections with notes and dimensions titled '90ft w.l. schooner [#189104es Unbuilt schooner for J.E. Brooks]. 1891'." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0573. WRDT08, Folder 44. No date (1891-10 ???).)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) letter on 'Gilsey House, New York' stationery:]
Dear Nat
I have had a long talk with Mr. Holden [about #171p Lotus Seeker II] and Mr. Brooks [about #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for J. E. Brooks]. The steamer plan suits the former - in fact he says it is exactly what he had in his mind, except that he wants 'the other fellow' to take the oil burning apparatus and he will use coal. I am quite sure we will get an order from him before long. He has a telegram from his sailing master that the old stack[?] does not fit our new boiler. So please have a new [p. 2] steel stack made, unless there was one sent with the boiler.
He wishes to get it as soon as possible and forward it as follows 'E.R. Holden. Clayton, N.Y. by American Ex. Dead Head Pass 20174'.
Now for Mr. Brooks. He is a very clever fellow - wants a steel schooner, 89ft 9in water line, as long as you think best overall, width also left to you which I told him I thought you would have between 23 & 25 feet. The[?] keel settled upon instead of centerboard. [p. 3]
The draft of water not to be over 16 feet. What he wants to use his own words is a light but very fast cruising schooner, suitable for offshore work after he has had one season like that Mr. Morgan had in the GLORIANA [#411s] I should think a midship section with as little displacement as possible with extreme depth for low ballast and reasonable beam and ample free board. He says the sail plan like the GLORIANA was according[?] to his views lower sails wide and not too high, but very large light sails. He wishes us to [p. 4] make a model with all the necessary calculations, also a sail plan and a rough[?] cabin plan with the the[?] ideas carried out. He substantially agreed upon the price being for[?] outside limits $70,000. He would like to have a yacht built and ready for use by May next [1892] and will come to Bristol in two weeks or as soon as we have the model etc as described ready for his inspection there, and in case model etc. should not suit him and no order is given, he will pay us for our tie and professional services and we to retain our model & work. We talked cabin plans [p. 5] a little which I can explain on my returning. He would want you to see him through the principal regattas such as June and August next year. He seemed to have the SEA FOX [steel centerboard schooner designed by A. Cass Canfield and built by Harlan & Hollingsworth Co. in 1888. LOA 115ft. LWL 89.5ft. Beam 23.10ft] and MERLIN [centerboard schooner designed by Edward Burgess and built by Lawley in 1889 for Ralph F. Forbes. LOA 106ft. LWL 89-6ft. Beam 23-6ft] on his mind, and hoping we could beat them both.
Since writing the above Mr. Books has made us another call, and also Mr. Joy[?]. Mr. Brooks means business. He wants you to let him know if anything more is needed before going ahead with the model. If so let me know by return mail or telegram at the Astor House on Monday & I will arrange to talking with him again before returning home.
15 feet draught would suit him better than many[?], but I thought you would require nearly 16.
At any rate let me know if you can if the general information I have given him is what you will adopt. As I suppose he will [p. 6] try & see me on Monday. We are both [JBH & KWH] well. I talked with [sister-in-law] Emilie by telephone [Giles House is known to have been the first hotel in New York to offer telephone to its guests], found that [brother] Francis was in Canada. Ask [HMCo secretary Charles Wesley] Young to write me tomorrow and Sunday as we will may[?] stay until Thursday noon.
As always your brother John
[?] K [dictated to and written by his daughter Katherine Kilton Herreshoff]" (Source: Herreshoff, J.B. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_02870. Folder [no #]. 1891-10-09.)
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"[Item Description:] Colored ink on paper sailplan of a gaff centerboard schooner with a GLORIANA-style reverse curve bow and a continuous-convex-curved keel all the way aft. With penciled list of particulars 'Length on deck 127ft. Length on w.l. 88ft 9in. Beam 24ft 6in. Draft 11ft 4in. Displacement 160 3/4 tons gross. C.g. [center of gravity] of disp[lacement] 55.5% of waterline'. With penciled calculations arriving at a total sail area of 8285sqft (light wind 10185sqft). (This design matches the dimensions given in NGH's design notebook under date of November 1891 for Preliminary Model C #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks and is apparently a preliminary, less powerful, design of that boat with shorter LOA, less sail area and slightly more displacement.)" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Inked Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0539. WRDT08, Folder 43. No date (1891-11 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Colored ink on paper sailplan of a gaff centerboard schooner with a GLORIANA-style reverse curve bow and a continuous-convex-curved keel all the way aft. With penciled calculations arriving at a total sail area of 7520sqft. Compare with WRDT08_0810 which is believed to show a preliminary design of #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks and shows exactly the same design but with a larger rig (longer bowsprit, topmasts, larger sails)." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Inked Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0540. WRDT08, Folder 43. No date (1891-11 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Colored ink on paper general arrangement plan and inboard profile for a large schooner with GLORIANA-like bow showing what is believed to be #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks. Unlabeled, undated, believed to be late 1891." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Inked Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0513. WRDT04, Folder 41, formerly MRDE10. No date (1891-12 ???).)
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"[Item Description:] Blueprint general arrangement plan and inboard profile for a large schooner with GLORIANA-like bow showing what is believed to be #189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks. Stamped 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Bristol, R.I. Builders of Steam Vessels & Steam Machinery' on recto and verso. Unlabeled, undated, believed to be late 1891." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Blueprint. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0514. WRDT08, Folder 18, formerly MRDE10. No date (1891-12 ???).)
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"[Item Description:] Colored ink on paper sailplan of a gaff centerboard schooner with GLORIANA-style reverse curve bow and a pronounced knuckle at the forward end of the keel followed by an almost horizontal straight run aft [#189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks]. With penciled list of particulars 'Length on deck 141ft. Length on waterline 88ft 3in. Beam 25ft 9in. Draft 11ft. Displacement 158.9 tons gross. C.g. [center of gravity] of disp[lacement] 55.6% of waterline'. With penciled calculations arriving at a total sail area of 8650sqft (light wind 11895sqft)." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Inked Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0538. WRDT08, Folder 43. No date (1891-12 ???).)
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"[Item Transcription:] We have today arrived at Wheatly & received your letter w[hic]h I enjoyed extremely.
We have had a very anxious time lately having been detained in town by the illness of our boy a continuation of teething & gastric trouble w[hic]h kept his temp[erature] at 104 for a week, he is now we believe all right but very much pulled down.
I am surprised to hear that Mr. B[rooks] is considering a racer [#189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks] again. I am very much interested and hope to hear very soon that you have got the order. I saw Archie Rogers [soon-to-be owner of #414s WASP] at the horse show & he asked my opinion of [Charlie] Barr. I consider him first rate. I am glad to hear that there was something tangible to account for loss of speed in the JAVELIN [#164p] & hope somebody else will get the brencfet[?] of it.
The 35 [#417s DRUSILLA?] interests me very much & I am plan[?] you like her well. Enough to take the 25 raters similar[?]. How I envy you the sail in the 'COQUINA' [#404s]. I trust that Mrs. H[erreshoff] & the children are well & enjoying themselves. I have not seen the Forest & Stream lately but will look up the 'Sampans'." (Source: Morgan, E.D. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_77750. Correspondence, Folder 98. 1891-12-09.)
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"[Item Transcription:] I was so much disappointed to receive your letter & learn that the schooner was not to be built in Bristol [#189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks].
Of course Mr. B[rooks] knows best what he wants but I felt so sure that your design would have been a success. I also regret very much that you did not take my advice and see Mr B[rooks] yourself, a man that wants a boat wants to see the designer whose ideas it is impossible for anybody to represent accurately.
In the matter of foreman keeping the steel gang I could not advise, as far as I am concerned it would not be possible for me to build anything & I am so much out of the yachting world that I do not know of anyone talking 'new boat'. Remember me to the family and believe me..." (Source: Morgan, E.D. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_77770. Correspondence, Folder 98. 1891-12-11.)
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"[Item Transcription:] I have been 'going to write' for some days now but postponed it for two reasons, one is that Mrs Morgan has been ill & the other, that I have been waiting for an answer from Mr. Hyslop about your new method of measurement. I wrote him about it some time ago, he writes he expects to see you soon & that [E.A.] Willard is interested[?] so there is nothing new for me to say.
Mrs. Morgan's health has been gradually recovering[?] since the beginning of the year --- nothing serious but general lack of vitality, together with rheumatism & various other things small in rheensous[?] but meinded[?] having importance. She has been nearly three weeks in vad[?] now & probably will have to go to New York for a time to be looked after by a Sr, my skill in that line not being sufficient.
Mrs Morgan wanted me to say this in order that Mrs Herreshoff would understand why she had not heard from her about coming on for the visit she spoke of. I am glad to see the works are so busy but always regret the Brooks schooner [#189104es Unbuilt Schooner for Brooks]. I hope to get on to Newport before long & shall go to Bristol for a little chat. [Incl. envelope.]" (Source: Morgan, E.D. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_77830. Correspondence, Folder 98. 1892-02-22.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #189104es [Unbuilt Schooner for J. E. Brooks] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Taglang, Jacques. Mariette and the Herreshoff Schooners. Two vols. Eynesse, 2010.
  Vessel biographies, large-scale sail and lines plans reproduced from original HMCo plans. The definitive book on Herreshoff schooners.

"Little is known about this schooner which NGH referenced in his design notes as having been made three models for. Two of these models, Model 1102 and Model 1121, have been positively identified, a third, may be missing. A beautiful, inked and colored profile and accomodation plan in the Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Museum appears to show this schooner. The plan is unlabeled and undated, but superimposing photos of the model onto the profile appears to provide sufficiently good matches to allow identification. NGH's design booklet entry dated November 1891 titled 'Wgts of 3 Preliminary models for 90ft w.l. Schooner made for Mr. Brooks of N. Y.' describes Model A as 'Length overall 142ft. Length w.l. 88ft 6in. Beam 23ft 6in. Draft 13 1/2ft. Scale of model 1/4in per ft. [Calculated] Disp[lacement] ... 194.3/7 tons = 174 tons gross = 6300cu ft'. Model B was described as 'Length overall [no number given]. Length w.l. 88ft 3in. Beam 25ft 9in. Draft 11ft. Scale of model 1/4in per ft. [Calculated] Disp[lacement] ... 177.2 tons = 158.5 tons gross = 5510cu ft' and Model C as 'Length overall [no number given]. Length w.l. [no number given]. Beam [no number given]. Draft 11ft 3in. Scale of model 1/4in per ft. [Calculated] Disp[lacement] ... 180 tons = 160 3/4 tons gross = 5600cu ft'. This schooner was also mentioned in letters by E. D. Morgan to NGH dated December 11 and 13, 1891 and February 22, 1892 (Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 98) as a schooner for 'Mr. B'. NGH, in his design notes, identifies 'Mr. B's.' last name as 'Mr. Brooks of N.Y.' Mr. Brooks of New York was John E. Brooks (of famous New York clothing store Brooks Brothers).
Brooks subsequently contracted with A. Cary Smith to design him the steel centerboard schooner Lasca which was launched in 1892. Later that year Brooks also became part of the syndicate which owned the America's Cup Defense Candidate #435s Colonia. It appears Brooks made the wrong choices when it came to his yachting experience with the Herreshoffs. Lasca was described by George A. Stewart in Henry G. Peabody's wonderful photo book Representative American Yachts (New York, 1892, p. 10) as follows: 'The Lasca is a steel centreboard schooner, designed by Cary Smith, and built by Piepgras in 1892 for Mr. John E. Brooks of New York. Her dimensions are: Length over all, 119 feet; length, l.w.l., 80.5 feet; beam, 23 feet; draught, 10.7 feet. The Lasca was designed for a cruiser. She was not completed till late in the season, but took part in several of the important races of the year. While having little success in the races, she showed a good turn of speed in some of the runs of the New York Yacht Club cruise.' And Colonia lost out against Vigilant and never was given the chance to defend the America's Cup..." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. December 1, 2018.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.