HMCo #75p 150

"During the next few years the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company built several so-called 'Vedette' boats for the French and English governments. These were high speed launches, forty or fifty feet long, and I believe some of these were the first boats the Herreshoffs built with steel plating." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Wizard of Bristol. The Life and Achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with An Account of Some of the Yachts he Designed. New York, 1953, p. 100.)

"... FOR ABROAD. --- The Herreshoff's are building a fleet of picket launches for the British Admiralty, under the superintendence of Capt. Wm. Arthur, of the British Legation. The launches are 48 ft. long. ..." (Source: Anon. "Yachting News." Forest And Stream, February 24, 1881, p. 76.)

"Unusual activity is displayed at the Herreshoff works and much yacht work is in hand. ... The British Admiralty has not been slow to appreciate the Bristol specialties, and is now having built a couple of vidette boats [HMCo #74p "149" and HMCo #75p "150"] guaranteed to steam 16 miles. They are only 48 ft. long with 9 ft. beam, and will have compound engines of 190 H. P. Now the average launch owner imagines he has a boat which can steam 14 to 16 miles, but upon closer investigation 6 to 7 will be about all she really can do, and under very favorable circumstances perhaps 10. When the picket launches of 48 ft. are guaranteed to run 16 miles, or over 13 knots, off the reel it means something, for they are just humming, and very few people can boast of having made such speed in such small boats. ..." (Source: Anon. (C. P. Kunhardt?) "Yacht Building at Bristol." Forest and Stream, March 10, 1881, p. 117.)

"This company is now having erected a large frame building in addition to and adjoining the machine shop and boat works on Summer street, the new building being as large or larger than the original building, where so many fine large and small craft have been constructed and such a variety of first class machinery has been turned out. We visited the establishment a day or two since and by the politeness of Mr. Charles F. Herreshoff, were shown through the various departments of their busy shops. ...
Two vedette boats [#74p 149 and #75p 150] are being built, each 48 by 9 feet, for the British government, both to be fitted with compound machinery and boilers, same as others mentioned, but of greater power. ..." (Source: Anon. "The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company." Bristol Phoenix, March 19, 1881, p. 2.)

"An exhaustive series of comparative trials, extending over three days, has just been made by the steam departments at Portsmouth Dockyard with a Herreshoff and a White's 48 foot pinnace. The Herreshoff is worked on the inventor's coil boiler principle, and has both the engine room and the stokehole inclosed, forced air being used at a pressure of 2 inches as measured by the water gauge. White's, on the other hand, is an ordinary service pinnace, having only the stokehole inclosed, and is propelled by twin screws. As the result of six runs on the measured mile in Stoke's Bay, the Herreshoff realized a mean speed of 15.124knots, and White's a speed of 12.604 knots an hour. No diagrams were taken, as Mr. Herreshoff objected to their being taken with a closed engine room, so that the horse power developed was not ascertained. The vessels were also tested with respect to the economical consumption of fuel. Each pinnace took on board 10 cwt. of coal, and, having proceeded to the westernmost measured mile buoy, was kept running at full power until the engines stopped for want of steam on the consumption of the coal. The Herreshoff went twenty-eight times round the buoys before its fuel was exhausted, while Mr. White's boat, after going twenty-nine times round the buoys, proceeded into harbor, having, according to the London Times, 258 pounds of coal unconsumed at the end of the trial." (Source: Anon. "Trial of Steam Launches In England." Scientific American Supplement, September 17, 1881, p. 181.)

"Within a few years past the English naval authorities have deemed it advisable to adopt a new form, size, and style of steam vessel possessed of greater versatility of adaptation than any previously in the service. Boats swift and safe were demanded which, in time of war, could be used for keeping off marauders from a blockading fleet, carrying a limited number of persons for any special duty, transmitting despatches and orders, &c., which in times of peace would readily, for all the purposes of large navy launches, take the place of the small torpedo boats formerly applied to such service, but poorly adapted to it. To this new construction in marine architecture the title of 'vedette boats' was applied, and private builders were invited to compete in building them to meet all the high and specifically stated requirements of the Admiralty.
Of all who entered into competition, the most successful was John Samuel White of Cowes, an experienced builder of torpedo boats, who constructed a vedette boat capable of a speed of 13.8 knots per hour, and in other regards suitable, so that thenceforth he acquired a monopoly over all other English bidders in the supply of these vessels to the navy. Information of the existing demand and the extent to which it had been met having reached John B. Herreshoff and Nathaniel G. Herreshoff --- the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company --- of Bristol, R. I., they made a proposition to the Admiralty to furnish vedette boats which should be superior, not only in speed, but in all other respects, to those which were then regarded as the perfection of English naval construction of that class.
In January last they were notified that if they would present for trial in English waters two vedette boats [#74p 149 and #75p 150] of the same capacity as those built by John Samuel White, and capable of attaining a speed of 14 knots per hour, the boats would be purchased at a stipulated and satisfactory price. On the 16th of July last [1881] the Messrs. Herreshoff's two boats were landed in England, and immediately taken to the Portsmouth dock yard for trial. In competition with them appeared a new boat, of the same class and power, built by John Samuel White for the occasion, and presumably the flower of all his six or eight years experience in the construction of this style of vessel. The Herreshoff boats were each 48 feet in length, 9 feet beam, and 5 feet depth --- the same as White's, but, owing to the novel safety coil boilers and compound engines employed were much lighter.
After a long and exhaustive series of trials, the English judges unanimously pronounced in favor of the Herreshoff boats. They had made not simply the 14 knots per hour required, but actually 15 1/3 knots, while White had only been able to get 12.6 knots out of his boat. In floatage capacity they were equally superior. With all their machinery, coal, and water aboard, they were filled with water, and then twenty men were put aboard each, that human load being just so much in excess of the Admiralty test, and even then they had a floating capacity of three tons. Finally, the Examiners pronounced enthusiastically in favor of the Herreshoff safety coil boilers as unexplodable, less liable to injury from shot, capable of raising steam mere quickly, far lighter, and in all respects superior to White's, which was simply the ordinary marine tubular boiler. They worked at their highest speed with an indicated 140-horse power. So thoroughly successful were the Herreshoff boats that they were promptly accepted; $25.000 was paid for them, and a further order was given for two 'navy pinnaces,' [#80p and #81p] smaller boats, previously an especial feature of John Samuel White's constructions, which were to be accepted on condition that they were found, on thorough trial, more serviceable for the service intended than those already in use. ..." (Source: Anon. "Swiftest Boats Afloat." New York Sun. Unknown date. Reprinted in: Bristol Phoenix, January 7, 1882, p. 2.)

"SIR: In obedience to an order from the Navy Department dated the 3d of June, 1882, I proceeded to the city of Bristol, R. I., and there witnessed the trials in Narragansett Bay of the duplicate Vedette boats [#85p and #86p] built for the French Government by the 'Herreshoff Manufacturing Company' of that city.
In addition to the results of these trials, I obtained the original data, including indicator diagrams, of some of the trials made at Bristol and also in England, of two Vedette boats [#74p and #75p] built in 1880-'81 for the British Admiralty by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, which were the exact duplicate in all respects of those above referred to as constructed by that company for the French Government.
... In order to obtain the greatest speed possible from a boat of given lineal dimensions, it must be constructed of as little weight as possible, with the view of lessening to the utmost its displacement of water and the area of its external immersed or wetted surface. But the lessening of the weight, which is only possible by reducing the scantling of the material, must not be carried so far as to jeopardize the strength of the vessel necessary for its intended use. The exact point at which the minimum of material can be combined with adequate strength is determinable only by practice; and the extensive experience of the 'Herreshoff Manufacturing Company' in the construction of vessels of the Vedette boat type has enabled that firm to mark this point with precision. To place it as near lightness as possible, only the best and most carefully selected materials are used, while no pains or expense are spared to secure strength, durability, and excellence in the fastenings. Only the most skillful workmen are employed, selected from mechanics who make the building of such hulls a trade by itself.
The form of the vessel and the distribution of its weights, on which so much of its satisfactory performance depends, has been determined for given dimensions and speed by accurate trial and observation, every boat built being subjected to careful study and well-executed experiments. In this manner such great excellence has been attained as is only possible when a particular kind of manufacture is made a specialty, and success depends on producing the most superior article, irrespective of cost. The hulls of these boats, in whatever light considered, are beautiful specimens of scientific design and practical execution.
They cannot be produced by persons accustomed to designing and building only vessels of much greater dimensions, to be employed for different purposes and in different places, however skillful they may be in such constructions.
In this connection there may be stated that as regards strength to resist abnormal shocks, concussions, &c, resulting from collision and rough handling, the light vessel, by reason of its less weight, is less liable to injury than the heavier vessel, its momentum, which under these circumstances is the cause of injury, being at equal speed proportional to the weight alone.
The boats are constructed of wood by preference, having been found to be much stiffer with equal weight than if built of iron or steel. ..." (Source: Isherwood, B. F. "Report Made to the Bureau of Steam-Engineering, Navy Department, August 9, 1882, on the Vetted Boats Constructed for the British and French Navies by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I." Washington, 1882, p. 1, 40-41.)

"... In Rhode Island there is an establishment at Bristol, called the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, which builds a special class of small swift propellers to serve as vidette boats and pleasure yachts. These boats are modeled, constructed, and fitted out with a view of getting the highest possible speed, while at the same time leaving room for large and comfortable cabins for the guests. Two vidette boats built for the English government were 48 feet long, 9 feet beam, and 5 feet deep from the gunwales, and were framed with oak; the planking was fastened with brass screws. The engines were of 125 horse-power, and in each case the whole boat with machinery aboard weighed only 7 tons. With a pressure of 140 pounds of steam and the propeller making 550 revolutious per minute the boats ran at a speed of 17 2/3 miles per hour. On their arrival in England they were each supplied with one Gatling gun, and were employed for the torpedo service. ..." (Source: Hall, Henry. Report on the Ship-Building Industry of the United States. Washington, 1884, p. 160.)

"About 1880, the English naval authorities decided to replace the small torpedo boats they had been using with steel-hulled, launch-type vessels of greater versatility. John Samuel White of Cowes was the most successful of the private builders who had been invited to compete for the construction of these new 'vedette' boats. His boats attained a speed of 13.3 knots.
When the Herreshoff brothers learned of the demand for these boats, they sent a proposal to the British Admiralty stating that the Herreshoffs would supply vedette boats that were not only superior in speed, but better in other respects as well. The Herreshoffs received a reply stating that if their vedettes were capable of 14 knots, the Admiralty would purchase them. On July 16, 1881, two Herreshoff vedettes [#74p 149 and #75p 150] landed in England and were taken to Portsmouth for trial. These boats were 48 feet in length, 9 feet beam, and 5 feet depth, exactly the same as White's. The Herreshoff Safety Coil Boiler made them much lighter, and after a lengthy series of trials, the Admiralty found in favor the Herreshoff boats. Not only did they make the required 14 knots, they actually made 15 1/2 knots; the White vedette used for comparison only made 12.6 knots." (Source: Bray, Maynard and Carlton Pinheiro. Herreshoff of Bristol. Brooklin, Maine, 1989, p. 19.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled dimensioned technical drawing on brown paper of what appear to be 8" & 14" bore x 9" stroke cylinders. This might be related to the engine built for #64p [Torpedo Boat for Russian Navy], #74p 149 and #75p 150 built between 1880 and 1881. Untitled, a few notes, undated (filed with steam engine plans from 1885)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Technical Drawing. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE11_02380. Folder [no #]. No date (1881 ???).)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten notebook titled in ink '1881. (Supplies.) 60ft Yacht[s]. 48ft Vidette. 45ft Vidette' listing 'Supplies [delivered by HMCo] for 60ft Steam Yachts with 6 and 10 1/2 x 10 Engine & Ii boiler [#76p IDLE HOUR, #72p CAMILLA, #77p EDITH, #79p DIDO]. Also 'Supplies for 45 feet open yacht with 4 1/4 and 7 x 7 engine, G boiler' [#78p Juliet]. Also 'Supplies for 48 feet Vidette boats Nos 74 and 75 [#74p and #75p]'. Also 'List of spare parts for 8 and 14 x 9 Engines. Str. #74 & #75 [#74p and #75p]'. Including an inserted penciled note listing anchors and cables supplied for #590s INGOMAR." (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.143. Notebook. Box HAFH.6.5B, Folder Supply List for Vessels. 1881.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Newspaper clipping that can be shown to be from the Bristol Phoenix, March 19, 1881, p. 2:] This company is now having erected a large frame building in addition to and adjoining the machine shop and boat works on Summer street, the new building being as large or larger than the original building, where so many fine large and small craft have been constructed and such a variety of first class machinery has been turned out. We visited the establishment a day or two since and by the politeness of Mr. Charles F. Herreshoff, were shown through the various departments of their busy shops.
Among the vessels now being built to order are --- one steam yacht [#72p Camilla] 60 feet in length by 9 feet in width for Dr. Holland, editor of Scribner's Monthly; another [#76p Idle Hour] of the same size for Mr. Carver, a prominent broker of New York city; and still another [#77p Edith] of the same size for a Mr. Woodward, also of New York; also one steam yacht [#78p Juliet], 45 feet long and 9 feet wide, for Mr. A. Newbold Morris, of New York.
A most beautiful steam launch [#73p Launch for St. Y. Radha], 30 feet in length and 5 feet in width, nearly completed, was receiving the final touches of the skilled workmen. This vessel is for Mr. T. Lorillard, and is one of the finest and handsomest craft ever built in this or any other country. Her keel is of oak, the inside planking of cherry, and the outside, from keel to upper works, deck, etc., all of polished mahogany. We noticed that this launch and the others mentioned were all put together with brass screws, --- no nails being used. The inside planking (or boarding) is put on in an acute angle from the outside planking, making the vessel much firmer and less liable to be wrenched or twisted out of shape.
All of the yachts and the launch mentioned are, or will be fitted with the Herreshoff compound engines, and safety coil boilers.
Two vedette boats [#74p 149 and #75p 150] are being built, each 48 by 9 feet, for the British government, both to be fitted with compound machinery and boilers, same as others mentioned, but of greater power. The yacht Sadie [#186704es] is being enlarged and rebuilt; she was formerly a sloop, but is now a schooner; her dimensions now are, length, 64 feet, breadth, 16 1/2 feet; she is owned by Mr. W. A. Cole, of New York.
They now have, nearly completed, a compound engine and boiler for a yacht 80 feet long, belonging to Mr. Mark Hopkins, of Detroit, Mich., where the machinery will be put in the yacht. The cut be-low is a very good representation of the Herreshoff Compound Engine. [Woodcut of a compound steam engine]
A writer in a recent number of the Scientific American says: The engines used in the Herreshoff system for marine purposes are of the compound condensing type, having feed and air pumps attached. The machinery of this system is especially noteworthy for its extreme lightness and for the judicious distribution of material, all of the parts having ample strength, and no portion being loaded with useless metal, which would rather detract than add to the efficiency of the machine. These engines use the steam with the highest economy, actual and prolonged tests having proved the efficiency to be at least 40 per cent greater than that of the non-expanding type. As to mechanical details of construction, finish proportion and general design these engines leave nothing to be desired.' The same writer concludes his article as follows: 'The entire range of the manufactures of the Herreshoff company exhibit careful and intelligent supervision, and workmanship that is in every way superior.'
The steam yacht LEILA [#40p], 100 feet in length, built by the Herreshoffs about two years ago, has recently been sold to a Club, at Toledo, O., where she will be forwarded about the first of May next.
The Company are building a number of engines and boilers for United States Navy launches, also constructing engines and boilers for running electrical light machines to be used by the United States Electric Lighting Co., of New York. The quickness with which steam may be raised, the freedom from danger of explosion, the lightness of both boiler and engine, and the perfection of the mechanical details, render this system valuable for this purpose, and admits of placing powerful machines in the midst of crowded cities without danger to life or property.'
It is a specialty at this establishment to do nothing but (first-class work, to build no second rate vessels. All the steam launches and yachts are finished up in the very best workmanlike manner in cherry, mahogany and costly kinds of wood. The Company has now in its employ about one hundred men, on boats and machinery.
It is a specialty at this establishment to do nothing but first-class work, to build no second rate vessels. All the steam launches and yachts are finished up in the very best workmanlike manner in cherry, mahogany and costly kinds of wood. The Company has now in its employ about one hundred men, on boats and machinery." (Source: Anon. "The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company." Bristol Phoenix, March 19, 1881, p. 2.)" (Source: Bristol Phoenix (creator). Newspaper Clipping. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE14_01220. Folder [no #]. 1881-03-19.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) trial report marked 'Copy' and titled 'Steam Pinnaces. Nos 149 [#74p] & 150p [#75p]. New York, July 5, 1881':] I have the honor to report for the information of the [?] Com[?] Admiralty[?] that Steam[?] Pinnaces 149 & 150 were shipped at N.Y. on B.S. 'PERSIAN MONARCH & sailed for the Thames[?] on Saturday[?] last - 2nd[?] July [1881].
Previous to leaving Bristol I tested both the boats with satisfactory results. No 149 [#74p]ran at full speed on a three knot course from Bristol Ferry Light to Sandy Point Light, the distance having been determined by the Geodetic Coast Survey Department, time against tide, 11m 46s, with tide, 11m 37s, going a mean of over 15 knots an hour, with 140lbs steam and 520 Revolutions. The engines [p. 2] indicating 155[?] horse power.
In[?] 150 [#75p] ran[?] even better the vacuum being more perfect, but she was not pushed for full speed. They both showed good sea going qualities, steaming easily ten, or eleven knots with natural draft, and twelve knots with a funnel blast.
I would support that they may be both tried in a seaway, and for continuous steaming, time, and weather not having permitted such being carried out before they left.
They steamed round from Bristol R.I. a distance of 180 miles and were hoisted on board the PERSIAN MONARCH with boilers & engines on board [p. 3] a span[?] being used which extended from a bollard near the stem, to another near the stern, both of which had been made exceptionally strong for the purpose. The boats showed no signs of straining they weighed under seven tons.
There is a marked improvement within the last two years in the quality and finish of workmanship, tuned out by Messrs[?] Herreshoff's firm, both in respect to hull and machinery and these boats will in many respects compare favorably with those of English Construction. [p. 4]
Mr. John Herreshoff sailed in the PERSIAN MONARCH with the boats & they may be expected in the Thames about the 15 inst.
I have the honor[?] to be[?] sim[?]
[four unreadable words]
signed W. Arthur
Captain R.N." (Source: Arthur, Capt. William, Royal Navy (creator). Report. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_04320. Folder [no #]. 1881-07-05.)
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"[Item Description:] Letter from E. Southsea, England, have been busy this week, educating Engineers and Stokers, one sided manoevering trial & heat for stiffness that White was to have made to bring out weak points in our boats [#74p and #75p] was vetoed by me, this brought out a little school-boy article in the [London] Times of the 11th [July 1881], our boats are handier, faster & in nearly all points superior to Whites', Fred[erick Allen] Gower was with us to-day, he had just come from Southampton in the [#187702es] GLEAM & passing close by recognized me, the GLEAM is in fine condition & beats everything under 30 or 40ft, all we now have to do here is to make the contract runs, shall probably leave on next Thursday's boat for France, [Charles L.?] Seabury & Gray have done all here that could be desired, I was glad to hear about the regatta in the paper you sent, tell Albert [S. Almy?] he is getting the [#188001es?] NORA into good habits, tell Nat [NGH] double boilers should be put in the 33ft launches [#80p and #81p] as they are such an improvement over the single coils" (Source: Herreshoff, J.B. Letter to Herreshoff, Lewis. Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection Item LIB_6770. HMM Library Rare Books Room (Box 5), Folder 179A. (1881)-08-01.)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink) diagram titled 'Herreshoff Pinnace No 150 [#75p]. Round the Isle of Wight. 4th August 1881' with several steam engine indicator diagrams (noting steam pressure, vaccuum, revolutions) for various time points during the trial." (Source: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_04380. Indicator Diagram. Folder [no #]. 1881-08-04.)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink) diagram titled '48ft Steam Pinncace No 11. Trial round the Isle of Wight. 4th August 1881' with several steam engine performance diagrams (noting steam pressure, vaccuum, revolutions) for various time points during the trial. This trial was done on the same day that #75p Pinnace No 150 was tested around the Isle of Wight, apparently to compare with her." (Source: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_04390. Trial Run Note. Folder [no #]. 1881-08-04.)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink) trial report titled 'Herreshoff Pinnace No 150 [#75p] and 48 feet Pinnace No 110. Comparative Trial round Isle of Wight 4th August 1881'. Marked in blue pencil 'Unofficial'. With comparative vessel data and steam engine performance data." (Source: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_06620. Trial Report. Folder [no #]. 1881-08-04.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) letter on 'Admiralty, SW' stationery:] Sir
I beg leave to forward to you the enclosed particulars of the trials of Steam Pinnaces Nos 149 [#74p] and 150 [#75p] in accordance with the request contained in your letter of the 8th instant.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant, ...
[With attached sheet with trial data showing max. speeds of 15.124kn and 14.052 at boiler pressures of 145lbs and 142.5lbs and mean numbers of revolutions of 453.07 and 438.91 for #74p and #75p, respectively.]" (Source: Secretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall, London. Letter and Trial Report to Dunell, George R. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_03340. Folder [no #]. 1881-09-19.)
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"[Item Description:] Newspaper clipping titled 'Swiftest Boats Afloat. English Builders Astonished by the Herreshoffs' about the tests of #74p and #75p, two Herreshoff-built 48ft Vedette boats, by the Bristish Navy in England, the article contains a detailed early history of HMCo with many quotes by JBH, much early history detail (including a JBH quote that about 2000 non-steam boats had been built up to date), many early boats mentioned, including torpedo boat for Peru [#53p, #55p or #60p] built in 19 days, mention of bringing home to Bristol the order for two Vedette boats for the French Navy (#85p, #86p), detailed employment statistics, all suggesting it may have been written by Lewis Herreshoff, undated, but research shows this to be from The New York Sun of December 18, 1881, p. 6." (Source: New York Sun (creator). Newspaper Clipping. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_28820. Subject Files, Folder 18, formerly 126. 1881-12-18.)
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"[Item Description:] Printed booklet titled 'Report Made to the Bureau of Steam Engineering, Navy Department, ... on the Vedette Boats [#74p, #75p, #85p, #86p] constructed for the British and French Navies by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I.'." (Source: Isherwood, Adm. Benjamin F. (creator). Booklet. MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.090. Box HAFH.6.2B, Folder Vedette Boats. 1882.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Several superimposed penciled sections, some with pinpricks. They are labeled '94ft Torpedo boat [#118p STILETTO] 1883[sic]. Scale 3/4ft', '48f vedette boat [#74p & #75p Vedette boats for the English Navy and #85p & #86p Vedette boats for the French Navy]', '# 55 & 60 [#55p & #60p Torpedo Boats for Peru]', '# 57 & 58 [#57p & #58p Launches for N. Y. Coast Survey]', '#71 [SPORT]' and '# [blank] 33ft launch [probably #62p & #63p Launches for U.S. Navy and others from the same model]'.
On verso handwritten (in ink) satirical list:
Attention: 1 Bells
Are you there?: 1 Bells
Is J.B.H. there?: 2 Bells
Want N.G.H. at machine shop: 3 Bells
Want J.B.H. at machine shop: 4 Bells
Want N.G.H. at boat shop: 5 Bells
Want J.B.H. at boat shop: 6 Bells
Want sand paper: 1-1 Bells
Want cotton wicking: 1-2 Bells
Want drawings of catamaran: 1-3 Bells
Want drawings of steamers: 1-4 Bells
Want drawings of engines: 1-5 Bells
Want drawings for pattern maker: 1-6 Bells
Want brass screws, 7/8in no 8: 2-1 Bells
Want brass screws, 1in no 9: 2-2 Bells
Want brass screws, 1 1/4in no 10: 2-3 Bells
Want brass screws, 1 1/2in no 11: 2-4 Bells
Want brass screws, 2 3/4in no 16: 2-5 Bells
Want brass screws, 2in no 16: 2-6 Bells
Want tire bolts 1 1/4in by 7/32: 3-1 Bells
Want tire bolts 1 1/2in by 7/32: 3-2 Bells
Want tire bolts 1 3/4in by 7/32: 3-3 Bells
Want tire bolts 2in by 7/32: 3-4 Bells
Want tire bolts 2 1/2in by 7/32: 3-5 Bells
Want tire bolts 3 1/4in by 7/32: 3-6 Bells [Undated (ca. 1877?]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0591. WRDT08, Folder 45. No date (first half of 1880s and ca. 1877 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Ink on paper diagram titled 'Curves from Cards and data taken June 24th 1881'. With explanations 'Curves in ink. Steamer #74 [149]. English Vidette Boat. Pitch of Screw 3.5. Dia of Screw 36in' and 'Red curves. Steamer #75 150]. Dia. of Screw 36in. Pitch of Screw 52in'. X-axis is labeled 'Speed in knots' (with units from 1 to 13) and y-axis is not labeled with left side showing units from 1 to 15 and right side showing units from 10 to 250 (apparently pounds per square inch steam pressure). With plots labeled 'Total St[eam] Pr[essure], 'Horse Power', 'Rev[olution]s', and 'Slip' for #74p and #75p. Plus additional plots in separate area of the diagram labeled 'NEREID [#83p], total steam [pressure] (cutoff at 6in)', 'DIDO [#79p] total steam [pressure]', 'NEREID revol[utions]', 'DIDO revolutions', 'Slip' and 'Slip'. Undated (NEREID was delivered April 13, 1882.)" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Diagram. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08970. Folder [no #]. No date (1882-04 ??).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (in ink and pencil) trials booklet titled 'HMCo. Experiments. 1882'. Relevant contents:
§2: #75p 150 Trial Run best speed 10.85kn (1881-06-28 & 1881-06-29)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_02860. Folder [no #]. 1881-06 to 1883-03.)
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"[Item Description:] A group of at least 12 or 13 midship sections of different steam yachts, overlaid on top of one another, apparently to facilitate comparisons. Untitled. Some sections are labeled ('Deck #151 [BALLYMENA]', 'Deck #155 [AUGUSTA III]', '51 1/2ft yacht Feb[ruary] 1881 [???]', 'Vedette 1880-1 [#74p 149 and #75p 150]', '#59[?] [Open Steam Yacht Sidewheel]', '#57 & 58 Launch [Launches for U.S. Coast Survey]', '#153 [MADGE]', '#151 BALLYMENA', '(31)[?] [FRANCESCA (?)]', '150[?] [SAY WHEN]', 'LEILA [#40p]'. Undated (the latest yacht mentioned was designed in 1889)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_09100. Folder [no #]. No date (1899 or later).)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #75p 150 even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Isherwood, Benjamin Franklin. "Report Made to the Bureau of Steam-Engineering, Navy Department, August 9, 1882, on the Vedette Boats Constructed for the British and French Navies by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I." Washington, 1882. [Held by: Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass. Technical and Business Records pertaining to the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Series VI, Folder HH.6.90 (Vedette Boats), Box Number Box HAFH.6.2B.] (5,858 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: No. Detailed description of the Vedette boats built for the British and French navies in 1881 and 1882. Particular emphasis on steam machinery.

• No150 (HMCo-made index card)
• No150 (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Name: "150"
Type: Steam
Length: 48'
Owner: British Navy

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• No149 No150
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: 150
Type: 48' steam Vedette
Owner: British Navy
Year: 1888
Row No.: 805

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Year: 1881
E/P/S: P
No.: 075
Name: No."150"
OA: 48'

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"Exported to England." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 2, 2008.)

"Dimensions from Isherwood, B. F. 'Report Made to the Bureau of Steam-Engineering, Navy Department, August 9, 1882, on the Vedette Boats Constructed for the British and French Navies by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I.' Washington, 1882." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. November 13, 2015.)

"Weight of Hull for 74 Vedette. All wood work complete except engine room floor and rudder. All iron bulkheads in and steel top on: 6993lbs [for #74p (#75p should be the same)].]" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Experiments Booklet 1880 - 1881 under date of May 7, 1881. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"Weight of hull and fittings 6,993 pounds." (Source: Isherwood, B. F. "Report Made to the Bureau of Steam-Engineering, Navy Department, August 9, 1882, on the Vedette Boats Constructed for the British and French Navies by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company at Bristol, R.I." Washington, 1882, p. 6.)

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