HMCo #153p Madge

"New Engine and Boiler for Madge #153. 4-15-98. Engine 4 1/2in x 7in x 11 1/4in x 7in, used old coupling # 2983 1/2. Feed pump 3042 etc. Boiler see dr[awing] Mar-26-98. Old shaft made shorter. Propeller 3 Blades # 23 1/2. Smokestack." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G.?. Note on plan HH.5.00180 (003-040) Constr. Plan of 48' Steam Launch (1886-06). Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge MA. https://collections.mitmuseum.org/object/hh-5-00180/.)

"The Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. have no less than six vessels to build, having recently contracted for two steam yachts, one [#151p Ballymena] of 145 feet in length, and the largest ever built at their Works, and the other [#153p Madge] 48 feet in length. The vessels to be built will necessitate the employment of a greater number of workmen than was ever before employed at that flourishing establishment." (Source: Anon. "Local Affairs." Bristol Phoenix, January 14, 1888, p. 2.)

"At the Herreshoffs. ... A mahogany steam yacht for J. A. Drake of Seneca Lake, N. Y., will be upon the water in a day or two. It will be as handsome a craft as was ever launched from the Herreshoffs' yards. It is a duplicate to the Henrietta [#133p], that made some marvellous runs a year or two ago. The given rate of speed is 20 miles an hour. She will be non-sinkable, having double wood above and below the water line. Her dimensions are 48 feet in length, with 7 1/2 feet beam. She will have a triple expansion engine, with brass smokestack. She will be used upon Seneca Lake." (Source: Anon. "At the Herreshoffs." Boston Globe, June 1, 1888, p. 4.)

"The steam yacht Madge, owned by Mr. Drake, of Corning, N. Y., arrived from New York last Friday [June 22, 1888]. She ran from New York through the Erie canal to Montezuma and thence through the Seneca and Cayuga to Geneva, and Seneca Lake to Dresden and was then conveyed overland to Lake Keuka where she was launched.
The Madge is a neat clean craft, fifty feet of mahogany. She can easily run eighteen miles an hour and by crowding can run twenty. --- Yates County Chronicles." (Source: Anon. "Vicinity." Watkins [Schuyler Co., NY] Express, June 28, 1888, p. 3.)

"The Madge, the new steam yacht owned by Mr. Drake of Corning, is now afloat upon Keuka." (Source: Anon. "Vicinity." Watkins Democrat, July 5, 1888, p. 3.)

"Drake's yacht Madge has been dubbed the 'Spider.' Boatmen say she lies secreted in the west branch and suddenly pounces on and downs every boat that hails in sight. Running around the fastest of them is a picnic for the Madge. --- Hammondsport Herald." (Source: Anon. [No Title.] Watkins Express, July 5, 1888, p. 3.)

"James A. Drake's new steam yacht, the Madge, is by all odds the fleetest craft on Keuka Lake. It has beaten all competitors and beaten them easily. The large Lake steamers have all tested the Madge's racing qualities and each in its turn has been left behind. The other day the steamer, Wm. L. Halsey, the fastest steamer on the Lake, left the Hammondsport dock and soon the Madge steamed out, too, and a race to the Urban a landing, four miles distant, ensued between the big and the little boat. The Halsey had a full head of steam on and was sent forward for all it was worth, but the the Madge soon shot by and got to the four--mile landing three-quarters of a mile ahead.
Now there is some talk that the Halsey, chagrined by its defeat, may challenge the Madge to a race the length of the Lake. It would be a highly interesting contest." (Source: Anon. [No Title.] Corning Journal, July 19, 1888, p. 3.)

"The 'Madge,' the Drake steam pleasure yacht, ran 2,313 miles on Lake Keuka during the summer season." (Source: Anon. [No Title.] Corning Journal, October 24, 1889, p. 3.)

"The hitherto beautiful steam yacht 'Madge' the property of F. N. Drake, of Corning, has been improved and rendered still more attractive by the addition of an artistic canopy made from a veneering of mahogany, which will give the yacht a still more royal appearance. The boat has been overhauled and made handsomer in other ways, and made her first appearance at this place on Saturday afternoon to convey Mr. Drake to his summer home on the West Branch. --- Hammondsport Herald." (Source: Anon. "Vicinity." Watkins Express, June 4, 1891, p. 3.)

"The steam yacht Madge, the property of James A. Drake, of Corning, is being refitted with a new boiler and it is the intention to still hold claim to the title, 'The fastest craft on Lake Keuka.' " (Source: Anon. "Vicinity." Watkins Express, June 2, 1892, p. 3.)

"The 'Mary Bell,' handsomely trimmed with flags, left the dock at 11:40 o'clock. The yacht 'Madge,' owned by F. N. Drake of Corning, was on hand to accompany the new steamer on her trial trip and, if the latter were willing, to give her a race. Mr. Drake, with his engineer and pilot, was the only one on board the swift little yacht and a merry twinkle shone in the millionaire's eye as he anticipated a race with the only boat on tho lake that can compete with, his $20,000 beauty in speed. He was disappointed, however, in the prospective contest for superiority, but, nevertheless, accompanied the Mary Bell on her trip ..." (Source: Anon. "On Beautiful Keuka. The First Excursion on the New Steamer, the Mary Bell." Elmira Gazette Daily and Free Press, June 20, 1892, p. 5.)

"... James A. Drake the President of the First National Bank of Corning ... spends his summers at his cottage on Lake Keuko. His Herreshoff steam yacht Madge is one of the fastest ever built by that famous designer. ..." (Source: Anon. "Poet Stebbins, Angler." New York Sun, December 20, 1896, p. 9.)

"Frank Morse, for the past ten years engineer on the steam yacht Madge, owned by James A. Drake, has secured a position with a wealthy New Jersey gentleman as engineer on a Hereschoff [sic] yacht, and left for Shelter Island, Long Island sound, this week. His wife and daughter will remain in Hammondsport for the present." (Source: Anon. [No Title.] Penn Yan Democrat, April 26, 1901, p. 5.)

"James A. Drake' s speedy yacht, the Madge, retains her title of the speediest boat navigating Lake Keuka. With the Corning banker at the wheel, the swift craft pulled away from the Sweetheart and the X. Y. Z. motor boats, in a race of over six miles at Keuka Sunday afternoon, from Urbana to Drake' s Point. Hundreds watched the race, from launches, sailing craft and the steamboats while thousands watched from the docks and shore. Mr. Drake' s boat has been the queen of the speedy fleet on the Lake. The Sweetheart is a new addition and the X. Y. Z. which is of the motor boat racing type was brought from Lake Erie where it had trimmed everything especially to defeat the Madge, which, however, finished nearly a mile ahead of the Sweetheart, the X. Y. Z. being a hundred yards further back. --- Elmira Advertiser. ..." (Source: Anon. "Additional Local." Penn Yan Democrat, August 28, 1908, p. 4.)

"[p. 165] ... 1888 was the year [James A and Franklin N. Drake] decided to make their mark on Keuka Lake by hiring Corning architect H. E. Tuthill to transform their new property at Cross Point into a picturesque summer residence where they and their many guests could escape the baking heat of Corning in July and August. James constructed a new main cottage that was forty feet square with twelve foot deep verandas on three sides. Franklin Drake remodeled the existing cottage after his own taste with new out buildings. Such a great family resort demanded that its wealthy owners should have a fitting steam yacht to make 'neighborly calls' with. [Endnote 310]
Hot Toys of the Wealthy!
Steam yachts were as great a status symbol as the grand summer palaces and resorts that lined the lake. They were a class set apart from the steamers used by general public. These craft were built with shining brass rail, oak deck, and mahogany cabins with uniformed engineer and boat crew. Many of these boats were built for comfort while others boasted of their speed. It was between these two poles that most of these craft were designed. ...
[p. 165] ... When everything was said and done none of these steam yachts could hold a candle to the grace and speed of James A. Drake's boat, the Madge, named after Franklin Drake's daughter. [Endnote 318]
The Madge was built at the famous Herrschoff boatyard at Bristol, Rhode Island which also built J. Gould's [sic] steam yachts the Stiletto [#118p] and the Now Then [#142p Now Then], which could hit speeds of well over 20 mph. The Madge was 48 feet long by 7.5 beam with a triple compound condensing engine and a circulating boiler. She displaced only three feet of water, which was ample for her 28-inch diameter propeller that could revolve at over 500 rpm driven by 235 pounds of steam that could be increased safely to over 280 pounds. She was built as an open craft with no bulkheads or cabins. Her deck and sides were mahogany with shining brass rails and a canvas sunshade. Here was a greyhound built first and foremost for speed. Of the five fastest steam yachts on the lake, most were rated at between 12 to 15 mph. The Madge was rated by her builder at over 18-mph. Her true top speed would remain a well-guarded secret for the next few years. The first pilot of the Madge was a character named 'Indian Joe' from Moosehcad Lake, Maine. He
[p. 166] was the one who sailed the Madge with Mr. Drake and his party of friends from Rhode Island all the way to Dresden on Seneca Lake. Her final eight miles to Keuka Lake was accomplished by twelve horses that pulled the special truck that the 5 ton Madge sat on for this final part of her journey. She was launched by the Ark resort with some help from the steamer Holmes. [Endnote 319]
The Drakes of Corning now had one of the finest estates and the fastest boat on the lake. All that was now needed was a telephone for the games to begin. They had their own telephone line run from the New York and Pennsylvania Telegraph and Telephone Company at Gibson's landing all the way to their cottage at Cross Point. [Endnote 320] Like most early telephone service, cottages on Keuka Lake were part of one great 'party line' system where everyone could pick up their hand set and listen in on whoever was having a conversation. The Drakes asked their friends at different landings to keep their eyes and ears open for any attempt to outdo their mighty steamer. Once a call was made that a challenger was on its way, the Madge was readied for her race with the approaching boat. The party line would buzz as bets were placed with ladies and gentlemen hurrying down to the end of their docks armed with telescopes and binoculars to watch the fun.
The crew of the Madge was all at their stations as James A. Drake jumped aboard wearing his fancy cap and coat that made him look like a cross between a yachtsman and a British Admiral. The mooring lines were now slipped as the Madge headed out to take on her rival. The opposing steam yacht made its final approach as the Madge under full steam got into position to defend her title of being the fastest boat on the lake. [Endnote 321] Over the next few minutes an audience of hundreds would watch as the Madge took on boats like the Courtright of the Grove Springs Hotel and beat them again and again.
The local boatmen started calling the Madge the 'Spider' because of how 'she lies secreted.... suddenly pounces on and downs every boat that hails in sight.' [Endnote 322] Later on she was dubbed by local fishermen the 'Pickerel' because she was fast like the northern pike in the lake. [Endnote 323] Since the Madge was such a booming success one of Drake's friends gave him a 'loud-mouth' brass
[p. 167] cannon for firing salutes as well as firing the start signal of a race. [Endnote 324] Not to be outdone Commodore Sheridan bought a small brass cannon for his steam yacht the Governor Hill, which had the advantage of being a breech-loading gun. [Endnote 325] If he couldn't beat the Madge at least he had more bang for the buck.
James A. Drake now went to the extreme of outbidding the Crooked Lake Navigation Company for the services of Frank Morse, the engineer of the Farley Holmes. [Endnote 326] To sweeten the deal Morse and his family were given a cottage at what was now being called Drake's Point, while a new cottage was being built for them. [Endnote 327] Now Drake had the fastest boat and finest engineer at his beck and call. We can almost envision Mr. Drake picking up the hand set of his telephone and saying, 'Will anyone come out and play?' ...
[p. 222] ... Mr. Drake had a problem. His fast steamer the Madge held the speed record on Keuka Lake of 19mph and the [new Keuka Lake steamship] Mary Bell was expected to make 20mph on her trial run June 18 [1892]. Drake had put too much time and money into the Madge to loose the title of having the fastest boat to this new steamer. One thing that only Mr. Drake and his engineer knew at the time was that the Madge had never been run wide open. All of those other boats that she had easily beaten over the years had never seen her at full throttle. The day before the Mary Bell's trial run Drake planned to have the Madge make her own run to create a new speed record on Keuka Lake. The Madge left her dock at Drake's Point Friday, June 17, and made a straight run of nine miles in twenty one minutes. The Madge had indeed set a new record that no other Keuka Lake steamer would ever beat of over 27mph. [Endnote 435]
[p. 252] By 1904 Keuka Lake had twenty-nine launches speeding across its waters. A good number of these swift boats were gasoline powered. Even wealthy men like Mr. James A. Drake, the owner of the extremely fast steamer Madge, had purchased a gasoline powered boat. [Endnote 519]
[ENDNOTES p 284 ff:]
310 Hammondsport Herald, "KEUKA'S CHARMS" March 14, 1888.
317 Hammondsport Herald 'Lake Keuka' 'A new boiler' August 1, 1888.
318 Hammondsport Herald 'LOCAL NEWS' 'Drake's steam yacht' May 9, 1888.
319 Hammondsport Herald 'THE STEAM YACHT MADGE' June 13, 1888. June 13, 1888.
320 Hammondsport Herald, 'Lake Keuka' 'The Drakes are building a telephone Line'
321 Hammondsport Herald, 'The steam yacht Madge, property of' July 18,1888.
322 Hammondsport Herald, 'Lake Keuka' 'Drake's yacht Madge has been dubbed the Spider' June 27, 1888.
323 Hammondsport Herald, 'Lake Keuka' 'Lake Keuka fishermen have dubbed' August 1, 1888.
324 Hammondsport Herald, 'Lake Keuka' 'The invited guest who' July 4, 1888.
325 Hammondsport Herald, 'Lake Keuka' 'Commodore Sheridan' July 18, 1888.
326 Hammondsport Herald, 'LOCAL NEWS' 'Frank Morse, for many years' October 2, 1889.
327 Hammondsport Herald, 'LOCAL NEWS' 'James A. Drake is' May 7, 1890.
435 STEUBEN FARMERS ADVOCATE, steam yacht' June 22, 1892.
519 Hammondsport Herald, 'LOCAL NEWS' 'There are twenty-nine gasoline and steam yachts', July 20, 1904. ..." (Source: Harvey, Steven. It Started with a Steamboat: An American Saga. Bloomington, Indiana, 2010.)

"N/A"

"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (in ink and pencil) experiments and trials booklet titled 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Experiments 1884 to 1889. N.G. Herreshoff'. Relevant contents:
§34: #153p MADGE Trial Run '16.07knots' (1888-06-04)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_03520. Folder [no #]. 1884-05 to 1890-05.)
① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ ⑩ ⑪ ⑫ ⑬ ⑭ ⑮ ⑯ ⑰ ⑱ ⑲ ⑳ ㉑ ㉒ ㉓ ㉔ ㉕ ㉖ ㉗ ㉘ ㉙ ㉚ ㉛ ㉜ ㉝ ㉞ ㉟ ㊱ ㊲ ㊳ ㊴ ㊵ ㊶ ㊷ ㊸

"[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).)
① ②

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #153p Madge even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Madge (HMCo-made index card)
• Madge (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: Madge
Type: Steam
Length: 48'
Owner: Drake, F. N. and J. A.

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

• Madge
• 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: Madge
Type: 48' steam
Owner: J. A. Drake
Year: 1888
Row No.: 392

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: 1890
E/P/S: P
No.: 153
Name: Madge
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.

"The Construction Record is unclear as to the date of Madge's contract date or launching but it is certain that she was launched in June 1888." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 2, 2008.)

"In the absence of better available data displacement was estimated by using the figure for Gross Register Tons (6.74) from the 1890-91 Manning's American Yacht List (Net Register Tons were reported as 3.37) and converting to lbs by dividing through 2000 (short tons). Note that this figure can only be a rough estimate because register tons as reported in Yacht Registers correlate only loosely with actual displacement figures." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 17, 2015.)

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