“In the opinion of experts this must be deemed a masterpiece of its kind, not to be surpassed by aught which the shipbuilding craft of the present age could produce. Doubtless, in the ratio of our present ideas, this is rather a boat than a ship; nevertheless in its symmetrical proportions, and the eminent beauty of its lines, is exhibited a perfection never attained until after a long and dreary period of clumsy unshapeliness, when it was once more revived in the clipper-built craft of the nineteenth century.”[5] [5] A detailed description of the Viking Ship is given in the “Transactions of the Institute of Naval Architects”. (London), Vol. XII, p. 298. [Illustration: CLIPPER SHIP “YOUNG AMERICA.” Length of deck, 235 feet. Beam molded, 40 feet, 2 inches. Depth of hold, 25 feet, 9 inches. Tonnage, 2900.] Clipper Ships and Modern Steamers. Thirty to sixty years ago much of the world’s commerce was borne by clipper ships. In all likelihood as good lines as ever went into a vessel of this kind were displayed in the Young America, outlined on page 58, built in 1853 for California and East India trade. She once ran from New York to San Francisco in 103 days, and from San Francisco to New York in 63 days, records which have never been excelled. Her deck length was 235 feet; her depth of hold 25 feet, 9 inches; her moulded beam was 40 feet, 2 inches; her displacement was 2,713 tons. The lines worthiest of remark in her design are the diagonals and buttocks, together with her easy entrance and run. Most clipper ships were fuller forward than aft; this had two advantages: first, when forward burdens, anchors and the like, tended to an undue settling down at the head, it was well to increase the buoyancy forward; second, towing experiments prove that a form slightly fuller forward than aft offers less resistance than the reverse. This shape was hit upon by the old-time designers, doubtless as a result of many a shrewd experiment. In the early days of steamships, hollow or somewhat concave water lines forward were in favor. Experiments with models have demonstrated that for boats so full in section as to be nearly square, it is best to have forward lines which are straight or nearly so. Recently it has been shown that at high speeds, with a midship section nearly semicircular, resistance is a little lessened by very slightly hollowing the water lines forward.