Xylene
or XYLOL (C8H10), one of the aromatic hydrocarbons, being a homologue of benzene (C₆H₆), and sometimes known as dimethyl-benzene from the supposition that it is formed from benzene by the substitution of two molecules of methyl (CH₃) for two hydrogen atoms. It is a colorless liquid, boiling at 140° C. When passed through a red-hot tube xylene is resolved into a mixture of several homologous hydrocarbons.
XYLOPHONE (zy'lo-fon), a musical instrument consisting of bars of wood or glass graduated in length and resting on belts. The notes are produced by striking on the bars with small hammers. X. Y. Z. CORRESPONDENCE, in United States history, the name given to the dispatches of the three commissioners to France, Marshall, Pinckney, and Gerry, containing the insulting demands made by Talleyrand and the other French Directors as the price of respect and courtesy to the American republic.
In the otherwise complete copies published by Congress President Adams substituted X. Y. and Z. for the names of Talleyrand's emissaries. To the de- . mands the United States representatives returned a decided refusal. It is said that Pinckney, in response, made use of the phrase, "Millions for defense, but not once cent for tribute ."
Y Y, y, the 25th letter of the English alphabet, in modern English, both a consonant and a vowel. It is taken from the Latin, into which language it was adopted from the Greek (v) or upsilon.
It sometimes represents an Anglo-Saxon character which is supposed to have a sound resembling that of the French u or German ü.
At the beginning of syllables, and when followed by a vowel y is a palatal consonant, being formed by bringing the middle of the tongue in contact with the palate, nearly in the position to which the g hard brings it. Hence, the Anglo-Saxon hard g has often been softened to y, as in day Anglo-Saxon dag, may=Anglo-Saxon mag, etc. In words of Romance origin y frequently represents: (1) French -ie Latin -ia, as in barony, company, copy, jolly, family, memory, victory, etc. (2) Latin -ium, as augury, horology, remedy, study, etc. (3) Latin -atus, as attorney, deputy, ally, quarry. (4) French -if; Latin -ivus, as hasty, (=Old French hastif), jolly (Middle English jolif; Old French joli, fem. jolive), testy, etc. (5) Many words ending in y have come through Latin nouns in -ia (French -ie), from Greek -ia, -eia, as analogy, apology, blasphemy, philosophy, etc. (6) As an adjective termination, y generally represents the Anglo-Saxon -ig, as in stony Anglo-Saxon stánig, hungry =Anglo-Saxon hungrig. So also in some nouns it represents Anglo-Saxon -ig, as in honey Anglo-Saxon hunig. In the suffix, -ly, it is both an adjectival and an adverbial suffix, and represents the Anglo-Saxon -ic, -ice, or -iche, as godly Anglo-Saxon godlic, friendly Anglo- Saxon freóndlic, ndlichardly hardly Anglo-Saxon heardlice. In nouns ending in -ty, this ending represents the French -té, Latin =tatem (nominative- tas), as in vanity (=French vanité, Latin vanitatem, accus. of vanitatus), calamity, etc. = In the middle, and at the end of words, y is a vowel, and is precisely the same as i. When accented it is pronounced as i long, as in de-fy, dy'ing, etc., and when unaccented as i short, as in glöry, jõl-ly, cit-y, etc. Y is sometimes called the Pythagorean letter, from its Greek original in its form of three limbs representing the sacred triad formed by the duad proceeding from the monad. In chemistry, Y is the symbol of yttrium.
As a numeral, it stands for 150, and with a dash over it for 150,000. Y- is a common prefix in Middle English words, and represents the Anglo-Saxon -e or ge-, as in yclept, yclad. It is the same as ge-.
YACHT (yät), a decked pleasure vessel; a light and elegantly fitted-up vessel, used either for racing or for pleasure trips, or as an official or state vessel to convey royal personages or government officials from place to place.
The rigs are various, and many pleasure yachts now have steam power as an accessory, or for use during calms. Racing yachts are built with very fine lines, enormous spars and sails, and have the hull deeply ballasted, thus sacrificing everything to speed. Yachts appear to have been used by the Dutch in the 16th century, and the English probably borrowed the idea from that nation. In 1604 such a vessel was built for Prince Henry of Whales and in 1660 and subsequently several were built for Charles II.
The use of steam has been a great factor in the increase of interest in private yachts. The first recorded yacht race was one in which a vessel of Charles II. defeated a Dutch racer and one belonging to the Duke of York. The course was from Greenwich to Gravesend and back, and the stake 100 guineas ($500). The oldest British yacht club was formed at Cork, Ireland, and dates back at least to 1720.
In 1812 the Royal Yacht Club of Eng- YACHT land was organized. The New York Yacht Club, an outgrowth of a Hoboken sailboat club, was started with nine members. In the first stated match sailed by the club, the schooner "Cygnet" won. Little attention was paid in the United States to the building of yachts till 1846, when Commodore Stevens and his brother Edwin A. Stevens, built the "Maria." This vessel was the largest sloop-rigged pleasure craft up to that time. It was at first intended to send her to the World's Fair at London, in 1851, but the "America," designed by George Steers of New York, and built by the Stevens brothers, was ultimately chosen. Commodore Stevens crossed the Atlantic in the "America," and entered her in the race of Aug. 22, open to all yachts, for a $2,500 cup. The course was around the Isle of Wight and the "America" beat the whole field of 18 yachts by about 7 miles. On Aug. 28 she sailed a race with the English schooner "Titania" over a 40-mile course winning an overwhelming victory. The achievements of the American yacht had a marked effect on the work of British ship-builders. It was not till 1870 that an effort was made to regain the "America" cup. For a record of the races from 1870 to 1920 for that trophy see AMERICA'S CUP. On Sept. 28, 1901, the "Columbia" defended the cup against the "Shamrock II.," winning by 1 minute, 20 seconds in a race of 4 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds. Oct. 3, 1901, the same boats competing, a race of 3 hours, 12 minutes, 35 seconds, was won by the American yacht by 3 minutes, 35 seconds. In the race on the following day, the British yacht finished first in a race of 4 hours, 32 minutes and 57 seconds, but on a time allowance of 43 seconds, the "Columbia" won by 41.
In 1903, Sir Thomas Lipton challenged for the third time, in the name of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, of Cork, Ireland. The New York Yacht Club named the latter part of Aug. as the time for the races. Aug. 22, the first decisive race was run, the New York Yacht Club boat being the "Reliance," built by the Herreshoffs, the English boat being the "Shamrock III." In this and in the two succeeding races, "Reliance" won. In 1920 Sir Thomas Lipton again challenged with the "Shamrock IV." The defender was the "Resolute," which from July 15th to 27th, 1920, won five out of seven races sailed.
Several trans-Atlantic races have tested the seagoing qualities of modern yachts. In 1866 the schooners "Henrietta," "Fleetwing," and "Vista" raced from Sandy Hook to the Needles, Isle of YAK Wight, for stakes amounting to $90,000.
The "Henrietta" won in 13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes, averaging 9½ knots for 3,106 miles, The "Fleetwing" sailed 3,005 miles, and the "Vista" 3,046 miles.
On July 4, 1890, the schooners "Cambria" and "Dauntless" raced from Old Kinsale Head, Ireland, to Sandy Hook.
The "Cambria" won. She sailed 2,881 miles in 23 days, 5 hours, 17 minutes.
The "Dauntless" sailed 2,783 miles in 23 days, 7 hours. The schooners "Coronet" and "Dauntless" sailed a match race for $10,000 a side in 1887. The start was made off Bay Ridge, Long Island, on March_12, and the race ended at Queenstown, Ireland. The "Coronet" won. She sailed 2,949 miles in 14 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes. The "Dauntless" sailed 2,94 miles in 16 days, 1 hour, 43 minutes. In 1921 King Albert of Belgium awarded prizes for a series of races across the Atlantic for sailing vessels of all classes.
A race between American and Canadian fishing vessels was held on Oct. 30-Nov. 1. off Halifax. The American schooner "Esperanto" defeated the Canadian "Delawana" in two races.
Among the designers of American and British racing vessels John Harvey_and Beavor-Webb, of England, George Lennox Watson and William Fife, of Scotland, and Edward Burgess and N. G. Herreshoff, of New England, have been especially prominent.