San Andreas independent., 1856-11-08

t'Mr. George Steers, the well known clipper
ship builder at New York, was killed by being
thrown from his carriage. He was the builder
of the celebrated yacht america"
The above brief notice of the death of
one of our noblest mechanics, reminds us Of
the great event which laid the foundation
to his fame. The building of the Yacht
Anaerica, and her wonderful sailing quail
ties, surprising all the aquatic feats ever
performed by the Yacht Clubs of Europe's
Noblemen, done more to elevate the true
character, of American ingenuity, to its
just standard, than any other event within
this century. The following is the record
of the feat which caused so much excite
ment, and enthusiasm, at the time We
copy from the International Magazine of
October, 1851:
Much excitement has been cheated in
England by match between the yacht
America, owned by Mr. John G. Stevens,
of New York, and the yacht Titania and
by other matches between the America and
the most celebrated yachts in England, in
all of which the America was successful.
The America arrived out early in July
Hitherto the dozen or more yacht clubs in
the United Kingdom had never dreamed
of foreign competition. Itwas just known
that there was an Imperial Yacht Club of
st. Petersburg, maintained to encourage a
nautical spirit among the nobility; and
that owners of yachts at Rotterdam had
enrolled themselves as the " Royal Meth
erlands Yacht Club" but, till the Amer
lean appeared, the few who were aware of
the fact that there was fourishing club
at New York did not regard it as of the
slightest consequence, or as at all likely
to interfere with their monopoly of the
most useful of sports. The few trial runs,
the America made after her arrival proved
she was possessed of great speed, and that
the owners were not so little justified as at
first they had been thought in offering to
back an untried vessel against any yacht in
the English waters for the large sum of
100000. AS the day of the Royal Squa-
dron's grand match drew near, the en-
tries became numerous. In the memory
Of man Cowes never presented such an ap-
pearance as on the 23d of August. A
large portion of the peerage and gentry of
the United Kingdom had left their resi-
dences, and forsaken the sports of the
moors, to witness the struggle There
must have been hundred yachts lying at
anchor in heroads; the beach was crowded,
from Egypt to the piers; the esplanade in
front of the Club thronged with ladies and
gentlemen, and with the people inland,
who came over In shoals, with wives, sens,
and daughters, for the day. Eighteen
yachts entered as competitors the largest
of which was three-mast schooner, the
Brilliant, 1872 tons; and the smallest cut
ter, Volante, 4S tons. Nine of the yachts
were of above 100 tons. The America S
burden is ITO tons. The umpire in the
case was Earl Wilton and the triumph of
the America complete The coup of All
Nations" was presented to Commodore
Stephens and his brother, the owners of
the America, after dinner in the club
house that night. Mr.. Abbot Lawrence
was present, and acknowledged the COM
pliments paid to this country. The yacht
has since been sold to an English gentle
man,-to be model for British naval
architects.