Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-06-20
THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE YACHT
AMERICA.
IGen. B. F. Butler, in Hsrper's Magazine f

|
Prior TO 1851 the English yachts W er
believed to be, and were on the easter
continent, the fastest vessels in tn
world. In 1880 Mr.. George Steers
who had already built from his ow
designs several boats that had show
considerable capabilities as to speed
built the yacht which he named tn
"America" for Commodore Stevens, @
the New York Yacht Club.
In 1851, at the time that the frs
l"World's Fair" as such internations
exhibitions were then called, was hel,
in England, under the patronage an
supervision of the Prince Consort
Commodore Stevens sailed in tn
America for Havre, where he arrived
after an exceedingly quick passage
although careful not to carry too mucl
sail lest he might strain his yacht. o.
her arrival at Havre she was thorough
ly refitted, and sailed for Portsmouth
where she was dOcked and cleaned O
the barnacles and weeds which durin,
the voyage had attached to her. Or
the 22d of August race, open to tn
yachts of all nations, took place, whicl
is described in the following language
by the correspondent of the Londol
| Times:
"CowEs, Friday. 1880 p IN.
"The fl0o cup for all nations wa
run for to-day, and after most excit.
ing contest was won by the Amerca
which beat all her competitors with the
greatest ease. The day was fine, and
at starting there was no. much wind
Eighteen vessels entered aor the cruise
and went off beautifully at ten o'clock.
At the Nab the America shot ahead
and at the Needles was seven or eight
miles ahead of the nearest yacht.
1.-The queen went off to the Needles
to see the race, and the royal steamer
ran part of the way home with the
America. She rounded the Needles
at eight minutes to six o'clock. The
America was loudly cheered by all
ashore and afoat."
Perhaps the description given on the
same day by two old sea-dogs will best
describe her performances:
''D'ye see that 'ere steamer? Pm
blest if the Yankee don't beat her out
of sight around the islandl"
And the signal master of the club
house said to a gentlemen who asked
for Information as to whether the
yachts would not catch her when they
came to beat to windward, "Pshaw,
sir catch her? you might as well set q
bulldog to catch q hare"
In the Illustrated London Journal, q
few days after, appeared a cartoon
which showed the interior of the cabin
of the royal yacht, with the queen at
lunch, waiting the return at the Nee
dies of the yachts. Her Majesty says,
"Signal master, are the yachts in
sight?"
"Yes, may it please your majesty. ="
(Which is first2'
"The America"
(Which is second?'
"Ah, your majesty, there is no sec
ond!"
The Queens Cup was hers.
An objection was made that Com
modore Stevens varied little from tie
prescribed course; but his explanation
to that. which was accepted, was that
his variation gave him a little longer
sail than the rest of the yachts had.
Another cup, valued at one hundred
pounds, given by the queen. to be sail
ed for by the yachts of all nations, at
Ryde, Isle of Wight, was TO be sailed
for Oh the 25th of August. Commodore
Stevens declined to start, owing to the
almost entire absence of wind on the
day appointed. The determination of
the Commodore was the subject of the
followinglng doggerel, written by one
OF his foremast hands:
"Says he, My noble lord,
| ask one favor if Won nlaasa.
Do not start me to race, nv lord.
Unless it blows q breeze;
A sir-knot breeze at least, my lord,
Or else it is no test,
Unless to show, not which can sail,
But which can drift the BEST"
The America having, however. a
cruising party on board, subsequently
got under way, and beat the whole
deet by upward of an hour, not, how
ever, winning the cup, because she had
formally withdrawn from the race.
r: Stephenson, M. P, challenged
her for race on the 2Sth of August,
forty miles out and in, in competition
with the Titania, an English iron
schooner. They started at eleven
o'clock, steering south east, with a
strong wind from the north west, and
and at five o'clock the America re-
:urned in sight from Portsmouth, when
about ten miles outside of the Nab.
out nothing could be seen of the Tita.
lia at that time.
Commodore Stevens sold his yacht
% Lord De Blanquiere. Before she
JAILED, another English gentleman chal.
enged her to race, which Commodore
stevens declined, being anxious to
:ome to the United States, and invited
lis challenger to come to New York
md try his speed against some other of
,ur American yachts, which, however,
he Englishman did not do.
The subsequent history of the Amer
ca has almost been a romance. Her
english owners altered her rig some
What, cut down her masts, and used
Ter for cruising until 1861, when her
lame was changed to the Camilla
when, deeming her the fastest vessel i'm
he world, an American gentleman.
Who was then living in the south, and
Who has every qualification now t. |
epresent his country abroad, purchas-
a her as confederate cruiser, put on |
Ter heavy gun, and named her the
lemphis; but he soon found his mis- |
AXE, for although with good wind |
he could beat most of the steamers |
ven yet, without wind she was no
match for the slOwest tub of the north
rn blOckading fleet. Thereupon he
ook her up the st. Johns river, Flori-
"a, and sank her in the mud for safe
y, where she remained for several
Months, until she was dug out and
ent by the American frigate Wabash
New York, whence she was taken to |
annapolis and refitted, and nominally |
sed as training schooner for the
avail academy. Her actual use, how
yer, was pleasure yacht for the
Ulcers.
Afterward Admiral Porter had her
rought to New York and retitted, at
II expense of some twenty five thous-
nd dollars, to sail in the race against
he Livonia, an English yacht which
anne over here to contest the possess
ion OF the Queens Cup, but being fit
ed up like man-of.war, and sailed by
man who knew nothing of yachting,
ne only came in third in that race, and
was wonderful that she did as well.
In 1871, being found by the then
ecretary OF the Navy, Mr.. Robson,
be simply useless burden and ex-
ense for the navy, she was sold at
nction, and bought by General Ben.
min F. Butler and Colonel Jonas H.
rench, OF Boston, by whom, taking
# from her the man-of-war absurdi-
es,. she was put i'll the order in which