Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-09-05
G0ULDS WILL GIVE 1T UP
Howard Says They viii Never
Race Vigilant Again.
JAPE MAY CUP RACE DECLARED OFF

The last AeeIdctt to the Great Yankee
YACHT Has soured Her Owners on Center
bfsards, Which They Say Are n Failure In
English Waters.
| CowEs sept. 5-It has finally been de-
| ,idcd that there will In no race this year
| for the Care May Challenge cup held by
| the britannia on account of the loss of the
| Nigiiants cCntcrbOard while on her way
here yesterday. The sailing committee
Of the Royal Yacht squadron sent "A letter
| to Mr.. Howard Gould, who was on board
the Vigilant here, saying that under the
circumstances the Prince of Wales will
| consider the challenge for the cup as
| withdrawn.
The Messrs. Gould. Captain Hank Half
| and the crew of tho Nigilant generally
are greatly depressed at this last accident
| to the American yacht
Mr.. Howard Gould, discussing the mat
ter, said: lit Is most unfortunate that we
should be compelled to end tho seasons
racing in this manner. The only expla-
nation l can give for the loss of the con-
tcrboard is that tho casting made at
southampton was defective.
The accident occurred Monday just
as We wcro inside the Needles. We wero
sailing along in five fathoms of water. \
friend and were sitting at lunch when
suddenly the machinery of the center
| board began revolving backward. Tho
| cogs failed to hold the wheels and they
flow around ut a great pace
! 1t was then evident that the board
had dropped and was hanging by its
| chain. The board gave the Nigilant sew
oral very hard bumps, as We dragged 1t
along for some distance, and then sudden
ly 1t broke entirely of.
MIR. Gould on the Accident.
There is absolutely no truth in tho
statement that had very narrow escape
from serious injury by tho crank or any
other part OF the centcrbuard machinery
flying Off Not only was not in danger.
but nobody else had n narrow escape fr, o.
being njurcd- OF course II any one had
placed themselves in the way when the
handle was flying around It would have
made short work of them.
As to the cause of the accident, do
not believe that we struck a rock or any
thing else, and the pilot was In no way to
blame for the accident The chart plain
! ly showed that we werc In five fathoms 81
water and it is n mystery to me that tho
accident did not occur while We wero in
the open sea. Coming from Dartmouth
the sea was very rough, and thCro must
have been great strain upon the board
But when the accident occurred wO were
I'm comparatively calm water. and IL was
/
tircly.
After our arrival hero we made up our
minds to race, ccntcrboard or no center
board, so long rs we were allowed to ship
extra ballast enough to make up for the
loss of the ccntcrboard. We had shipped
an extra crew and were going to do our
best to rccapture the Cape May cup.
| ''Wo Informed the Prince of Wales of
our purpose, but an hour ago / received
this rOte frpp1 IN CpIumittpp informing
INC that under tho circumstances the
Prince of Wales would consider tho chal-
lcngc withdrawn.
'Of course il we had ins' stcd Britannia
would have raced, but felt that had
no right tn icopartlize tho club In this way.
We could hardly havO hopo'l In do our
solves justice without any ccntcrbOard,
and had the Britannia won, rs she prob
ably would. Americas chances of seeing
tho cup again would have been small, rs
britannia would have to win IL only once
more in order to become its pusscssOr.
yIgIIant Will Never Race Again.
Throughout the interview Mr.. Howard
Gould showed how greatly disappointed he
was at tho accident to Vieilant. but he
talked in manly. spOrtsmanlikc man
ncr of tho yachts i'll fortune, adding:
There seems to be n fatality about our
centcrboard over hero, and l don't won
der that the English don't like them. I
don't like them myself now. Why, one
of tho things we hoped to provo to- thcnt
was the dcsrability of using ccnterboards.
But / guess that tho lesson must now be
taken the other way. Centerboaris are
certainly the last things one wants on
most of these courses The pilots hero
, can never realize how much we draw with
them, and there is constant danger from
that source.
''Nigilant will bo laid up Immediately,
and her crew will be shipped home soon
rs she Is dismantlcd. and this will proba-
bly, he within week.
We shall never race Nigilant again.
, must admit that she is not suited for Eng
, lish waters. WC shall not attempt to re-
cover the centerbOIrIl.
Captain IInfT told your correspondent
the same story. The accident, he said.
was a piece of very hard luck.
+ Hard luck. " Captain Half repeated.
Hard luck. v ry much hoped that we
should ut least have finished in good style
, and have won victory over the keel boat
=, and taken that cup home. Nigilant was
never in better trim. in my opinion. be-
fore she lost her cCntcrbuar'
Ii is pleasant to record 90 feeling and
comment at the Royal Yacht Squadron
castle rs being totally different from that
expressed upon the occasion of tho former
I | accident to the American yacht. The ut
most sympathy is now expressed for the
Mcssrs. Gould and for the splendid racing
| yacht which they own.
. MIR. w. Jameson and Colonel sterling.
= representing the Prince of Wales, visited
: the Nigilant and wcrc shown just what
|, had happened. They saw how the cogs
! of the ceIftcrboard wheel were Clipped oil
and how tho handle was bent, etc. They
= so reported to the sailing committee OF
. tho Royal Yacht squadron, aSd the latter
= then wrote to the Mcssrs. Gould the letter
which has already been referred to in this
= dispatch As soon as the letter was TO
. ceived Mr.. George J. Gould wrote formal
= letter withdrawing his challenge
4 At the Royal Yacht squadron castle
= nothing but hearty sympathy and good
q will for tho Goulds and for the Nigilant
q arc expressed and on all sides were heard
:. | regrets ut tho accident and hopes that
A the year 1925 will sec another American
yacht over hero for tho cup and an Eng
:. lish yacht on the othor side OF the Allan
r tic as n competitor for the Americas cup.
Some fishermen who were out in theil
y boats near the Needles insist that the
4 Vigilant grounded just previous to the
=, Loss of her centCrboarIl.
ForcsteTs In Session.
;. WATERTOwN, \. Y, sept. 5.-The fifth
v annual session of high court of the stat
q of New York, Independent Order of For
Il ii. Hold ~