Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-01
nm UNEXPECTED HITCH
Causes Disappointment to Those In.
terested In the Defender.
Cradle Stuck by Swelling OF
! the Ways Woodwork.
Bow May Have 10 Be Pontooned 10 Garry 0ui
the Launching.


termination Of what promised 70 be sue.
cessfui launch of the Defender Saturday
afternoon at the Herreshoffs' yards has
caused widespread talk among the thou.
sands Of people who had gathered at tfiat
time to see the beautiful craft take her first
plunge.
All efforts to release ths boat have
proved futile, and she Is still fast In the
same position into which she sank during
the unsuccessful attempt to launch her
At intervals during Saturday night and
yesterday, when the tide served, both tugs
and divers were mt work, under the direc
tion of the Herreshoffs, applying every
means In their power TO release the yacht,
but each time as the tide receded the
work had TO be abandoned.
The fears felt by the builders and others
that the yacht may become injured by the
strain Of her position have not abated,
and after thorough inspection of the
boats position by the divers, the builders
were convinced that the bow Of tho yacht
must be lightered by pontoons to relieve
the strain as much as possible during the
further work Of getting her into deep
water.
Steel hawsers were attached to the
cradle yesterday afternoon, and tugs took
them aboard and started to pull at the OBJ
structed mechanism. The strain was too
great, and the gearing on one tug broke
and the hawser held by the other snapped
asunder From this It is feared that the
work Of releasing the boat will be much
more difficult than was anticipated up to
that time.
The mOoted question seems to be
whether an unlucky beginning presages
good luck later in the history Of the craft.
or whether II Is the forerunner of a series
Of mishaps which may be the lot OF
Americas representative yacht, status
In yachting from which the American CUP
defenders for years
)- Have esen Singniarly FREQ.
When the boat stopped everyone thought
she had stuck in the mud. Others be-
lieved that the end of the cradle had pro-
truded beyond the ways and rested on the
bottom, and even the Herreshoffs were of
this opinion. The tugs Adquidneck and
Bay Point hitched on, and they began
pulling steadily and strongly Their
efforts were unavailable, and so Cornelius
line to the Defender and then all three
steam craft in united efforts once again
attempted to move the stationary hull.
After the strain had been applied for
hatf minute there was loud noise, q
swapping of ropes and creaking of ma
chinery, and then portion of the con-
querors stern was seen to fly into tho air
ss ~ into ts,t s yHtss Ss s Strain , n, had had
yacht, and they were completely carried
away.
The submarine diver, w. J. Duncan,
Ahnro,,nbly tod ha a,I
amined her position. Then he reported
that the boat was not in the mud but
that the cradle had stuck fast in the ways
Mr.. Duncan's theory was that the piles or
joists had swollen after being placed in
the water, so that when the cradle came
down, the ways were so tight they would
not allow it to pass through.
Nat Herreshoff takes the unexpected
hitch solely to heart, which is not at all
surprising.
Must Wait Longer.
Operations were resumed at the Her
reshoff dock by Nat Herreshoff and gang
of workmen at 80 this morning. A II
inch hawser from the tug Right Arm
was made fast to the cradle. Smaller
cables were run out from the other craft,
and the word given for grand pull. The
tugs responded, straining and swapping,
but the hull did not move. For nearly an
hour this work was continued without ef-
feet, and at 2:26 a. III. Captain Her
reshof gave orders to cease operations.
1t was decided to try pontoons, and a
number of 40-foot lighters have already
been ordered. With these placed in posi-
tion under the hull at low tide it is hoped
to lift the Defender out Of her cradle so
that she may be towed clear of all obstruc-
tions as the tide rises this afternoon.
l. The Defenders Dimensions.
" The exact dimensions of the Defender
are as follows: Length Of mast, SO feet;
diameter Of mast at heel, S5 inches; diam
eter Of mast at step, IS inches; depth be-
tween kelson and deck, - feet; length Of
splices on top Of mast, 10 feet; length OF
boom, 100 feet; diameter of jam, 12 inches;
length Of bowsprit, AZ feet; length of top
mast, "a feet; length Of gaff, "a feet;
length of spinnaker pole, 75 feet; length
Of club topsail yards, SO feet; length Of