Evening journal., 1895-06-04
DEFENDERS SAILS CUT
The New Canvas of the Big
lA Yacht Ruined. II
sLAsHERs IDENTITY A MYSTERY,

a Strange Tale Comes From Bristol. Where
tho New Cup Defender Is Being Built
Herroshon-s shops Had Been Jealousy
Guarded, but Mischief Was Done,
NEW York, june About a weeh
ago relative Of tho Herreshoffs came to
town and told queer story TO friend.
Tho latter kept it 20 himself until yestor
day, when IL leaked out and became known
TO limited circle OF interested people
The story Is that person whose identity
Is still q mystery, despite earnest investi.
CATION, had managed TO sneak into the
great loft above the shop In Bristol where
the Defender lies, and that the intruder
had cut and torn the big sails which had
boon made for the sloop.
The work, according to the man who
told the story, was done most thoroughly
and in way that showed oonclusively
that IL had been done by somebody who
knew just how and whore TO out In order
20 ruin the sails utterly. .beyond the chance
Of repair
Great holes were out into the masnsnil,
iibs and spinnaker, and the topsails and
other smaller sails were slashed in all d.
roctions. The result was that the entire
set was made useless, and new sails had
to be ordered at once.
Tho Herreshotf shops In Bristol have
been guarded night and day since the
work on tho big sloop began, and intrud-
ers were warned away from tho place by
determined and not particularly polite
men. The worknen have not boen per.
mittod to leave tho shop in company.
They have been warned never to speak
A. 4A. n. Al -
thom is said to have boon closely watched
until the Herreahotfs were satisfied of his
trustworthiness.
visitors Not Allowed.
Visitors have not been permitted TO get
as close TO the boat as even tho little pri.
vato Office 40 tho entrance to the works.
Much surprise was therefore Expressed
yesterday by those who hoard the story
that, despite all those precautions, such a
strange thing should have happened.
Nobody could Imagine what reason
could have prompted the act, II II really
had been done as alleged. OF course 1t is
a we'll known fnot that a great many poo
pie in Bristol don't like the Herroshotfa
but personal malice seemed hardly to be
a motive strong enough TO make anybody
take the great risk that this unknown
person must have taken.
According 10 tho narrator Of the story.
| tho Herroshoifa Themselves and their CON
| fldential mon were also utterly at loss 20
understand why 1t had been done or even
\ Go guess who could have done 1t. AS soon
ns tho damage to the sails was discovered
i they commanded that the affair be kept
eeoret and tho few workmen who knew
what had happened were at once warned
that they must not utter q syllable about
/ 1t. Thon searching investigation wae
| started, and II Is STILL SO It ii said, being
rigidly prosecuted, but SO far without suo-
4 cess.
The big sails for tho Dofender were
made by Adrain Wilson. They were said
TO DO tho largest ever made for an Amer.
loan single stlcker, the mainsail being
about 0, 800 square feet and the spinnakel
i z, 100 square feet in area. Altogether there
wore to bo over IA, 600 square feet OF sail
on the craft Ramio a now material
made from a Japanese plant Of the thistle
| species, was used for the big iib topsail.
10 is far superior to cotton, partly because
i 1t will not mildew, but mainly because il
will neither stretch nor shrink, thus IN.
/ suring perfect fit.