The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-11

and color, "a pandemonlum of cheers
and songs. The various colleges, while
not largely represented, made their
presence KNOWN by the cries and calls
of each. Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Cor
nell and the University Of Pennsylvania
were represented, with scattering
throngs from other colleges sprinkled
throughout the fleet that sailed away.
owing to the stringent rules laid
down by the owners of excursion boats,
There was no overcrowding' aboard any
of the boats. Adhering to the order to
carry but so per cent of each boats
capacity caused much annoyance, vexa-
ton and disappointment,
AS a consequence thousands that
wished to view the race We're left be-
hind.
THE STORY OF THE ACCIDENT,
The preparatory gun for the start was
fired at 1850 o'clock. 1t found both
boats to the leeward of the line and
both on the starboard tack
The Defender was more to the east
ward, and almost Immediately after the
gun had been fired she came about on
the port tack and stood up in the direc-
ton of the Valkyrie. Just before she
reached the VallSyrie the Valkyrie also
came about and, getting on the Defen-
der's Windward quarter, started up in a
northwesterly direction with her at her
side Both boats had their mainsails,
clubtopsails, staysails and jibs set. The
| Valkyrie's jibtopsail was up in stops, as
was also that of the Defender. The De-
fender carried the same beautiful white
clubtopsaIil that she carried in last Sat
urdays race
| At 1856 both boats jibed and came
back in the direction of the line. They
stood around the stern of the Yorktown
and then came about under her bows on
the starboa1d tack. The Valkyrie in
these manoeuVres had got lead Of a
length or more over the Defender
| vALKYRIE FOULS DEFENDER.
| Both boats then broke out their lib
topsails. They bore down directly upon
the judges boat, and when both had
nearly reached it Valkyrie kept away,
turning down on Defender. She then
put the tiller down to cross the line.
| The two boats were almost together and
the Valkyrie's boom caught the wealth
er backstay of the Defender carrying
it away just as the starting gun was
fired at IL o'clock. Like flash the top
mast of the Defender buckled danger
Iously The Defender had to immediate
lily take in her jibtopsail to save her top
mast, which was heard to crack. The
Valkyrie crossed the line at II O013 and
the Defender at 1101:15.
A PROTEST FROM THE DEFENDER
The Defender set her protest flag on
lcrossing the line. Both boats came
lover the line on the starboard immedi-
lately, and after crossing went about on
/ the port tack and stood off toward the
Jersey coast. This brought the strain
on the Defenders port ibackstay, thus
causing the topnlast to straighten it.
lself.
| 1t then became evident that the De-
tenders topmast was not safe to carry
her over the course, and should she lose
the race through the loss of her topmast
the Valkyrie foul would be responsible
for it. The Defender clearly had the
fright of way, as she was running close
hlauled, and according to the rules of the
road, a boat running free must keep
lclear of one running close hauled.
| vALKYRIE PALPABLY TO BLAME.
In the Judgment of nearly every one
Iwtyo saw the accident at the start there
scarcely could have been a grosser vio-
lation of the rules of the road than Val
kyrie exhibited. Fully explained, the
accident occurred as follows:
After little manoeuvring about the
line just after the preparatory gun
liflad been fired the two racers-both Of
lltheun close hauled-started off on a port
tack far to the northward of the line.
They wefet running very close togeth-
err the Valkyrie being to the windward
of the Defender. Some little distance
north of the line the steamship York
town lay hoveEto. The two boats pass
ed alongside of her and then jibing
came about under her stern
Coming down on the opposite side OF
her from that ON, which they had gone
up they eased off little under her
bows and made for the starting line
Defender pointed straight for the line
while the Valkyrie, which in rounding
the Yorktown had got a little lead
eased off somewhat and pointed for the
committee boat Upon reaching the
committee boat the Valkyrie fell of
with the intention of crossing the lint
just under the judges boats bow.
The Defender, in the meantime, haG
been coming straight down for the line
at rapid pace, also with the intention
of crossing very close to the COMMITTEES
boat. The Valkyrie, in falling away
just before reaching tie committee boa
bore straight down upon the Defender
: For "a moment it looked as if sh,
: We're going to cut her i'm two, but wher
: her bows had almost poked themselve
into the Defenders mainsail Captain
: Cranfield threw down his tiller, thu
heading the Valkyrie exactly as thu
Defender was heading; that is to say
! heading her straight for the line.
) As the Valkyrie swung around II
obedience to her rudder, not more thai
r six feet separated the hulls Of the tw,
boats Captain Half, confident tina
he had the right of way, pinched tn
Defender just as the Valkyrie swun,
about The result was that the lon.
: steel boom of the Valkyrie, which huns
2 out slightly to port crashed into tn
t topmast backstay of the Defender
, The backstay snapped in minute. re
= leasing the starboard brace of the top
: mast.
With +bis brace coma tho +o,., c.