The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-08
History Of the First American
Cup Winner.
HELo BY THE .. S. 44 YEARS
Interesting Changes in the Yachts
Their Owners and Traditions
The yalkyrie III and
Defender.
Complied for the Astorlan.

Complied for the Historian.
The year 1851 was an eyentful one
Tie maritime history Of Great Britain ar
the United States, for in shat year Il
schooner yacht Americl, designed al
built by George Steers for COmmodol
John c. Stevens of the New York Yacl
club and his associates, carried OF IN
Royal Squadron's cup" at the Cove
Qsle of WiglD regatta, In competitio
with the best yachts then in the Britis
feet. The race was sailed without tim
allowance and fifteen vessels-schooner
and cutters-started at the signal.
The America was a maintopsa
schooner of 17O tons There were, how
ever, four vessels in the contesting flee
three schOoners and one cutter-o
larger tonnage and two other schooner
of nearly equal tonnage, One Of the Brit
isn schooners was three master, NOR
than double the size Of the America, hay
ing tonnage of 1902 tons. The race wa
sailed in variable weather, but witt
enough of a breeze when rounding tn
Needles TO carry away the Americas jib
boom. The Yankee crafts triumph was
complete, for the nearest British yacht t.
the close was eight miles astern and the
rest were out Of sight.
The trophy was brought across the At
lantlc and from that day TO this its pos
session has been a matter of intense in
terest to the peop.e OF both countries.
Up to the year 1857 the America cup
WIS in the possession of the owners OF
the yacht that won it-Commodore j..
c. Stevens, Edwin A. Stevens, Hamil-
ton Wilkes, j. Beekman Finley and
George l.. Schuyler. On the Sth OF July
of that year these gentlemen decided to
present the trophy as a perpetual chal-
ienge cup to the New York Yacht club,
on the condition that It should be sub
ject to the challenge OF any organized
yacht club CT any foreign country with a
yacht OF any rig "of not less than thirty
or more than 800 TONS" custom-house
measurement, with suitable provisions
as TO notice In writing from the chal-
lengers, embracing rig, measurement and
name OF vessel challenging, the match to
be sailed over the course of the club in
possession. The gift was acc opted on
the terms of It's donors. The object OF
the gift was apparent. 1t was throwing
the gauntlet down to the British yachts
men to win back the cup If they dared
attempt it and could do It.
II was not until 1863, seventeen years
after the cup had been carried off by
the America, that any move was made
by the Britishers looking TO the recov-
cry cf the trophy Then Commodore
James Ashbury OF the Royal Thames
Yacht club opened negotiations which
finally resulted in an arrangement for
a race on August 5, 1870. A5hhurys keel
schooner Camoria wac the challenger.
she was required to race against the fleet
in the same way as the America had
raced against the British Royal Yacht
c.ro squadron when She Won the cup.
Although nearly twenty years had
elapsed since that achievement the
America was still anoat and present in
the Now York fleet to defend the cup,
She had experienced many viclsstudes,
however, since the race of 1851. She was
son by Commodore Stevens ana his as
sociates before they returned to the
United States to an Englishman, who
used her for a time as a pleasure and
racing craft. After The war OF the rebel
lion broke out she was converted into n
blockade runner and to avoid capture,
was sailed into St Johns river, Florida,
and there sunk. After the war was over
ne was raised and taken to Annapolis
where she was put into service as n
training ship for cadets of the Naval
academy. She was being used as such
when the race with the Cambria was
greed upon. The navy department there
ipon reftted her and entered her with
he feet for the defense of the cup. In
he race the little center-bolrd chooner
Magic OF forty-seven tons led the process
,lon over the course. beating The Cambria |
l9m 12s. Tha latter was tenth In crossing |
he line, the America the fourth, beating
he Cambria 13m. as Subsequently the
america passed into the hands of the
ate General Benjamin f. Butler, and she
$ now owned by his son. somewhat al
cred, though, in appearance from what
she was in the Royal Yacht club squad
ON race for she now carries topmast
IN the fore as well as on the main mast.
The following year, 1871, Ashbury chal,
enged again with the schooner Livonia,
,ut under altered conditions. 1t was
,greed to sail seven races, the winner OF
me greatest nrmber to hold the cup. The
,ourse alternated between the regular
Jew York Yacht club course inside New
Fork bay and twenty miles TO wlndward
beyond Sandy Hook llghtshp and back
rhe New York Yacht club had the right
o name the defender OF the cup In each
4 these races mt the starting point The
up was successfully defended by the
schooner Columbia, centerboard, ana
ne Sappho, a keel schooner.
Six times has the cup been challenged
lnce the defeat OF the Livonia and each
ime the challenger has lowered It's coll
RS In defeat. The Canadians took a
and In 1876 with the schooner Countess
4 Dufferin, which was beaten by the
fadellne, and again In 1881, when they
ent to New York the centerboarl s,oop
1tlanta through the Oswego AMI Erie
anals and the Hudson river, to be beat
n by the sloop Mischief Then followed
he British cutters Genesta, in 1885, Gala-
ca In 1886 Thistle In 1887 and in 1893 Val
yrle (Which Is commonly called Valkyrle
/, because she was the second cf the
anne built by Lord Dunraven), each OF
'hich were respectively beaten by the
loops Puritan. Mayhower Volunteer ana
Tigl.ant in the order named. The Amer,
as cup has thus been retained by the
lew York Yacht club against all comers
, eight international contests.
When these International races were
egun the challenger was Handicapped
the same way as the America was
at CoWes--.t was required
sail against all OF the New York
acht cubs feet This handicap was
odifled IN the contest of 1871 by the
tting Of one vessel against the chal-
niger in each OF the series OF races
hicia were 10 decide the resulr. the elun
serving the right TO name the vessel
at should defend the cup in each race
the hour for starting This was
aneed again IN later contests so that
Iiy ore vessel should san against tina
aleenger to the cup IN each Of the
ries OF three races determining the is
q. In the last four International con-
its defender OF the cup was con.
.ucted expressly for that purpose ana
4 same Is the case IN the contest or
& year
Me original races ware sailed over the
irse or the New York Yacht cub.
lch lies inside Sandy Hook, but this
mt was surrendered ct an early stag
the cup contests, and It has now set.
4 down 10 tho best two out Of three
os. one Of which IS inside New York
Dor, over the regular club course, ana