The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-11
DEFENDER BADLY FOULED.
her TOPMAST RIGGING SWEPT
AWAY BY THE BRITIsHER's
BIG BOOM.

if Heard Aboard the Mug-Hunter.
Would Have Made the BritOns'
Ears TfngIe-Defender Repairs
Damages, Losing Two or Three
Minutes, and Starts PIucISiIy on on
the Race, and Crippled as She Was,
Gained Beautifully on Her OppO-
nent-Defender VIII Probably Be
Given the Race by the Committee.
New York, Sept. 1O.-Close jockeying
between the British and American COM
batants for the Americas cup in the race
off Sandy Hook to-day resulted in an ac-
cident to the American boat which spoiled
the race.
Fifteen thousand persons. on steam
boats, tugs. steam yachts and ocean
steamers, sent up groan of disappoint-
ment when that beautiful aluminium and
bronze creation was crippled. Not all
were near enough to see what had hap
pened. but all the yachting sharps saw
that an accident had happened to the top
mast rigging.
Some remarks were made which would
have made ears tingle had they reached
after fouling the Defender was away, cup
hunting.
While no one suspects the owner of the
visiting yacht of such unsportsmanlike
conduct as Intentionally fouling the yam
kee yacht, yet the way he raked his great
steel boom over the deck and tore down
the other fellows rigging, and then sail
ed away at his best pace over the course,
was not pleasant to patriotic Americans
to contemplate.
From the first every attempt to secure
fair play for the visitor has been made ana
methods that prevail in English races
when an American boat competes are not
tried here.
The boats in jockeying for the line had
shown some of the prettiest work that has
been seen here and when the jockeying
resulted in the Valkyrie obtaining the
windward position. as the two boats head
ed for the line, there were murmurs of dis
appointment in the crowd.
Both finally approached the starting line,
with Valkyrie leading and to the windward
Of the Defender. Had both held their
courses there would have been no trouble,
but anxiety of the British skipper to get
his boat over the line first and to wind
ward of the enemy made II a question If
he did not cross before the starting gun
sounded.
Valkyrie bore away trihe, and eased out
her sheets. The main boom of the Brit
Usher swept over the deck of the Defender,
carrying away the topmast shrouds on the
starboard side and tearing out the jaws
of the spreader The topmast cracked and
was badly sprung.
Just as the crash came the starting sig
nal was given and Valkyrie sped away
like rocket. Defender was luffed in the
wind, the jib topsail lowered, the wreck
age removed and Mr.. Isling decided to
continue the race
Probably couple of minutes were vast
ed making repairs before the boat contin-
ued on her course. A protest flag was
displayed and the committee boat showed
an answering pennant
Then the gallant Defender and her
plucky crew went in pursuit of the Brit
ish cutter. But for the accident the race
to-day would probably have been one of
the finest in the history of Americas
cup contests. Nothing was lacking to
make it a memorable affair.
The crowd of spectators and the fleet
of excursion craft and private yachts
We're present to lend animation to the
scene.
There was a good sailing breeze, the
sky was clear after the mist of the morn
Ing had been dispelled, and the ocean
was comparatively smooth.
1t was a good day for Valkyrie, but it
would have been a better one for De-
Tender had she not ntet with an acct
dent The weakened top mast of Defend
er prevented her from carrying the sail
mat Valkyrie carried and could not keep
the pace set by the Dunraven boat
In the beat of ten miles to windward
to the first turn Valkyrie gained an ad-
vantage of two minutes and fifty-two
seconds. At one time she led by fully
mile, but as the wind freshened from
the six knots at the start to fifteen at
the first turn, and eighteen shortly after
wards, the Defender, crippled though she
was, began to gain.
The second leg of the race was a broad
reach, and Valkyrie used a balloon jib
top-sail, while the people on the De-
lender had to be content with a baby
10 top-sail. In spite of her handicap,
Inc Defender gained seventeen seconds
on the second leg.
On the run home the Defender con-
tinued her grand work, gaining one min
ute and seventeen seconds. The time al
lowance of Valkyrie to Defender is twen-
WINNIE seconds and allowing for this, the
difference between her time over the
course and the Defenders time was forty
seven seconds only.
The early morning crowds found the
harbor and the bay wrapped in fog A
general murkiness prevailed. The dubious
outlook kept many people at home, but
there were many thousands of others who
MED down to the water front and en-
parked upon everything that was going
out to see the race. Many of the steam
ooats We're dangerously over-crowded, ow-
ing, no doubt to their reduction in price
Of tickets from So to ST.
Down at Bay Ridge Juggling at their
anchor chains, lay the two yachts in
whose performance the world is chiefly
Interested at present After yesterdays
san stretching spin, both sought the pic
turesque anchorage ground inside Owls
Head. Their towering spars poked holes
n the mist this morning and as each
champion tugged at her moorings, like
faee-horse ehamping at the Bit they
seemed anxious to get away
After breakfast their was a full taut-
ening up and testing of rigging and deck
tackle. The shippers of both yachts look
81 long and earnestly at the weather
ne wind was light from the southwest
ana the fog was lifting slowly. Both
uoats got club topsails in readiness and
made preparation for light airs.
defender was the first of the two rae
efs to leave Bay Ridge. At 7:40 she took