The morning times., 1896-02-01
ISElIA IS yIHDIclTED
Yacht Club Committee Fails to
Sustain DunraVen's Charges.
ALL OWING TO A MISTAKE
Is the Charitable View the Committee
Takes of His Lordship's Bad hfeah.
Expert Eyideuce Shows Bowthe Err
ror Was Made Possible-rhinhs He
Would Have Withdrawn Charges.


doubt that the committee appointed ny the
New York Yacht Club to Investigate the
Dunraven charges of fraud, made against
the owner of the yacht Defender, has
done its work Well. They sified the mat
ter thoroughly before giving cut Their
final decision, as the following report,
which was issued late last night, viii show:
The committee appointed by ne New York
Yacht Club by resolution adopted at n
meeting held on the Sth Of November
1895, beg leave to report:
The resolution was in these words:
Whereas, The London Fled has lately
made public certain charges purportinG TO
have been made 10y the Earl of Dunraven. IN
reference to The recent America cup races
sailed uBder the challenge Of the Royal
Yacht Squadron, and
Whereas, This club is of the opiniCu iIiai,
Notwithstanding the extraordinary conduct
of the Earl of DuDraven in respect TO the
time and manner OF making such charges,
il is due 10 its honor aud dignity thlt
suitable action should be taken III relation
thereto;
Resolved, That Iessrs. j. Pierpont Nor
gan, William c. Whitney, and George l..
Kivcs, are hereby appointed conIn!tte".
with power, III their discretion. TO add to
their number, to whom the matter OF SAID
charges is hereby referred; and that such
committee shall have full power 10 represent
this club in reference to the matter, and
to take, on behalf Of the club. aud in its
name. any action which may seem to them
proper in the premises.
WOULD NOT TAKE PART.
This committee at once opened commun
cation with MIR. Grant. the secretary of the
Royal Yacht Club, with a view to dis
covering the position that body would as
sumo in the matter. and were appriscd of the
determination of the Royal Yacht Squadron
to take no part inthe pro pc sed investigation.
They therefore concluded that u full judi
Cial inquiry was essential, and forthwith
added To their number, by invitation. Capt.
Alfred T. Mahan, of the United States
Navy. and Mr.. Edward j. Phelps, who took
part in the subsequent proceedings, the re-
suit OF which is now reported.
The charges referred to We're contained
in a pamphlet published by the Earl of Dun
raven and reprinted in the London Field of
November 9. L s95, and they were repeated
10y him in a speech at Cardiff on the 21st
of the same month. They had reference to
the races sailed at New York on the Tth,
l 9th and 9th of September. l S95. between
the yacht Valkyrie III. belonging to the
Earl of Dunraven and others, and the yacht
Defender owned hy McSSrs. 9. Oliver Is,-
derbilt ofNew York. in competitionforw what
is known as the Americas Cup, held by
the New York Yacht Club. and subject
to challenge under certain conditions. and
in substance claimed that after being meas
ureji for the cup races in September la 81. the
yacht Defender was surrer,iti0usly loaded
| so as to sink her four inches deeper in the
| water: that she sailed in that condition on
! the first days race; and that immediately
! after that race the ballast so loaded was
| secretly removed, so that when measured
| the next day Sunday no discrepancy was
| found to exist between the two measure
| ments.
Lord Dunravcn's pamphlet, besides the
charge of secret alteration Of the water
| line length. contained various criticisms of
| of the competence or good Judgment of
| those who We're charged with the ce-
ment of the races on behalf of the New y York
| Yacht Club.
the committee have confined their in
| quires solely to the question OF the truth
| of the charge of surreptticus changes in
| the ballastiDg Of the Defender, on Sep
| tember .. not deeming themselves author
lied or called upon TO investigate any other
| circumstances connected with this or the
| subsequent races between the same yachts,
! except so far as they might assist in
! determining that question.
| DIFFERED FROM DUNRAvEN's IDEA.
Mr.. Glennie placed the apparent INNER
sion at about one and a half inches more
| on the Tth than ON the 9Th.
The fraud that is involved in the charge
| thus made il it is found to be true, is n
| very grave one. utterly destructive to tie
| reputation OF all who should appear TO have
been concerned in it, and especially odiouS
under the circumstances of friendly con
test between citizens of different countries
4
posed to be conducted by gentlemen upon
a high plane Of hon or and mutual confidence
From the magnitude and difficulty Of tht
operation necessary to its consumma lion
il must unavoidably, if it occurred, have
been participated in, not only by Mr.. Isclir
and those concerned with him in the man
agement Of the Defender, but by all the Off
cersand crew OF that vessel, and many other;
incidentally employed.
| It appeared from the evidence of Mr.
Herreshoff, the designer of the Defender
confirmed by other witnesses, that to hav'
produced an increased immersion II ont
inch on the Defender would have required
T.I3o pounds of additional weight, ol
| about three and n quarter long tons. tha
to have produced such an immersion o. thre'
inches would have required about nine att
| three-quarter tons: and an inlmer- r-i)n O
four inches. about thirteen tons; and that al
the Ioad-water line eight inches, and in th'
same proportion for each additional incl
of immersion. If such result wa produced
therefore. all the weight thus shown to b.
required must have been removed from III
vessel before the first mea surenlent on TIL
9Th. replaced during the night OF that day
and again removed during the night OF tn
Tth in time for the renea surement on tn
| Sth. And this was LORD Dunravens S theor
as finally stated upon tiou
THAT PIPE HOLE AGAIN.
In respect to the pipe hole on the por
side of the Defender. noticed by Lord Dun
raven at the time of the measurement tn,
day before the race. and which prove,
to be the discharge OF the bilge pump, i
was shown by careful measurement an,
survey made by Mr.. DELUXE civil enginee
experienced in such work, assisted by Mr.
Hyslop. the official measurer. and testifie,
to by them that when the vessel lay in still
water. trimmed and ballasted as she wa
on September s. the discharge hole woul,
not be visible. being entirely below the load
water line as defined by the external mark
affixed on that day, as above stated: am
this was shown upon drawing prepare,
by Mr.. DELUXE.
The propf showed. that rs the vessel la,
in the Erie Basin Just before the Officia
measurement on the 9th of September
she had a slight list TO starb,ard prohab bl
occasioned by the movement OF the GREY
to that side of the vessel before they wer
put in position amidships for that measure
ment. And it was further shown that tn
quarters of the crew were in the forecastle
that their cots. bedding, etc, there, wer
OF the weight OF about forty pounds +
each man: that those cots. etc. were ia ke