The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-19
FATAL END OF THE ROYAL YACHT
CLUB REGETTA AT SOUTH
SEA.
BARON zEDLITz KILLEI
ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT OF
YOUNGER GERMAN STATES
MEN.
ISOLDE COMPLETELY WRECKED
Zedlitz, Her Owner, Was ON Board
When the Emperor's Yacht
Crashed Into Her

SOUTHSEA, Aug. 18-An accident,
resulting in the dismasting Of Baron
Won Zedlitz's American-built yacht
Isolde and the death of her proprietor,
occurred today during the regatta of
the Royal Albert Yacht club. A. Bar
clay Walkers Ailsa, the Prince of
Wales Britannia, A. B. Clarkes Sa-
tanita, and Emperor Williams Meteor
started at 10 a. M, in the order given,
in the race for the vice commodore's
cup. AT IL o'clock the smaller yachts
in the contest for prizes were sent
away over the same course Frank
Jameson's The Saint, Howard Gould's
Niagara, Ogden Goelet's Samphire,
Lord Dunraven's Audrey, Charles Day
Roses Penitent and Baron Won Zed-
litz's Isolde started in the order men
toned
While the big yachts We're passing
the committee boat they overlook
the twenty-raters. Britannia and Me-
teor were almost abreast of Isolde, the
two first mentioned yachts narrowly
escaping coming into collision Then
Britannia suddenly shifted her helm,
In order to avoid the Saint, and Me-
teor, not having room enough, fouled
isolde, almost bows on, and swept her
from stem to stern with her boWsprit.
In moment Isolde was a complete
wreck. The mast with it's cloud of
white sails, collapsed. as if struck by
lightning, and every member of her
crew and the passengers on deck, the
latter including Baron Won Zedlitz and
his brother, were swept overheard and
more or less seriously injured Isolde
lay helpless in the water, half buried
in wrecked rigging, canvas and shat
tered spars, while here and there about
and astern of her, were her crew and
passengers fioundering in the water or
swimming for safety to the nearest
yachts.
Britannia and Meteor Immediately
after the accident luffed up, hove to
and hurriedly got their boats over
board to rescue the drowning men.
AilSa, most of the steam yachts and
the British gunboat Ant, at anchor
near the scene of disaster, did the
same, and the smaller sailing yachts
put about and headed for the same
spot in the hope Of being of some ser
vice. Baron Won Zedlitz and his
brother, and the crew of the Isolde
We're rescued, but the former was taken
from the water with bad cut on his
head and bleeding from the ears. He
was conveyed on board the nearest
steam yacht which promptly headed
for Ryde, where the nearest hospital
was located, but the baron died before
reaching shore.
One of the Seamen of the Ant dis
played great gallantry in jumping
overheard into a mass of wreckage
and, after long dive and a hard
struggle, rescuing one Of the Isolde's
crew, who was nearly dead when
hauled into the pinnace of the gum
boat,
The accident cast the deepest gloom
over the yachting world here, in which
Baron Won Zedlitz was we'll known and
much liked. All races of the day were
abandoned and the regatta scheduled
for tomorrow has been indefinitely
postponed, and all the flags are at
half mast The baron, who was not
40 years old, was considered one of the
leading men of the younger generation
of German statesmen. He was privy
councillor, a member of both the reich
stag and the Prussian Diet and was
leader of the free conservative party
He had been in parliament about TWEEN
ty years and in 1890 was unanimously
recommended by the state cabinet for
the then vacant post Of minister of
finances, but was not appointed be-
cause the emperor had taken a fancy
to DR.. MIGUEL, the present minister of
finance. The baron leaves a wife and
an infant child.
It is difficult at this time to place
the blame for the accident where it
riehtfully belongs and this matter will
probably be settled later by the Royal
Yacht Squadron. Comes, the skipper
of Meteor, however, declares that the
collision was due to Britannia failing
to make way for Meteor when the lat
ter had the right of way Isolde was
towed back here. She was built for
Prince Leopold. of Prussia, by the
Herreshoffs, and subsequently sold to
Baron Won Zedlitz. She was taken to
deck of the Hamburg steam
ship Russia. She is twin yacht of
Howard Goulds Niagara which she
has defeated several times
According to later reports, the ac-
cident occurred while Britannia Mete-
or Saint and Isolde We're finishing the
first round So close together were
the yachts that those aboard the COM
mittee boat feared an accident. Just /
as all the yachts were preparing to
round the mark boat Isolde and Brit
ANNA nearly collided. Isolde immed-
lately altered her course, the result be-
ing that Saint struck Isolde's back
stay, swinging her around and across
Meteor's course The next moment
1SoIue SpHuLeIeu OOWSpfiI was seen
flying in the air, her fore canvas fiut-
tering. Then Isolde ground broadside
on against Meteor and her main mast
fell with crash. The big yachts i'm
mediately stood off. Isolde was seen
tossing about, a perfect wreck, her
mainmast dragging beside her, the
heads of her crew bobbing up and down
In the water as the men commenced
swimming toward the wreckage or
chung to the fragments Of the boat I'M
til they were picked up.