The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-06-06
BABY ACT PLAYED BY YACHTsMEN
IN THE CASE OF
A GOULD.
S ACCUSED OF CHEATING.
IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES NO CRED
ENcE is GIVEN TO THE RE-
= tz PORT.
NIAGARA NAY NOT RACE AGAIN.
An Absurd Reason Trumped Up to
Account for the Defeat of the
English Craft.

LONDON, June 5.-Another international
wet blanket over yachting, and is believed
to have been the cause of Howard Gould s
twenty -rater Niagara not starting in the race
for the smaller craft, on the programme of
the Royal London Yacht clubs regatta yes
terday, when Meteor, Emperor William 8
yacht, won her maiden race.
In brief, English yachtsmen feel sore over
the repeated victories of the Niagara last
year. and the present fuming and vaporing is
the result. Several explanations of her power
were given. One acquatic expert had it that
the Niagara was using shifting water bal
last, and this was finally settled upon as
being the secret of her success. Eventually
complaint was made to the yacht racing as
sociation, and the following letter was sent
by the secretary of that association, dated
May 27, to Howard Gould:
"a report has been made to the council of
the yacht racing association that your yacht
Niagara is fitted with q water tank under
the seat on each side of the cabin, and that
the tanks are connected by pipe so as to
make 1t possible, by merely turning a cock, to
run water from one tank to another, and
thus use them as shifting water ballast, which
might be advantageous In certain cases. Three
members of the council were consequently in
structed to inspect the tanks which they did
Immediately after the race of the Royal
Thames Yacht club, on May %, and in your
absence were afforded every facility by Capt.
Barr.
'The members of the council do not wish to
convey any idea on their part that the tanks
were used for the purpose indicated. On the
contrary their impression is the other way.
But I am requested to suggest in order to
hQ haya Dir io
desirable to make impracticable the run of
water from one tank to the other which
could readily be done by small alteration
of the pipes. / should be glad to hear for
the information of the council that this has
been done at once
-"Dixon Kemp, Secretary"
The Yachtsman, referring to this latest un-
pleasantness says: 1--WE have seen the water
tanks and there is absolutely no room under
the floor for any tanks. 1t is true, there is
a connecting pipe between the tanks, but we
fail to see that 1t could have been used for
shifting ballast, as it takes ten minutes for
one tank to empty into the other and this
can only be done when the yacht is keeled
over"
The writer in the Yachtsman concludes with
remarking: 1--WE regard the incident as pc
culiarly unfortunate because the suspicion,
which many treat as a gross insult, at
taches to foreign gentleman who has done
mucn Ior Bf1tfsh yachting and who Is known
as thorough sportsman. The fact that Mr..
Gould is an American makes 1t all the worse.
for in spite Of disclaimers, yachtsmen in
America will regard 1t as a national insult.
Under the circumstances nobody would be
astonished IL Howard Gould refused to take
part in any more races in these waters"
Mr.. Gould writes to the Field as follows:
"The tanks were never used for ballast or for
any purpose except for water for the crew.
The yacht was measured and always races
with the tanks empty, and even II they were
filled, the idea that they could be of advan-
tage is absurd becauses it would take eight
or ten minutes for the water to run from one
to the other. Had the committee advised me
of their intended visit should have been
pleased to aid them in their investigations" Z"
An editors foot note says: 1--WE under
stand that Mr.. Gould has offered to comply
with the committees suggestions"