The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-18
THE WIND TOOK HER ToPMAST.
AND THE SHAMROCK LOST ONCE
MORE TO THE COLUMBIA.

The Green Boats Big Club TOpsaiI
Drew Too Heavily on the stick.
Down 1t Ratified When the Mast
snapped OR-RuIes Required the
Columbia to Continue on Her
| COurse-Next Race VIII De Sailed
| Tomorrow.
New York Oct. 1.-THE topmast of the
cup challenger Shamrock was carried away
| twenty-five minutes after the big single
sticker had crossed the starting line to-
| day, and her enormous club sail, with its
! 5000 feet of canvas. came rafting down
on the deck, leaving her a hopeless Grip
pie. No amount of pluck or courage could
face such a complete catastrophe, and
! Capt. Hogarth Immediately abandoned the
race towing back to the anchorage after
he had cleared away the wreckage
The Columbia continued over the course
alone, placing to her credit the second of
the races for the Americas S cup. The ac-
cident to the Shamrock ruined the race
| and caused the keenest regret among the
| yachtsmen and the thousands of sightseers
| who were on hand to witness what had
promised to be glorious duel
Good Sense in the Rule.
1t is unfortunate that the defender should
have been the beneficiary of an accident.
as there is little glory in beating a cripple.
but the rule is iron-clad If crippled be-
| fore the start, time for repairs is allowed
but once over the line, if ANYTHING car
ries away the sufferer must make such re-
| pairs as he can, or, if rendered hors de,
! combat, as the Shamrock was to-day. he
must take the consequences. There is good
sense and logic behind the rule The races
faet 2
sign and seamanship. Doubtless, if Mr.
| lselin could have had his choice in the
| matter, he generously would have declined
| TO continue in view of the crippled condi-
ton of his rival, but the rules gave him
no alternative. He was in duty bound to
20 on, and as he finished well within the
| time limit, the race was his
Had the accident not occurred however.
| 1t IS believed that the Yankee boat would
have repeated the beating she gave the
challenger yesterday. During the twenty
five minutes the yachts sailed she had gone
through the Shamrock lead like streak.
and had established lead of more than
500 yards on the weather bow.
When the Puritan fouled the Genesta.
| on the inside course in 1887 carrying away
the challenger's bowsprit and topmast. al
though the race was at flis mercy under
| the rules, Lord Richard Sutton magnani-
| mousiy refused to claim it, To avoid lust
| 7HNAa q NfAitAit5 GIlGOs Ill WHICH the benefit
ciafy Of an accident is always reluctant 10
claim his rights, a special clause was add
| ed to the regular rules this year leaving
! absolutely no option in the matter This
clause was signed by Sir Thomas Upton
ana Mr.. Iselin few days before The date
OF the first attempt 10 race.
A Racer IA Delicate Thing.
The accident to-day shows what deli
cate machine a racing yacht is nowadays.
hs1IN nl 10
built. 1t is superatively light structure.
weighed down by enormous ballast to car
| ry the gigantic spread of canvas The
most delicate and scientific adjustment of
weights is required. Tie simple breaking
OF stay to-day wrecked the Shamrock
The wire backstay of the topmast. which
! helps TO support ihe slender spars. gave
way and this support removed. her Ore
gon pine topmast, as big as a telegraph
pole, sixty feet long and fourteen inches
in diameter, snapped off like a match lust
above the lower mast cap. This mast was
not only supporting the pressure of a
| fifteen knot breeze against her big kite.
! but was also sustaining the crushing
weight of the sail itself and the two club
! topsail yards, each forty feet long.
! Later in the afternoon the Shamrock
was towed up TO the Erie basin, in The
upper bay. new topmast will be set up
tomorrow and she will be remeasured.
N'ilN III ~ lObiDiy ne taken out Tor n EDlQ
tomorrow TO try her stick, and the third
race of the series win be sailed on Thurs
day. This race will again be over wind
ward and leeward course, aud if the Co.
lumbia wins the series will have been
completed without giving the Shamrock
an opportunity to test her merits in her
favcrite point of sailing over triangular
course.
The Day Full of Promise
| There were only gray neutral tints in the
morning, but a hard, strong tweIve-knot
! breeze out of the east kicked up the white
| caps. and the wind and tide piled up the
| tumblng waters. The pulse of the sports
men throbbed in anticipation, and a big
excursion feet plowed out to witness the
| second duel between the Shamrock and the
Columbia. Some of the small sailing fleet
got outside plunging their bowsprits un-
| der and wetting their headsails as they
wallowed in broken water, until they were
glad enough to square away for more
placid seas.
Later in the day the wind drove the
clouds away, leaving an almost fiawless
vault of blue overhead. The shining wa
ters and the gay flags and bunting made
brilliant marine picture. The Sham
rock went out eager for the FRAY. She
cast off her tow before she reached the
! hell buoy at the head of the Swash Chan
4 WAY
with a lght shift under her own canvas.
1t looked like a blow such as the Sham-
rock is reported TO have been praying for.
and the sailors of the Irish boat made ev-
erything snug aloft in anticipation of an
increase in the wind. The race was to be
over All equilateral triangle, ten miles TO
the leg, which would give the challenger
a chance al her favorite point of sailing
| -reac ching. As soon as the committee had
signaled the course, the first leg a beat
TO windward, east by south, the excur-
sion boats lined up rail TO rail back of the
lishtship to watch the jockeying for posi-
| tion.
Was "A Magnificent start.
Never. probably, was there a more mag
! nhcent Start in a cup contest, and the
/ Shamrock carried off the honors The two
yachts wheeled and circled about like big
white gulls. each striving for the advant-
age, their hulls and decks and sails gleam-
ing In the sun
The Shamrock finally got the Columbia