Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-10-20
AGAIN The COLUMBIA WINS.
An Accident to the Shamrock Puts
Her Out OF the Race ana the Column
bin GOes Alone Over tho CHurse.

Her Out OF the Race ana the Colunl-
bia Goes Alone over the Course.
New York. Oct. 1s.-The topmast OF
the Shamrock was carried away 25
minutes after the big single sticl1er
had crossed the starting line yesterday
and her enormous club sail with its g.
0OC feet of canvas came rattling dowE
on the deck, leaving her n helpless
cripple. No amount of pluck or cour-
age could face such catastrophe and
Capt. Hogarth Immediately abandoned
the race towing back to the anchorage
after he had cleared away the wreck
age. The Columbia continued over
the course alone, placing to her credit
the second of the races for the Amer
ica's cup.
1t is unfortunate that the defender
should have been the beneficiary of an
accident, as there is little glory in
beating cripple, but the rule is iron
clad. If crippled before the start,
time for repairs is allowed, but once
over the line, if anything carries away
the sufferer must make such repairs
as it can, or if placed hors du combat,
as the Shamrock was on Tuesday, it,
must take the consequences. There
is good sense behind the rule. The
races are test of construction as well
as design and seamanship. Doubt
less if Mr.. Iselin could have had his
choice in the matter, he would have
declined to continue, in view of the
crippled condition of his rival, but the
rules gave him no alternative. lie
was in duty bound to go on and as he
finished within the time limit the race
was his. Had the accident not oc-
Cured however, it is believed the
Yankee boat would have repeated the
beating she gave the challenger on
Monday. During the 25 minutes the
yacht sailed she had gone through the
Shamrock's lead like streak and had
established a lead over 100 yards.
When the Puritan fouled the Genesta
in 1887, carrying away the challenger q
bowsprit and topmast, although the
race was at his mercy under the rules,
Lord Richard Sutton magnanimously
refused to claim it. To avoid just such
n contingency. in which the benefi-
ciary of an accident is always reluct-
ant to claim his rights, a special clause
was added to the regular rules this
year, leaving absolutely no option in
the matter. This clause was signed
by Sir Thomas Upton and Mr.. Iselin a
few days before the date of the first
attempt to race.
The accident yesterday shows what
a delicate machine q racing yacht is,
and how close tc the limit of safety
| it is built. 1t is a superlatively light
structure, weighed down by enormous
| ballast to carry the gigantic spread of
canvas. The most delicate and scien-
titic adjustment of weights is required.
| The breaking of stay wrecked the
| Shamrock. The wire backstny of the
topmast, which helps to support the
slender spars, gave way and, this sup
port removed, her Oregon pine top
mast, as big as a telegraph pole, 60
feet long and IA inches in diameter,
snapped off like match just above
the lower mast cap.
Later in the afternoon the Shamrock
was towed up to the Erie basin in th,
upper bay. A new topmast will be
set up to-day and she will be re-
measured. She will probably be taken
out for a spin to try her new stick
and the third race will be sailed on
Thursday. This race will again be
over a windward and leeward course
and if the Columbia wins the series
will have been completed without Civ
ing the Shamrock an opportunity to
test her merits in her favorite point
of sailing over triangular course.