The Oskaloosa herald., 1899-10-19

men and the thousands of sightseers
who were on hand to witness what had
. promised to be a glorious duel. 1t is
unfortunate that the defender should
have been the beneficiary of an acct
dent, as there is little glory in beating
cripple, but the rule is ironclad. If
crippled before the start, time for re-
pairs is allowed, but once over the line
If anything carries away, the sufferer
must make such repairs as he can, or, if
rendered hOrs de combat, as the Sham
rock was, he must take the eonse-
4uences.
Would Have Won Anyway.
| Had the accident not occurred, how
ever, it is believed that the Yankee boat
would have repeated the beating s.ie
gave the challenger Monday. During
the rs minutes the yacht sailed she had
gone through the Shamrock's lead like
| Il streak and had established a lead of
more than 300 yards on the weather
| bow.
| When the Puritan fouled the Genesta
on the inside course in 1887, carrying
away the challenger's bowsprit and top
mast, although the race was at his mer-
| cy under the rules, Lord Richard Sutton
| magn&nimOusly refused to claim it, To
| avoid Just such contingency, in which
| the beneficiary of an accident is always
| reluctant 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
| few days before the date of the first
attempt to race. The accident Tuesday
| shows what a delicate machine a racing
| yacht is nowadays and how close to the
nit of safety it is built. 1t is a SUI
perlativriy light structure, weighed
down by enormous ballast to carry the
gigantic spread of canvas. The most
delicate and scientific adjustment of
| weights is required. The simple break
ing of stay wrecked the Shamrock.
The Broken Mast.
The wire backstay of the tOpmast,
which helps to support the slender
spars, gave way, and this support re-
moved, her Oregon pine topmast, as
big as IA telegraph pole, 60 feet long and
IA inches in diameter, snapped off like
Il match just above the lower mast cap.
This mast was not only supporting the
pressure of 15-knot breeze against
her big kite, but was also sustaining
the crushing weight of the sail itself
and the two club tOpsail yards, each 40
feet long. Later in the afternoon the
Shamrock was flowed up to the Erie
basin, in the upper bay. A new top
mast VIII be sent up to-day. and she
will be remeasured. She will probably
be taken out for a spin to-day to try
her new stick.
Will Race Again Thursday.
The third race of the series 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.
story of the Event.
The Shamrock went out eager for
he fray. She cast off her tow before
she reached the bell buoy at the head
# the swash channel and made the re-
mainder of the way with a light shift
under her own canvas. 1t locked like
blow such as The Shamrock is reported
TO have been praying for, and the sail |
Ors of the Irish Scat made everything
snug aloft in anticipation of an in |
crease in the wind. The race was to he
over an equilateral triangle. ten miles
TO the leg, which would give The cha!-
lenger chance al her favorite point Of |
sailing. reaching. rs soon as the COM |
mittee bad signaled the course, the first |
leg, beat to windward. east by south. |
the excursion boat lined up rail to rail |
back of the lightship to watch the jock |
eying for position. Never probably |
was there more magnificent or|N-
citing start in cup contest, and the |
freshman carried off the honors. The |
two yachts wheeled and circled about |
like big white gul!s, each striving for /
The advantage.
The Shamrock finally got the Column
bia under her lee two minutes before |
the start, and, try as the defender |
would, she could not shake eff her 1
rival. Both were on the port tack, TO |
the southwark of the li9htship. Final
ly, when but 20 seconds remained. the
Columbia wore around beautifully, |
while the Shamrock simultaneously |
tackled in the other direction. and thus, |
making two divergent circles. they
came around on the starboard tack and |
headed for the line.
Almost together they bounded ava,
in the smoke Of the gun, so close that
sailor might have stepped from one
boat To the other. The Shamrock wfs
perhaps half length ahead. and in the
wirdward berth. Both had their sheets
trimmed straight afr. ard ms she went
across, the Columbia set her baby lib
toEsail. Ii was broken out and she eted
home in eight seconds. But the smart
ness of the Yankee boat in setting its
sail did not compensate the patriots for
the disappointment they suffered on ac-
count of the Shamrock's superior gem
eralship in getting the weather gauge.
But their disappointment was short
lived. The Columbia was blanketed,
and the patriots expected 10 see her
drop astern. Instead, she gathered
Roadway, and went through the Sham
rocks lee like race horse.
Takes Good Lend.
Madly she footed, and in FIVE minutes
she was clear of her adversary Five
later the Shamrock went about
on the port tack. but the Yankee held
on for minute, TO be sure of the wealth
er gauge. As both heeled away on this
tack II seemed that the Columbia would
rereat her performance Of Monday, for
she footed faster ard pointed higher.
Fifteen minutes after the start she was
300 sarGs well cut on the green boats
weather bow, and forging ahead at
every bound. The Shamrock did not
set her handkerchief forward, evidently
believing from her experience Monday
that il knocked her of the wind. Capt.
Hogarth was able 10 keep her closer, but
he could not hold her as high as the
white beauty. The Columbia's headsail
lifted her head ont Of the waves and
made her splash more spray as her bow
went smashing into the long swells.
breaking OF the Mast
Suddenly. at 1924. The big kite ard !
the whole top-hamper of the green beat
umbied over TO leeward, and the staie-
81 challenger was q helpless cripple.
Her big sail fell lifelexs. like the wing
u bird hit by the hunter. aud she las.
- the uafer helpless. 10 one ii The
'kcprslon Heel knew ulag had hap
peneds except that The club sepeail had !