Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-10-20
IT RUINED THE RACE.
Shamrock Meets with Misfortune
During the Contest.
TOpMAST BREAKS. DISABLING HER.

She Is lowed Home, While the Co
lumbia Sails Over the Course
Alone, Winning the Second
Race of the Series.
New York, Oct. 1s.-The topmast OF
the cup challenger Shamrock carried
away rs minutes after the big single
sticker had crossed the starting line
Tuesday, and her enormous clubsail
with its 5000 feet of canvas, came rat
Ting down on the deck, leaving her {
hopeless cripple. No amount of plucl
or courage could face such catastro
phe, 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 hel
credit the second of the races for the
Americas cup. The accident to the
Shamrock ruined the race and caused
the keenest regret among the yachts
men and the thousands of sightseers
who were on hand to witness what had
promised to be glorious duel. 1t is
unfortunate that the defender should
have been the beneficiary of an acct
dent, as there is little glory in beating
a cripple, but the rule is ironclad. Ii
crippled before the start, time for re-
pairs is allowed, but once over lie line
if anything carries away, the st1Eere1
must make such repairs as he can, or, if
rendered hors de combat, as the Sham
rock was, he must take the conse-
luences.
Would Have Won Anyway.
Had the accident not occurred, how
ever, it is believed that the Yankee boat
would have repeated the beating she
gave the challenger Monday. During
the Is minutes the yacht sailed she had
gone through the Shamrock's lead like
a streak and had established lead OF
more than 300 yards on the weathe,
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
magnanimously refused to claim it. To
avoid just such contingency, in which
the beneficiary of an accident is always
reluctant to claim his rights, 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 delicate machine racing
yacht is nowadays and how close to the
limit of safety it is built. 1t is SUI
perlatively 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 a 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 telegraph pole, go feet long and
IA inches in diameter, snapped off like
a 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
land the two club topsail yards, each 4C
feet; long. Later in the afternoon the
Shamrock was towed up to the Erie
basin, in the upper bay. A new top
mast will be sent up to-day, and she
will be remeasured. She will probably
tbe taken out for a spin to-day to try
her new stick.
4 VIII Race Again Thursday.
! The third race of the series will be
sailed on Thursday. This race will AGAR
be'over 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 fol
the fray. She cast off her tow before
she reached the bell buoy at the head
of the swash channel and made the re,
mainder of the way with light shift
oAANSA AASA oNAi SoAtdS. IL 1OOkeu like
blow such as the Shamrock is reported
to have been praying for, and the sail
ors of the Irish boat made everything
snug aloft in anticipation of an in.
crease in the wind. The race was to be
over an equilateral triangle, ten miles
to the leg, which would give the chal
lenger chance at her favorite point oil
sailing, reaching. AS soon as the com
mittee had signaled the course, the frs,
leg, beat to windward, east by south
the excursion boat lined up rail to raj
back of the lightship to watch the Jock
eying for position. Never probabl,
was there more magnificent or ex
citing start in cup contest, and thu
Irishman carried off the honors. Tn,
two yachts wheeled and circled abon
like big white gulls, each striving TO,
the advantage.
The Shamrock finally got the Colum
bia under her lee two minutes befor,
the start, and, try as the defende,
would, she could not shake off he,
rival. Both were on the port tack. t.
the southwark of the lightship. Final
ly, when but 10 seconds remained. tn,
Columbia wore around beautifully
while the Shamrock simultaneous,
tackled in the other direction, and thus
making two divergent circles, the,
came around on the starhoard tool,