New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-14
SHAMROCK'S GAFF BREAKS
A LIGHT WIND CRUSTIES THE ~"
ALUMINIUM SPAR
CONFIDENCE SHAKEN IN THoRNEfCRof
AILOY-LITTLE TINE LEFT TO MAhH
TESTS THE CHALLENGERs
AWKWARD PLIGHT.

.rrov-1ITTLE TINE LEFT TO MAKE
TESTS THE CHALLENGEKs
AWKWARD PLIGHT.
vo..o-dov.s sailing knocked the bottom out Of
mo confidence in Thorneycroft's light spars OF
aluminium alloy The new gan for the nls racing
n,o,nsau Of the Shamrock was crushed into the
form NJ q letter a." and the spar is perhaps be-
,.o,d ronair Challenger stock has taken
.,rron II is now said perhaps wrongly, that De-
oouse ono Of these aluminium spars has proved
inf, for It's position all the rest may DO ike
wise
The challenger went out early yesterday. me
nress tug was too late 70 see her leave SANDY
Hook. but II was found out afterward mat she
went out under her own sail from her anchorage
at 1909
When first seen the Shamrock was cruising
about In the neghborhood Of the Scotahu
Iightship. She was carrying her largest si%eo
racing n1ainsail--the one with the ll--loot "'''"
and the aluminium 75-foot gaff. which had peen
hoisted for the first time the previous day The
club gafftopsail which was set aloft was
bent to new spars. These were Of the same
cornos,tIon as the gait. and they were now
making their appearance for the first time
1be,, were not painted. and as before described
in The Tribune. looked like tin and We're slen
dor From the easy way the men handled them
u.ben the topsau was being lowered later OH
thev were doubtless exceedingly light, and OF
nothing Ike the weight OF wooden spars OF the
same size. Whether they carried the same san
as on the previous day could not he ascer'di"cu.
The tug Lawrence was sent away 20 los OIL
ten miles dead to leeward. and then TWO VIM
ward legs Of ten miles each so as 10 MANI "
thirtv-uoile triangle on the same plan as that
used in the races for the America cup -
has heen the intention Of the Shamrock people
10 sail as nearly as possible on the courses mat
will he laid down on the days on when the
challenge races will be sailed
STARTING EvOLUTIONs.
The wind was northwest and light. The sham
rock was carrying mansail, cluotopsall' lo'e
sail lib and small jibtopsail She went throus"
q number Of evolutions as II struggling LOT peS'
position with an imaginary opponent ana 'hen
at 1850 she squared away before me VIM
and set her spnnaker TO port she was aoou'
70 run out southeast before the wind on the MIST
ten mile leg Of the triangle that was Dei"s
logged of by the tug Lawrence
The Shamrock gaff lasted just three 'nl""'''
and thirty seconds At II III something was
seen 10 be wrong and on the press boat II was
thought al first that the jaws OF the gan hau
hoor carried away. But on nearer approach 1t
was noticed that the gan itself had DroNe"'
uooarth kent the yacht straight on her course.
The broken part Of the gaff and the heau VI
the mainsan had all swung forward.
rh. sninnaker was first run in at the foot and
The sail lowered. and passed out Of the way
nv. Tho .ninnalker boom was hoisted and So
.rrod At the head by the masthead men The
,oresau was run down and then an attempt was
,nodo 20 lower the big club ga1topsah. But
,o~a tho gaftopsan shet had been dragged
to~r.ard nv the peak end OF the bent spar, ana
,ho tonsau ward fouled as the halyards were
oosea avav II was seen. soon afterward. that
tho ,onsan was considerably torn at its tack
- I'm, tho immediate cause n the tearing was
- ,,rovyn unless the foot Of the yard went
through II. -s
The tonsan had been hoisted on the starhoard
eide on the mainsail. and that way down was
barred by the boom being wide off and the broken
eae being in the way. Some Of the malhshee'
vas then hauled in and an attempt to lower
tho rnainsan was made. but the bend Ia 'n'
ref was now straddling the starhoard topping
rft and wanted 10 go aft before II would de-
! eoend The hoops on the mast prevented TINS
| Tho tb was then lowered and an attempt
was made 70 bring the boats head 70 wind
Sir Thomas Upton Fife. Ratsey and Comet
we're on board the Shamrock. the Ya'h' "o"''
not come head 10 wind. ana Inc mum "a 49,.
INC man called through megaphohe rom VIC
! ,,rese tiIc lack Dykman, 70 know u the 0nd'l-
! rock would take a line. There was Il" isPy ~
| The first call and second was iht'., an"
! thon Fife replied declining the oiteI' Al tnr
| $3.50 Zinc the steam launch from the Erin was
| summoned and she took A line from tne cul'eI
| Her power proved unable 10 turn the Dig 20 l..
! and fhen another offer was maze ny d IlriI"Oi
| O. 49, Ice This was also declined by katsey
| There was no other tug In sight the LaW
renee having gone 70 mark the course, anu wv
steam yacht Erin having gone 70 zen ug - &c"
renee TO come back. OWING 10 the JdS6cu ~ I'm
- tho yaff and the refusal Of the spar 10 come
down. it seemed probable that 'ne ns" rt,,
would be torn. one Of the BOSTON cAPg..' o ~'ro
has known Ratsey and File Tor many "a az
oTod again Offering the assistance Oh lhe
rress tug Ratsey's reply was curt ana al
though there was nothing but the H1Oe iaulioi y
70 assist. It was evident that the press Jug was
about the last boat on the OO1"i '''
would be received from. $500. .o,
however after the sail had neen Cut ave-
.raro the rings so that the broken eaHs aHsl'
IRON is La az down the lift then the crew be
gan to get the sail down The niue launcn wa
row able 10 head the Shamrock arouhu ~ Nv
,,ird and soon afterward the topsall was AIS,
Ml' eaeed down to the deck. 1t took JUS
CO.., four minutes after the accident TO get the
last biz OF canvas on deck, this being done a.
l2:5o' SIR THOMAS OUT OF SIGHT.
During nearly all this time Sir Thomas 1Aptor
.os ont Of sight, but later he came up anc
watched the topsan being lowered There was
now a heavy gloom over the Shamrocks people
one OF their most important spars had proved Il
be a failure in a wind that was blowing les.
than eight miles an hour breeze thal "ou''
not have injured a butterfly racing canoe.
There was nothing more said unul the Sham
rock was towed into Sandy Hook BAY ana re.
up beside the spar barge Ulster IN 9ruer Una
Tho decks might be cleared ~ the bent spar
And then the press boat went 10 the Erin I" aSi
when the Shamrock would probably SAL again
, II vas almost impossible To get any body on tn
etearn Yacht TO speak. SIR Thomas was f"un'
sitting on the forward deck, talking 10 two otne
men He paid no attention whatever TO the cans
clneo hr from the nress noal- Canlaln MAJ