The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-18
WONDERFUL SPEED
Shown by the Columbia Over Jester
days Course.

New. York Oct 1s-The accident to the
Shamrock Yesterday ruined the race and
ca1Ised the [eenesf reFret among the
yachtsmen and the thousands Of sight
seers who were on hand to witness what
had promised to be a glorious duel. It
is unfortunate that the defender should
have been the beneficiary of an accident,
as there is little glory in beating a Grip
pie, but the rule IS 1ronclad. IT crippled
before the start time for repairs is al
lowed, 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 Shamrock was, he must
take the consequences. Ihere IS good
sense and logic behind the rules. The
races are a test of construction as well
Doubtless if Mr. Iselin could have had
his choice in the matter he generously
of the crippled condition of his rival but
the rules gave him alternative. He
was in duty bound to go on, and as he
finished well within the time limit the
race was his. Had the accident not OC-
CURED, however, it is believed that the
Yankee boat would have repeated the
beating she gave the challenger on the
previous day During the twenty-five
minutes the yachts sailed she had gone
through the Shamrock's lead like a streak
and had established a lead of more than
three hundred yards on the weather bow
When the Puritan fouled the Genesta
on their inside course in 1887, carrying
away the chaIlenger's boWsprit and top
mast, although the race was at his mercy
magnanimOusIy refused to claim it To
avoid just such a 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 a few
days before the date Of the first attempt
to race The accident shows what a deli
cate machinery a racing Yacht is nova
days and how close to the limit of safety
structure weighed down BY enormous bal
last to carry the gigantic spread OF can
vas. The most delicate and scientific ad-
justment of weights is required. The sim
pie breaking of a stay wrecked the
The wire back stay of the top mast,
which helps to support the slender SparS,
gave way and this support removed her
Oregon pine top mast big tele-
graph pole, sixty feet long and fourteen
Inches in diameter snapped off like a
match just above the lower mast cap.
This mast was not only supporting the
pressure of a 10 knot breeze against her
big kite but was also sustaining the
crushing weight of the sail itself and the
two club top sail yards, each forty feet
long. Later in the afternoon the Sham
rock was tOwed up to the Erie basin,
In the upper bay A new top mast will
be set up today and she will be remeasur-
ed She will probably be taken out for
spin to try her new stick and the third
race of the series will be sailed on Thurs
day. This race viii again be over a wind
ward and leeward course, and if the Col
umbia wins the series will have been
completed without giving the Shamrock
an opportunity to test her merits in her
favorite point of sailing over a triangular
course
The Columbia made a fine race of it.
pluclily holding on to her club top sail
throughout and setting her balloon jib
was little short of marvellous She COW
cred the course in three hours and thirty
seven minutes, the best ten miles to wind
ward in one hour thirty-nine minutes.
eleven seconds, the reach to the second
mark in hfty-three minutes and htty-nine
seconds and the last leg in one hour three
minutes and fifty seconds As she crossed
the finish line she let go her head sails.
and one of the Deer Isle sailors treated
the spectators to an exhibition of daring
as he climbed out over the peak halyard
eighty feet in the air to loose the club
top sail
An informal meeting of theregatta COM
m1ttee of the New York Yacht club was
held last night and it was decided that
the next race between the Columbia and
Shamrock should occur Thursday. It was
also decided that the remeasuring of the
Shamrock should be done at the navy
yard at O'Clock this morning.