The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-03


that she certainly would not have to give
the Columbia any time allowance. and was
corresrondingly cheerful when he came TO
take leave OF his two shippers. The weather
Indications. according to the special fore
cast sent out from Washington. are that
The wind will be fresh from the northeast.
II so the yachts will start from Sandy
Hook lightship and run almost dead before
the wind down the Jersey coast TO a point
just beyond Long Branch. According TO a
dispatch received from the Monmouth
Beach Ife-saving station at 10 o'clock to-
night. there will be quite a heavy sea of
Sandy Hook tomorrow unless the wind
moderates or shifts TO another quarter.
The cup defender Columbia was the first
boat OF the two to be measured. When the
~tell-tale on the caisson showed that here
was about twenty-one feet OF water in the
dock the Columbia foated. but in order TO
be sure that the ship was off the blocks
the water continued to flow I'm until there
was about four inches short of twenty
eight feet John Hyslop. the official meas
urer OF the New York Yacht Club. and who
has put the tape on many a cup challenger
and defender in past years. performed the
task again to-day. He arrived at the navy
yard shortly before s o'clock and at once
commenced work getting the length of the
boom. gaff. mast and spinnaker pole. The
crew rendered all the assistance they could
and a man was hoisted in a boatswain's
chair to the top to carry the tape to the
head OF the topmast.
THREE INCHES TOO LONG.
In measuring the length of the spinnaker
boom il was found that the pole was about
three inches longer than the restrictions
allowed-that is, from the center of the
bowsprit between the jib and the jib top
sail stays TO the mast-was one-quarter of
a foot too long. Capt Charley Barr called
into requisition a fine-toothed saw and cut
two inches from one end and one inch from
the other of the spinnaker pole.
Then plans were made TO measure the
water line and overall lengths Of the boat.
The crew and c.. Oliver Iselin. Capt. Wood
bury Kane, Albert Leeds, Butler Duncan,
5r.. Of the Defender; Harry +. Lippitt, of
the Americas cup committee; Hugh c.
Kelly. secretary of the Royal Ulster Yacht
Club. who will sail on Columbia as Sir
Thomas Lipton's representative in the cup
series; ]. Connell. also of the Royal Ulster
Yacht Club; Capt. Nat Herreshof and Mrs.
c. Oliver Iselin were aboard the American
boat when the hull was measured. Mrs.
1selin, Mr.. Duncan and Secretary Kelly
were In the cabin engaged in conversation
while all the others on board, with the ex-
ception of Nat Herreshon. Capt. Barr and
Mr.. ConneIl. were placed amidships i'm or
der to bring the boat down evenly to the
water line.
Mr.. Herreshoff. Capt. Barr and Mr.. Con-
nell assisted Measurer Hyslop I'm getting
the figures. The forward overhang was
first measured. A plumb line was suspend
ed from the very tip OF the bow, and. get
ting into a boat. Mr.. Hyslop. by means of
a long measuring rod. got the length from
the plumb line to the water line on the
bow. The after overhang was obtained In
q similar manner. and after these dimen-
sions had been obtained the measurer ap-
piled the tape from the taffrail to the bow
TO get the length over all. After making a
few calculations Mr.. Hyslop announced to
Messrs. Iselin and Herreshoff the result of
his measurements.
MORE LEAF TAKEN ABOARD.
Evidently the figure was somewhat less
than the managing owner desired to sail the
Columbia on. for a dozen men were sent
ashore in the tender. and. going to the
steam tender Plymouth. carried over to the
Columbia twenty pigs of lead. aggregating
about LOO pounds in weight. Previous to
taking the measurements a lot of dunnage
was brought up from the Columbia's cabin
- 80 a. ~ a
the intention OF the captain to clean out
from the hull all movable articles. Mr..
Leeds stated that the pigs of lead were
placed In the Columbia to make up for the
loss in weight occasioned by the removal
or the dunnage, but IL was noticeable that
when the ballast had been added the Column
bia sat lower In the water than she did be-
fore. Then Mr.. Hyslop measured her water
line again. and the length-Ss feet 6 6l-1OO
fnches-proving satisfactory TO the owners
and Designer Herreshoff. a V-shaped mark
n red paint was placed at the water line
on each side of the hull about amidships.
As soon as Mr.. Iselin announced that the
measurements operation had been finished
the crew took aboard their dunnage and
several spare sails, the caisson at the end
Of the dry DOCK was warped one side and
the Columbia was taken in tow for her
moorings inside of Sandy Hook.
The American cup defender left the navy
yard shortly after 3 o'clock and on the trip
down the East river and in fact all the
way down to the Hook she received a con-
tinuous ovation from steam and sailing
craft. whose salutes were acknowledged by
the dipping OF her flags. At just 5 o'clock
the craft lay all taut at her mornings on
the big can buoy in the Horseshoe and a
fresh northeast wind swung her around so
that her bow pointed right by the end of
the Hook. The tender st. Michaers came
down shortly after and anchored near the
Columbia.
Mr.. c. Oliver Iselin. managing owner of
the Columbia, said that he was perfectly
satisfied with his boat. He said he knew he
had a very speedy boat in all kinds of
weather and that he was confident she
would render a good account of herself in
the coming races.
Sir Thomas Upton. owner OF the Sham
rock. was present while the Columbia was
being measured. He said that without any