Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-29
old AMERICA"
The Story Of the Famous Original Yacht
Always Interesting. is Told Again.


No yacht afioat has hal a more varied
career nor carries with hcr funder mem
cries 81 ola racing days than the schoon-
or America, the first winner Of the "bluc
ribbon Of the s"a.S now known as the
America cup. some look at the De
fender or the coming Columbia a. tn q
type of all that Is good and great IN
yacht racing, but there wouid nave been
no Defender II the America had not been
built and raced.
Designed aud built carly IN 1851 ~
George Steers for John =. Stevens, Ham
lltOn Wilkes, George H. schuyler. James
Hamilton. j. Beekman FiuIay ana u. a.
Stevens. all Of the New York Yacht Clue.
the America jumped, AS it were. into in-
tcrnatirnal prominence" on Aug. ~. lNJl.
by beating SIX schouners. one three-mast-
81 miles around the Isle ~ Wight tn"
contest was for the Royal Squadron cay.
valued AT lVu gu.ncas. given IN cpmm"in-
crate the world q idtr. xix days later 81"
defeated the schooner Tltania IN a ~
mile race From mat time untll thr pres
pnt thc America has been rebuilt NJ l"-4
than seven Times. and snc mas sailed Ia
ten races M national Importance. besides
many minor events.
Ia l>5. 'n- yacht was sold 20 Lord 2"
H.Inuu!crr fnr SIR. ANA ln q rHrr for th'
Lllr-n's cup III Juiy uf THAT year -hr VIA
beaten by Nj TaHk'ryiiis thImh"r-
!aNut'S cutter ALTON bN bti --. &hr ht-
fcat,d thr schooner Sy~r ~" IN 1t-nil"
race. Lord Tcmpirtnn bought INC zach.
"A N.vr latter. used hrr Our summer AtI
then laId h.r up fur -iX years. wnrn 7h"
Ms -r.d for trlHe rr I Nj PITCHER. who
p.c... The latter changed her name it
Camilla and crui-rd 4" tN" " rSt indies
Before sailing she defeated th' rrA"nh'r
GdlateJ - minutes iH ID race !n t"e thHH-
Upon her return ~ i>I ihe Camilla wa
sold go parties WI" lMrn'd per mo
name wv Memphis ana tn avoid capture
Nv tile United States ship Wabash th''s
scuttlcd hcr in the St- John r.F"r. Flor
ida After TIL. wAr ~hr WA raised ry
thr government. r,Httcd ana used fur ss.
t.rtl Yeats as a. training ship for n3vI.
cadets at Annapolis. NJ th' rrIu's' n.
many ylchtsmfu in ~" She was tti'd up
by the navy department Ar s1H aEd4n~-
,hc British schooner Cambria iJr thc
Americas cup TW,Uiy-iiv" schIonc"S
started and ihc Magic won. hrt thc
America also defeated the Cambria
\ Year later wh"n sa" wts put Up p;
auction. Gen Butler bought her t1r S51'J
in a 4n-mi,c race aEaln~. th' krS"!Ite wa
1875 for a 500 cup she defeated tn" lat
tenn From SANDY Hook M Cape May and
return she beat THE schooner Alarm .n
ING
On 4 cruise m ISL from Nassau tp
Havana. She sailed iou miles in % hours
20 uf that distance being sailed duriE,
th" FIRST ~ hours NJ her cruise.
Gen. Butter soon after challenged ina
nUncrS ~ The ship North America 20 race
"A" miles M >eA. Thc America won. I'm
lNN5 she was placed III the disposal VI th--
Americas cup committee when the Gen
"Sta's owner challenged.
in May lN>6 the lafr Edward Burgess
was commissioned 70 rctt the schooner
a 25-tnn lead Keel on r new oak Eryl wa
added. Her jihborm was taken out ana
long howsprIt substituted, with Two
htLd sails ana complete sct pf racing
canvas.
Upon the death Of Gen. Butler the
yacht passed into the hands ot his son.
Pam. pakes Amcs ana Butler Amcs Of
Lowell. Paul used the yacht chiefly fug
cruising Occasionally ~ entered tier i'll
a race, and then She showed remarkable,
speed in y strong breeze. The yacht Wa
seen W several of the New YORK Yacht
cmb cruises. The yacht finally fen to
Butler AmcS, who Joined the New York
lIch, C!ub lJst year