The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-18


feat Under the Rules Agreed Upon
No One on Shamrock Injured
challenger VIII Be Given "A Day
in Which to Make Repnirs-Next
Race to Be Sailed Thursday.
NEW YORK, Oct. 1.-THE topmast of
the cup challenger Shamrock carried
away fifteen minutes after the big sin
gle-stickers had crossed the starting
line today, and her enormous club top
sail with its 5000 square feet of canvas,
came rattllng down on the deck, leaving
her a hopeless cripple. No amount CT
pluck or courage could face such a ca
tastrephe, and Capt. Hogarth was towed
back to the anchorage after he had clear
ed away the wreckage.
The Columbia continued over the course
alone, placing to her credit the second Of
the races for the Americas cup. The ac-
cident to the Shamrock ruined the race
and caused the keenest disappointment
among the yachtsmen and thousands Of
sightseers who were on hand to witness
what had promised to be a glorious duel.
1t 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 ironclad. If 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
du combat, as the Shamrock was today,
l. L.
There is good sense and logic behind the
rule. The races are a test of construc-
ton as we'll as design and seamanship.
Doubtless If Mr.. Iselin could have had
his choice in the matter he generously
would have declined to continue, in view
of the crippled condition of his rival, but
the rules gave him no 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 yester-
day. During the time the yachts
sailed she had gone through the
Shamrocks lead like a streak and had es-
tablished a lead of more than 800 yards on
the weather bow.
When the Puritan fouled the Genesta
OIL the inside course, in 1887, carrying
away the challenger's boWsprit and top
mast, although the race was a his mercy
under the rules, Lord Richard Sutton
m&gnanimOusly refused to claim it. To
avoid just such contingency, in which
the beneficiary of an accident is always
reluctant to claim his rights, a special
clause was added to the regular rules
oh
the matter. This clause was signed by
Sir Thomas Liptcn and Mr.. Iselin a few
days before the date for the first attempt
to race.
DELICATE MACHINE.
The accident today shaws what a deli
cate machine a racing yacht is nowadays,
and how close to the limit of safety it is
built 1t is q superlatiVely light struc-
tUre, weighted down by enormous bal
last to carry the gigantic spread of can
vas. The most delicate and scientific ad-
justment of weights is required. Simply
breaking a stay wire wrecked hte Sham
rCck-the wire back-stay of the topmast
and this support removed, her Oregon
Pine topmast, as big as a telegraph pole
sixty feet long and fourteen inches in di-
ameter, snapped off like q match Just
above the lower mast cap. 7 mis- mast was
not only entirely supporting the pressure
OF hfteen-knot breeze against her big
kite, but was also sustaining the crush
ing weight Of the sail itself and that of
the club tOpsat spirit and jack yard, each
forty feet long.
Late this afternoon the Shamrock was
tcwed up to the Erie basin new ton
mast viii be sent up tomorrow and she
will be remeasured. She will probably he
taken out for a spin tomorrow to try her
new stick and the third race of the Sc
ries will be sailed on Thursday. rhis
race will again be over a windward and
lceWard course, and if the Columbia wins
the series will have been completed with
cut giving the Shamrock an Opportunity
to test her merits in her favorite point of
sailing over triangular course
GLORIOUS DAY FOR RACE
The day had promised a glorious con-
test. There were only gray neutral tinte
In the morning, but a hard, strong twelve
knot breeze out of the east kicked nm
the wmtecaps, and the wind and tide
helped to roughen things up. The hearts
of yachtsmen throbbed in anticipation
and big excursion feet pIowed ont to
witness the second duel between the ca
lumpla ana shamrock Some of the small
sailing fleet got outside plungiro tboir
bowsprits under and wetting their bnod
sails as they Wallowed in broken w,ator
until they were glad to square aWav for
more placid quarters Later in the dav
the wind drove the clouds awav. laaviny
an almost fiawless vault Of blue over.
head.
The vessels, gay with flags and buntine
made a brilliant maritime picture The
Shamrock went out eager for the frav
She cast eft her tow before she raacbed
the bell buoy at the head of the Swacb
channel, and made the remainder of tho
way under her own canvas. 1t looked
like blow such as the Shamrock Is re-
ported to have been praying for, and tba
sailors of the Irish boat made evervtbine, .,
snug aloft in anticipation of an incrna GO
in the wind.
The race was to be over an equilateral
triangle, ten miles to the leg, which
would give the challenger a chance at her
faYorite point of sailing-reaching.
AS soon as the committee had siena1ed
the course, the first leg a beat to wind
ward, east by south the excursion boat
lined up, rail to rail, back of the lfghtshin
to watch the jockeying for position Never
was there a more magnificent or excit
ing start in cup contest and the Irish
man carried off the honors. The Yachts
wheeled and circled about like big white
gulls, each striving for the advantage.
their hulls and decks and sails gIeam-
ing in the sun.
DEFENDER BLANKETED.
The Shamrock finally got the Columbia