The San Francisco call., 1899-08-03
THE COLUMBIA
DISABLED DURING
A TRIAL RACE
New Steel Mast Is
Snapped.
BREAKS SQUARELY IN TWO
ENTIRE SUIT OF SAILS GOES
OVERHEARD.
Previous to the Accident the New
Yacht Had Easily outstripped
the Defender From the
Start.
BREAKS SQUARELY IN TWO
ENTIRE SUIT OF SAILS GOES
OVERHEARD.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEWPORT, R. L, Aug. Am accident
TO the Columbia marred what promised TO
be a thorough test as TO the relative
speed of that boat and the Defender III a
fine tOpsail breeze, and late this after
noon The new boat was towed to her
builders works ct Bristol total wreck
above deck Her new steel mast was
bent double just about halfway between
the deck and the masthead and all that
remained of her magnificent spread Of
canvas ard especially made rigging was
piled up in heap about the stump or
The mast a tangled mass of wire shrOuds,
metal turnbuckleS, blocks ana ropes,
Practically all that remained was the
steel boom and gan and the boWsp!lt'
and even the gat was damaged a trlne
~ the jaws.
The dismasting of the Columbia oc-
CURED less than an hour after the new
and old cup defenders started on the beat
out TO tiagboat off the north end of
Block Island. when the TWO contestants
had covered about half Of the distance
The Columbia was leading at the time
and was steadily drawing away from her
rival. The TWO boats were holding II
along a port tack and into the POINT Ju-
dith Channel, about three miles off the
point. the new boat having the weather
position and fairly tearing through the
water. when there was a sound OF break
ing SpaTs and in an instant the tOImaSt
went crashing down to leeWard, carrying
with it the fine new club topsaH ana small
jib tOpsails. The steel maInmaSt at once
buCkled in the middle and down came
the upper end of the spar and the huge
mainsail dropped into the water on the
StarbOard side.
Fortunateiy all hands escaped injury
The discipline was excellent. not a man
leaving his place until Captain Barr gave
orders to clear away the Wreckage and
get the canvas aboard. and then the crew
went TO work with a will clearing up the
tangle, the Columbia drifting with the
waves, a dismantled and sad-looking
craft.
The Associated Press tug took the Co
lumbia in tow and proceeded with her to
Bristol. On examination of the wreckage
il was found that the port Spreader had
broken upward by the strain of the top
mast shroud, causing the topmast to
break off. The sudden force of the spar,
the weight of the tOpsail and clubs com
ing against the starbOard masthead
ShrOudS was too much for the steel mast,
and ii instantly collapsed. The tOpmaSt
ShrOUd. which Mr.. Iselin said was the
cause of all the trouble, was not in just
the position TO properly support the top
mast, which fitted into the masthead, tel
esCOpic fashion instead of being stepped
forward of ii. The tOpmast shroud leads
upward through the spreaders to the head
Of the tOpmast, and although the crew of
the Columbia swayed the tOpmast for
ward as much as possible for tO-day's
race the port spreader was not able TO
stand the strain.
The expense Of repairing the Columbia
will be heavy. and although most of the
wire shrouds and stays can be used again.
they will have to undergo a severe test
as to their strength, for the wrenching
them to be worthless. The hull of the
boat was not seriously damaged, the only
perceptible injury being a large dent in
one Of the plates on the StarbOard side
blocks or Spars striking it. The damaged
plate can easily be bent into shape, and,
being so far above the water line, cannot
interfere seriously with the speed of the