The San Francisco call., 1899-10-19

how long before her owner may appear
here with another boat to lay siege to the
trophy?" was asked
'Ah, that brings me back" said Sir
Thomas, Ito the greatest difficulty I have
confronted here. 1 must be sure of a de-
signer. [ cannot design a boat and I
must be certain on that point before I
can talk of another attempt should the
Shamrock lose now. You see, I am seri-
ously embarrassed because of Mr.. Flies
illness. I have not seen my designer in
over three weeks. We take in over three
tons of ballast to-day. do you see? Well,
then we suffer because Mr.. Fife is unable
to be about and direct these matters that
none of the others of our party are skilled
In. Is she on her true water line-the line
she was designed to sail on? We are not
sure. Her designer would know, but he
has not seen his boat since she was first
measured. He is sick and unable to leave
his room. We do not know whether the
Shamrock has ever in these waters sailed
on her true water line. She is certainly
not now sailing on the same water line
as when she sailed in the Solent The
ballast put in the Shamrock to-day was
put in on Mr.. Flies advice Has it been
so placed as to serve the exact purpose
he intended? We do not know to a GER
tainty. He is sick and we have done the
best we know how. 1t is a most serious
handicap for US to be deprived of his per-
sonal direction and advice"
The ballast put aboard the Shamrock
last night consists of pigs of lead weigh
ing about twenty-five pounds each, made
handy in shape to stow in between the
frames of the yacht, down as low as pos
sible, where they will do the most good.
Three and half tons of it was passed
on board and slowed below. Most of this
weight was put aft, judging from the ap-
pearance of the yacht to-day, for she
seemed to trim more by the stern than
before.
It was learned to-day that the cause
of the accident to the topmast was not
the parting of the shroud at the nip
as was generally supposed. The mast it
self broke first, not being able to stand
the strain brought upon it by the
wrenching swing of the great club top
sail spars when the yacht plunged into
! the head seas. One of the shrouds broke,
| 1T is said, when the wreckage went down
! to leeward.
The Shamrock picked up her old green
mooring buoy on the Horseshoe at 11:40
this forenoon. Half an hour after max
! ing the anchorage the new topmast,
shrouds and stays We're set up. When
the Erin arrived at 4:30 from Bayridge.
where she had been coaling, the Sham
h.
All in all it had been a hard days prep
aration. Mr.. Ratsey kept ship on the
Plymouth in the absence of the others
on deck. Captains Hogarth and Wringe
were turned in below getting wink of
sleep, and so it fell to him to meet all
callers.
MY men worked last night" said Mr..
Ratsey, repairing the tear in the top
sail 1t was we'll there was no race to-
day. for there would not have been wind
enough"
The Columba's men had a day of rest.
The entire scene of action had been
changed by the unfortunate break. 1t
was the laddies on the Shamrock who
looked out from their ease on earlier
days and watched the Columbia men
working aloft and below and overhauling
the standing and running rigging. True
the Columbia men made the usual eXamt-
nation of the ship this morning and later
scrubbed the yachts sides After that
they rested c. Oliver Iselin left for
home early in the morning, and it was
late in the afternoon before he returned.
A number of Sir Thomas Lipton's
guests sailed to-day for Europe on the
White Star steamship Oceanic Lord and
Lady Charles BeresfOrd were the last to
go aboard the Oceanic. The other guests
| of Sir Thomas who sailed on the Oceanic
were Hon. Cecil Brownlow, Halnford
Rurdette, Right Hon Arnold Morley,
M P. F. Morley, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Alfred Muir, Kenneth Murchison, l..
Sackvilie West, w. D. Ross, Joseph Law
renee and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilson
and Miss Muriel Wilson