The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
COLUMBIA ON A MUD BANK.
RUNS AGROUND ON HER WAY or
FROM HERRESHoFFs' SEP.

She Floats on After Being Held Fast for
over Nine Hours-No Indications ThaNi
the New Defender Has Been Injured
Her First Trial Under Sail To-Morrows
BRISTOL, June 24.-Emulating the example,
OF the Defender in 1895. when she stuck ON
the launching ways and allowed everybody to-
have good look at her. the Columbia to-day
went aground as she was being hauled Nout
OF tho Herrcshoff slip and gave. as the
tide fell. AN opportunity to see the clean
lines and. In fact. her whole afterbody, She
ANONYMOUSLY stuck In a mud bank with her
stern cooked up in the air and her bowsprit
pointing downward as II II intended to do |
some spearinR OF nsh in Bristol Harbor. She ,
was all day long sight for gods ana men.
helpless when she ought to have been sailing /
a lame duck where she ought to have been ~
gliding swan.
Some time ago the Herreshoffs dredged for
sufficient water at the end OF their new marine
railway and In the slip By the north pier to}
float the boats OF twenty feet draught. Hadl
they carried this dredging 100 feet furtheHf
into the harbor the Columbia would havel
noated clear to-day. Instead she brought up on1
mud bank and stayed there until $50 o'clock |
this evening. when the tide hoated her Of and |
she was hauled into deep water further out I'M
the harbor The only good feature OF the pro-
ceedings is that she is probably not injured. /
and that no such foolishness a. her GroundinGt
has in any way spoiled the chances Of the |
boat on which the eyes OF the public are fixed
and hopes placed for tho successful defence eli
the Americas Cup.
Now that she 10 a1oat. the Columbia will bel
towed to Newport to morrow and will have hsII
first trial under sail on Monday. The Friday
| superstition about taking q first sail holds
good for Sunday. and the boat will not spread
her canvas tomorrow. The work OF COM !
peting the Columbia for her trial trip was
begun with the earliest arrival OF the Herres-
hof workmen this morning. Her steering
wheel was put In place and the finishing touches
were made about the deck. Then her light
sails were taken from the sail loft and slowed
on board. and she was ready to be hauled into
the stream. Soon after o'clock line was
taken to the buoy off the end OF the railway.
and tho Columbia was hauled slowly out from
the slip by her crew at the Same time an an
Choir and line were taken out ahead. SO that she
might lie well out in the harbor.
Everything went smoothly until she was al
| most up to the buoy Then she took the bot
| tom and stopped. and no amount OF hauling
| could bulge her an inch. A line was taken to
an anchor off her port quarter. but she de-
| clned to swing and remained hard and
| fast. Mr.. Isein had been aboard tho 1t.
! Michaels up to this time. but now he
went aboard tho Columbia in hurry. His
| talk with Nat Herreshof on the deck OF the
| new defender was short and to the point. The
| newspaper tug s. c. Hart was hailed and as
sistance in getting the boat Off was asked. 4
| line was taken from the stranded yacht. Capt.
| Murray sent tho Hart ahead full speed. but
| even this powerful pull failed to move the Co
lumbia. Then came signal to stop hauling rs
| soon a. II became apparent the boat was
grounded for keeps.
| Then precautions for keeping the now boat
pright on the falling tide were put in force.
| the masthead to the south pier. As the tide
| fell the Colum bia dipped forward, but did not
| heel to any apprcciable extent. She wns evil
IDENTIFY resting easily on the muddy bottom
! and was not in as much danger "a sho would
have been had the fail OF the tide been more than
| the four feet that 1t was. As the tide rose in
| the late afternoon strain was taken on the
| line to the anchor in the stream, and at $3.50
| O'Clock the tow had it's effect and the Columbia
| pulled her forefoot out OF the mud and Gided
| ahead into deep water. She had for spectacu-
| lar accomplishments thunder. lightning aud a
| vicious downpour Of rain She swings quietly at
| anchor to- ght, and is ready to be towed away
| in the morning
| A visitor to Mr.. Iselin this morning was Neils
| Olsen, steward Of the New York Yacht Club
| He came with n letter in regard to the Column
| bias race with the Defender early IN July. in
| New York. 1t is probable that the first race
| OF Sandy Hook will be on July g. aud not July
| rs originally arranged.
| Commodore J. Pierpont Morgan came In
| with the Corsair late in the forenoon and
| anchored at the mouth OF the harbor. Later
| no took look at the stranded Columbia By
| means OF q steam launch.