The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-20

New York, October 1.-THE topmast
of the cup challenger Shamrock car
ried away twenty-five minutes after
the big single sticker had crossed the
starting line today and her
club sail with its 1900 feet Of canvas
came rattling down on the deck, leav-
ing her a hopeless cripple. No amount
of pluck or courage could face such a
catastrophe and Captain Hogarth i'm
mediately abandoned the race to wing
back to the anchorage after he had
cleared away the w~reckage.
The Columbia continued over the
course alone, placing to her credit the
second of the races for the Americas
cup. The accident to the Shamrock
ruined the race and caused the keenest
regret among the yachtmen and the
thousand Of sightseers who were on
hand 10 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 beat
ing a cripple, but the rule is lron-clad.
If crippled before the start, time for
repairs is allowed; but once over the
line, if anything carries away The suf-
ferer must make such repairs as he
can, or, if rendered horS de combat, as
the Shamrock was today, he must take
the consequences. There is good sense
and logic behind the rule. The races
are a test of construction as we'll as de-
sign and seamanship. Doubtless, If
Mr.. Islin could have a his choice in
tha ootta ~ he 0rpnpr0JIS1V 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 fin
ished well within the time limit the
race was his.
Had the accident not occurred, how
ever,it is believed that the yankee boat
would have repeated the beating she
gave the challenger yesterday. During
the twenty-five minutes the yacht sail
ed she had gone through the Sham
rocks lead like a streak and had es-
tablished a lead of more than 300
yards on the weather DOW
When the Puritan fouled the Genesta,
on the inside course in 1887, carrying
away the ~challenger's bowsprit m
topmast, although the race was at his
mercy under the rules, Lord Richard
Sutton magnanimouSly refused to
claim it. To avoid just such a contin-
gency, in which the beneficiary of an
accident is always reluctant to claim
his rights, a special clause was added
to the regular rules this year, leaving
absolutely no option in the matter.
This clause was signed by Sir Thomas
Upton and Mr.. 1Slin a few days before
the date of the first attempt ITO race.
The wire backstay of the topmast,
which helps to support the slender
spars, gave way and this support re-
wnAXvAI hn,~ nrnunT nina tnnTonCt &C hir
as a telegraph pole, so feet long and II
inches in diameter, snapped off like a
match just above the lower maStcap.
This mast was not only supporting the
pressure of a 15-knOt breeze, against
the big kite, but was also sustaining
the crushing weight of the sail Itself
and the two club topsail yards, each
forty feet long.
Later in the afternoon, the Shamrock
was towed up Ito the Erie basin, in the
upper bay. A new tOpmast will be set
up tomorrow and the third race of the
series will be sailed on Thursday. This
race will again be over a windWard and
leeWard course.
A GLORIOUS CONTEST PROMISED.
The day a promised a glorious con-
test. A hard, strong 12-knot breeze
out of the east kicked up the white
caps, and the wind and tide helped to
pie up the luIIlDllUS waters. II looked
like a blow such as the Shamrock is
reported to have been praying for, and
the sailors of the Irish boat made eve
rything snug aloft in anticipation of
an increase in the wind. Q
The race was Ito be over an equalat-
eral triangle, ten miles to the leg, which
would give the challenger a chance at
her favorite point of sailing-reaching.
Never probably was there a more mag
nllppnt Star t in a Cnn contest and the
IriShman carried off the honors. The
two yachts wheeled and circled-about
like big white gulls, each striving for
the advantage.
The Shamrock finally got the Col
umbia under her lee two minute be-
fore the start, and try as the defender
did, she did not shake off her rival.
Both were on the port tack, to the
southwark of the lightship. Finally,
when but seventy seconds remained,
the Columbia wore around beautifully,
while the Shamrock simultaneously
tackled in the other direction, and thus,
making two divergent circles, they
came around on the starboard tack and
headed for the line. A collision was
almost inevitable had they approached
each other at an acute angle under the
lee of the lightship; but the Shamrock
established an overlap and the Column
bia had to keep off, and almost togeth-
CT Iney DOunQeu away III the smoke OF
the gun, so close that a sailor might
have stepped from one boat to the
other The Shamrock was perhaps a
half length ahead and in the windward
berth. Both had their sheets trimmed
straight aft, and as she went across,
the Columbia set her baby jib topsail.
Ut was broken out and sheeted home in
eight seconds; but the smartness of
the yankee boat in setting it's sail did
not compensate he patriots for the dis
appointment she suffered on account of
the Shamrock's superior generalship
in getting the weather gauge. Their
disappointment however, was short
lived. The Columbia was blanketed,
and the patriots expected to see her
drop astern. Instead she gathered
Roadway and went Through the Sham
rocks lee like a race horse.
Madly she footed, and in five minutes
she was clear of her adversary. Five
minutes later the Shamrock went
about on the port tack, but the yankee
held on for a minute, to be sure of the
weather gauge. Fifteen minutes after