The record-union., 1899-10-18
Scores The Second Time in the
Americas Cup Race.
Goes Over the Course Alone, the Shamrock
Meeting With a Mishap.
The Topmast of the Cup Challenger
Carried Away a Few Minutes
After Passing the Starting Line
Disab1es Her From Competing
in Race.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1.-THE topmast
of the cup challenger Shamrock was
carried away twenty-five minutes after
the big single sticker had crossed the
starting line to-day, and her enormous
club topsail, with its 5000 feet of can
vas, came rattling down on the deck,
leaving her a hopeless cripple. NO
amount of pluck or courage could face
such a catastrophe, and Captain Ho-
garth Immediately abandoned the race,
towing back TO the anchorage as soon
as he had cleared away the Wreckage
The Columbia continued over the
course alone placing to her credit the
second of the races for the America s
cup.
The accident to the Shamrock ruined
the race. and caused the keenest re-
gret among the yachtsmen and the
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 cripple, but
the rule is ironclad. If crippled before
the starting time, repairs are allowed
but once over the line if anything car
ries away, the sufferer must make such
repairs as he can, or, if rendered hors
du combat, as the Shamrock was to-
day, he must take the consequences.
There is good sense and logic behind
the rule The races are a. test Of con-
struction as we'll as of design and Gea-
manship. Doubtless if Mr.. Iselin could
have had his choice in the matter he
generously would have declined to con-
tinue 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 we'll within
the time limit, the race was his. Had
the accident not occurred, however, 1t
is believed the Yankee boat would have
repeated the beating she gave the chal-
Ienger yesterday. During the twenty
five minutes the yachts sailed she had
gone through the Shamrock's lead like
a streak and had established a lead of
more than 800 yards on the weather
bow.
The accident to-day shows what a
delicate machine a racing yacht is now
adays, and how close to the limit of
safety it is built 1t is a superbly light
structure. weighted down by enormous
ballast to carry the gigantic spread OF
canvas The most delicate and scien
tific adjustment of weights is required.
The simple breaking of a stay to-day
wrecked the Shamrock.
The wire backstay of the tOpmast,
which helps to support to slender
spars. gave way, and this support re-
moved, her Oregon pine tOpmast, as big
as a telegraph pole, sixty feet long and
fourteen inches in diameter, snapped of
like a match just above the lower mast
cap This mast was not only support
ing the pressure of a ffteen-knot breeze
against her big kite, but was also sus-
tanning the crushing weight of the sail
itself and the two club topsail yards,
each forty feet long. Later in the after
noon the Shamrock was towed up To
the Erie Basin. in the upper bay. A
new topmast will be sent up tomorrow
and she will be remeasured. She will
probably be taken out for spin to-
morrow to try her new stick, and the
third race of the series will be sailed
on Thursday. This race will again be
over a windward and leeward course
and if the Columbia wins the series
will have been completed without Civ
ing the Shamrock an opportunity tc
test her merits in her favorite point oi
sailing over a triangular course.
STORY OF THE RACE.
NEW YORK, Oct 17.-What prom
ised to be a splendid days sport in
the contest for the Americas cup be
tween the Shamrock and Columbia
brought disappointment TO the owners
of the big sloops and the public gen
orally. Within half an hour after the
start, which was good one, Sil
Thomas Lipton's yacht was disabled bJ
the breaking of her topmast, and was
obliged to give up the race, While tbs
Columbia under the rules governing
contests for the international trophy
proceeded to sail over the course alone
At the time of the accident the cuI
defender was leading the challenger By
several boat lengths. The starting gur
was fired at IL O'Clock. At 11:00:4t
the Shamrock crossed the line, the Co
lumbia following a few seconds later.
For about a quarter of an hour the
Shamrock held the lead, but made NJ
gain Then the defender overhadieo
and passed her, and continued to gair
until the catastrophe occurred that pu
the Shamrock out of the race.
When the accident occurred tha'
dashed Sir Thomas Liptons hopes, tn,
Shamrock was standing off to sea OF
the port tack, it being the longest of tn,
two boards she had taken to windwarC
after crossing the starting line.
The wind was blowing about twelv,
miles an hour from east by south. am
there was a considerable lump TO til
sea.
There was nothing else left for tn,
Shamrock to do but to turn around an
start for home with few cheers from
the excursion boats telling of TIL,
sympathy.
The Columbia left her and rounded
the first mark ten miles out, at 10
and after a long reach, rounded th'
second mark, starting for home a
.33:45 She came along fast on ;
reach home, crossing the line a
2:36:50, unofficial time
She finished almost two hours within
the time limit, demonstrating that tn
race would have been a fine one /