New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
THE COLUMBIA LAUNCHED.
AMERICAS CUP DEFENDER LEAVES THE
WAYS AT BRISTOL.


MRS IsELrN NAMES THE vEssEL-sPEC-
TACULAR EFFECT AT THE YARDS
ACCIDENT TO oNLooKERs.
| Bristol, r. l.. June 10-America's new cup de-
! fender the representative Of the best boat-build-
ing skill and materials of which the Western
/ Continent can boast was carefully lowered into
the water at the Herreshof Works at $50
O'Clock tonight. and as she started down the
/ wavs. Mrs C. Oliver Iselin named her Colum-
bia
The launching Of the latest protector OF Ameri-
/ cas- sailing laures was probably one OF the
/ most spectacular that has ever occurred, for
/ the light Of day had almost faded WREN she
started down the ways, and three powerful
/ calcium lights played upon her white stern ana
shining golden underSody with theatrical ef-
! feet As she fairly cleared the shed a large SILK
/ American yacht ensign broken out over her
/ stern the colors Of her owners appeared on
/ small jurymast stepped in place OF the regular
/ mast and the New-York Yacht Club pennant
/ few In the waist OF the boat With the lights
| playing on the flags and twenty or more OF the
/ crew racing about the deck. the scene was nIleo
with animation and color. Ranged on both slues
of the dock were five thousand spectators, while
END
| Of all kinds. so that there was plenty OF noise
cheers whistles and guns. TO help out the Drill
liant effect of the lights Mrs. Iselln performed
her part gracefully, surrounded by half hun
dred society people. Of NewYork Providence
and Boston, and many yachting friends of her
! husband. TIE launching successful, being
attended only by an unfortunate accident among
the spectators. The marine railway idea WORKED
like charm, and a new cup defender Is again
| afoat and in another few weeks will be READY
to battle for the yachting supremacy OF the
world.
CROWDS AT THE GATES.
The crowd began to assemble at the gates be-
fore O'Clock and for an hour 1t increased, until
fully two thousand people were packed against
the fence, waiting for the signal to rush upon
the pier. In the mean time all sorts Of craft
had assembled at the entrance TO the uocA-
The sky was coudless, and the twilight there
for a long one. so that when at 7:45, the gates
were at last thrown open. light enough remained
10 get a good view Of the stern OF the yacht
The crowd had a great hustle FOR choice places
at the end OF the pier. An hour before the
launching the big door that for weeks had
screened the back end of the shed was taken
down and for the first one had chance TO see
the shining underbody Of the boat
Inside the shed assembled under the bow OF
the boat. was the launching party with Mrs.
Iselin as the central figure, while on deck were
twenty OF the Coumbia's crew. with one or TWO
officers and "Nat" Herreshoff. There was
wait OF about twenty minutes for the tide 10 get
a little higher and then, at SOo. Mr. HerreshoH
gave the signal. and the work OF lowering the
sos, into the water began II took abont' Ten
minutes to get her started. and at Sl4 she was
seen TO move There was considerable creaKing
at first and one or two short stops bur at SID
she began to slide steadily. and then II was that
Mrs. Iseln dashed the bottle Of champagne
against her bow and spoke the familiar sentence:
Il christen thee Columbia
CHEERING THE VESSEL.
AZ the boat came slowly out OF the end OF the
shed there was a shout from the crowd. Here
she comes" Slowly the boat moved down the
railway. but the crowd did not seem 10 De
aware that the Columbia was about TO take her
maiden dip. until several feet Of the overhang-
ing stern came out clear Of the shed. Then the
place resounded with cheers and hand-clapping
When half the overhang was clear OF the sheo
half-dozen Of the new boats crew. who were
lying on her deck. jumped 10 their 1eet anu
raised an American Yacht ClIb ensign IN the
air. and pausing fer a moment. allowed the
strong
shook out its folds.
II was an inspiring scene 10 see the stars
and Stripes waving in the soft light over the
craft that Is probably destined TO defend the
Americas CUP this fall. While the eyes Of the
spectators we're drawn to the raising Of the pen
nant the boat was steadily rolling down to her
native element and IN about five minutes from
the time she started practically the whole huH
was exposed 20 view. Then there was another
bustling on the deck. this time two-thirds OF her
length from the stern and half-dozen men
raised another staff this one having the white
star and crescent on a red burGee above ana
red and black burgee below. the colors OF Com
modore J. Pierpont Morgan and C. oliver lselin
respectively Finally the long tapering bow
was clear Of the shed and the extreme end
a STAFF bearing the New-York Yacht Club bur
gee was slipped into a socket. Inch by inch
the long slim craft gded down the railway,
and the water began 10 lap the metal rudder,
which cleaned like gold under the rays OF the
calcium. and finally the water crept up until
the rudder-head was completely submerged and
the keel was hidden from view.
POINTS OF THE NEW DEFENDER.
To tho casual observer the Columbia resem-
bes the Defender in many respects. There was
the same long overhang both forward and
aft. and the same deep underbody. with tons
OF lead cast into a bulb-shaped keel al the
very bottom A careful study OF the hull re-
veals many points in which the ne" crAi'
differs from the champion OF 20. The CoiuH-
bia has a long tapering bow, rounding up
gradually from the keel and ending IN an eN
tremey sharp point the stem The stem
oyerhang is longer and hatter than was the De-
lenders. and in fact the entire hull has the
appaarance Of having q much hatter floor tnan
dii the older boat Then the underoody Is
considerable shorter at the foot than was that