The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-03
The Americas Cup Defender Was
Badly Crippled.
lowed Back to the Builders Works at
Bristol a Total Wreck Above Deck.
Her New Steel Mainmast Bent Dou.
BILE About Half Way Between
the Deck and the Masthead Dur
ing Race With the Old Cup
Defender OFF Newport, Rhode
Island.

NEWPORT, Aug. 2-An accident to
the Columbia marred what promised to
De thorough test to the relative
speed of that boat and the Defender in
flne topsail breeze, and late this
afternoon the new boat was towed to
her builders works at Bristol a total
wreck above deck Her new steel main
mast was bent double just about half
way between the deck and the mast
head and all that remained of her mag
nifieent spread of canvas and especially
made rigging was piled up in a heap
about the stump of the mast. a tam
gled mass of wire shrouds, metal turn
buckles, blocks and ronas
Practically all that remained
was the steel boom and gaff. and the
bowsprit and even the gait was dam
aged a trifle at the jaws.
The dismasting of the Columbia oc-
Cured less than an hour after the
new and old cup defenders started on
the beat out to fiagboat off the north
end of Block Island, when the two con-
testants had covered about half of the
distance. The Columbia was leading at
the time, and was steadily drawing
away from her rival
The boats were holding lit along a
port tack and into the Point Judith
channel. about three miles off the
point, the new boat having the weather
position and fairly tearing through the
water when there was sound of
breaking spars, and in an instant the
topmast went crashing down to lee
ward. carrying with it the fine new
club topsail and small jib topsails. The
steel mamma Cf nj
middle, and down came the upper end
OF the spar, and the huge mainsail
dropped into the water on the star
board side. 81
Fortunately all hands escaped injury.
The discipline was excellent, not a man
leaving his place until Captain Barr
gave orders to clear away the wreckage
ana get the canvas aboard and then
the crew went to work with a Will.
clearing up the tangle the Columbia
drifting with the waves, a. dismantled
and sad looking craft.
The Associated Press tug took the
Columbia in tow and proceeded with
her to Bristol.
On examination of the wreckage It
was found that the port spreader had
broken upward by the strain of the top
'O"N' SouoihS tlc lOpuldSl IL
break off. The sudden force of the
spar, the weight of the topsail and
clubs coming against the starboard
masthead shrouds was too much for
the steel mast, and it instantly coll
lapsed. The topmast shroud, which
MI Iselin said was the cause of all
the trouble, was not in just the posi-
ton to properly support the topmast,
which fitted into the masthead, tele-
SCOPE fashion, instead of being stepped
forward of it. The topmast shroud
leads upward through the spreaders to
the head of the topmast, and although
the crew of the Columbia swayed the
topmast forward as much as possible
Tor to-day's race, the port spreader was
not able to stand the strain.
The expense CT repairing the Column
bia will be heavy, and although most
OF the wire shrouds and stays can be
used again, they will necessarily have
TO undergo severe test as to their
strength, for the wrenching they re-
celved to-day may have caused them
to be worthless.
The hull of the boat was not seri-
ously damaged, the only perceptibIe in
jury being large dent in one of the
plates on the starboard side just aft
the mast, cut by either the blocks or
spars striking it.
The damaged yacht will be repaired
Immediately.