The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11
SOCIETY LEADERS PRESENT
THE EVENT MARRIED BY AN ExPLO-
SION OF FLASHLIGHT POWDER.
One BOY Fatally Mangled and Others
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Yacht
Torpedo Boat Launched.

boat building skill and materials of which
the Western continent can boast, was care
fully lowered into the water at the HERE
schoff works at $50 o'clock tonight,
and as she started down the ways
Mrs. Oliver o. Iselin christened her
Columbia" The launching Of the
latest protector Of Uncle Sans sailing
laurels was probably one of the most spec
tacular that has ever occurred, for the light
of day had almost faded when she started
down the ways and three powerful calcium
lights played upon her white stern and shin
ing golden underbody with theatrical effect.
AS she fairly cleared the shed a large silk
American yacht ensign was broken out over
her stern, the colors of her owners appeared
on a small jurymast, stepped in place Of the
regular mast, and the New York Yacht Club
pennant flew in the waist Of the boat. With
the lights playing on the flags and twenty or
more of the crew lying about the deck, the
scene was filled with animation and color.
Ranged on both sides of the deck were 5000
spectators, while off the end were clustered
fifty or more yachts of all kinds, SO that
there was plenty Of noise. cheers, whistles
and guns to help out the brilliant effect Of
the lights. Mrs. Iselin performed her part
gracefully, surrounded by half a hundred
society leaders of New York, Providence and
Boston. and many yachting friends of her
husband. The launching was a great sue
cess from beginning to end. being attended
only by an unfortunate accident among the
SPECTATORS. "A new cup defender is again
ahoat. and in another few weeks will be
ready to battle for the yachting supremacy
of the world.
While twice before in it's history this little
- " - - .L-.rf &ta,
launching OF an American cup defender, the
lowering into the water tonight Of the
beautiful sloop Columbia was nevertheless
an event of great Importance to Bristol as
we'll as the entire yachting world. Simulta-
neously with the arrival of the numerous
yachtsmen from New York and Boston IN
the morning there sailed into the harbor
and anchored off the brown sheds at The
Herreschoff works a score or more of steam
ships and schooners and sloops, and from
the decks of these yachts people watched all
the afternoon the final operations for the
evening event.
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
time the world had a-chance to see the
shining underbody of the boat. Inside the
Sne0, dSS6mDleQ uuQCT III UOW " LiC bOdl,
was the christening party with Mrs. Iselin
as the central figure. while on deck were
twenty of the Columbia's crew with one or
two officers and Nat Herreshon. AT sos
Mr.. Herreshoff gave the signal and the work
of lowering the boat into the water began.
1t took about ten minutes to get her started
and at STA she was seen to move. There
was considerable creaking at first and one
or two short stops. but at S:19 she began
to slide steadily and then it was that Mrs.
Iselin dashed the bottle of champagne
against her bow and said: II christen thee
Columbia"
As the boat came slowly out there was a
shout from the crowd. Slowly the bow
moved down the railway and the place re-
sounded with cheers and handclapping
When half the stern %overhang was clear Of
the shed a half dozen of the new boats
crew who were lying on her deck, jumped to
their feet and raised a magnificent American
Yacht Club ensign in the air. Then there
was another busting on deck and a half
dozen men raised the white star and cres-
cent on a red burgee above and a red and
black burgee below, the colors of Commo-
dore J. Pierpont Morgan and c. Oliver
Islein, respectively. Soon the long tapering
bow was clear of the shed and on the ex-
treme end a staff bearing the New York
Yacht CLUB burgee was slipped into a socket.
Inch by inch the long. slim craft moved
down and the water soon Tapped the metal
rudde which cleaned like gold under the
rays of the lights and the water crept up
until the rudder head was completely SUBJ
merged and the keel was hidden from view.
Just as tie Columbia was about out a dis
tressing accident occurred. The explosion
Of a can Of hashlight powder blew a leg and
part of the head of Napoleon San Souci.
aged twelve, broke the legs of two other
boys and severely injured several other per-
sons. The photographer who caused the
accident selected the top of a shed, the roof
of which was closely packed with boys. In
pouring out the fashlght powder a train
must have been left connecting the large
can of explosive with the small quantity of
the camera. AS the photographer touched
the fuse he shouted a warning but there
was no space in which the boys could move.
A terrific explosion followed, the entire shed
collapsed, many women on the wharves
tainted from the shock and there was great
excitement. Policemen pulled the injured
from the wreck and carried them into the
Herreshoff shops. San Souci was taken
iIOll III NItSh dAu NoAAtSN y hiS HOihC iCoA
by where he died in a few moments without
regaining consciousness. The injured are all
Bristol boys and the occurrence has cast a
gloom over the Columbia's launching.
The Columbia moved slowly down the rail-
way into the deep water Of the bay until
at last she drew out from the steel cradle
and bobbed up and down with the gentle
waves. She was then swung In and moored
alongside the pier
To the casual observer the Columbia re-
sembles the Defender In many respects.
There is the same long overhang both for
ward and aft and the same deep underbody,
with tons Of lead cast into a bulb-shaped
keel at the very bottom. A careful study
of the hull reveals many points In which
the new craft differs from the champion of
'95. Columbia has a long. t~apering bow,
rounding up gradually from the keel and
ending in an extremely sharp point at the
stem. The stern overhang Is longer and
fiatter than was Defenders, and. in fact,
the entire hull has the appearance of hav-
ing a much fatter floor than did the older
boat. Then the underbody is considerably
shorter at the foot than was that of De-
fender, and the lead is said to be so cast
that II gradually rounds out from a foot In
thickness TO three feet through at its widest
part. Neither the Herreshoffs nor Mr..
Iselin would give out a single figure or
make a comparison between the new boat
and Denfender to-day.
A resident of Bristol. who has been
watching Columbia day after day, says that
when the tape was run along from stem to
stern she measured 1872 feet 3 inches. The
bexa m Is repOrted 70 be % feet o. inches