The Penn's Grove record., 1899-08-04
THE COLUMBIA DISABLED.
Her Steel Mast Breaks During o
Race With the Defender.
New Yacht in the Lead wbep the Port
spreader Gives Way and Causes a Cen
orai Wreck-A Narrow Escape.

NEWPORT, r. I. (SpeciaD.-Durlng tho
race between the cup yachts Columbia and
Defender OIL this port the new boats port
spreader broke, her topmast snapped close
20 the cap OF the mainmast, the big steel
spar bent double like a boys tin putty
blower and her sails came ~tumbllng down
INTO the water. All tho shrouds, stays,
sheets, ~halyards and running gear above
BOARD ratified to the deck. and in the period
d thirty seconds ths noble craft was n
helpless wreck and rolled moaning in tho
rough of the sea. The Columbia had n
.hree-minute lead when the accident oc-
CURED. In the crash Mr.. c. oliver Iselin
managing owner OF the yacht, and Frank
Allen, the mate, came within an ace OF
being killed.
The catastrophe was 50 sudden and ap-
2arently so appalling that the scores of
pleasure craft and grim-visaged torpedo
boats that we're following in the wake OF
he yacht seemed to pause for an instant.
then recovering from the shock they few
20 the spot where the yacht lay, like n
mammoth selgull, wounded on the water.
Emitting donse cloud OF black smoke the
ieet torpedo boat Gwin quickly distGuced
he others, and stopping close to the
wreck of the Columbia hailed her.
mo one Is injured and nothing is dam
aged bslow deck ," cried Mr.. Iselin in reply
20 the hoarse summons of tho naval officer.
such proved to be the case. The Column
ola's hull was intact and there was no
LANCER OF her sinking. The Columbia was
aiken to Bristol for repairs.
For some time no one knew just what
had been the cause of the accident, for
there was certain y nc breeze blowing SUIT
nciently strong to cause it, but after look
ing over the wreckaCe it wac observed that
the port spreader had broken upward by
the strain of the tODmnst shrOnl- causing
the topmast to break off. The sudden
force of the spar, the weight Of the top
sail and clubs coming against the star
board masthead shroud5 was too much for
the steel mast. and it instantly collapsed.
The topmost shroud, which MI. 1selln
says was the cause of all the trouble, was
not in q position to properly support the
topmast, which fitted into the mast head,
telescope fashion, instead OF being steppel
forward of it. The topmast shroud leads
upward through the spreaders to the
head of the topmast and, although tho
crew of the Columbia swayed the topmast
forward as much rs possible for the race.
the port spreader was not able to stand
the strain.
No such serious accident ever before be-
Tell Il cup challenger or defender in these
waters. The expense OF rerigging the sloop
will be heavy, and, although most OF the
wire shrouds and stays can be used again,
they will necessarily have to undergo n Sc
we're test as to their strength, for the
wrenching they received may have rem
dered them worthless. The bull of the
boat was not seriously damaged, the only
~perceptible injury being a large dent In one
Of the metal plates on the starboard side,
just abaft the mast, caused probably by
either the blocks or spars striking it. The
plate eau easily be bent into shape, and,
being so far above the waterline, cannot In
terfere seriously with the boats speed.