Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-27
aeoD's PrLts cure constipation. Price IS cents.
WHO OWNS THE YACHT AMERICA,

Country.
New York Mail and Express. 49,.
Who owns the schooner yacht
American This lie the question that
the United States Courts may be
called upon to settle. The question
opens up a flood of other interroga-
tions, including one which assails the
validity OF the yachts transfer to
private life as pleasure craft, and
which may end her existence as SUCH
Comparatively few know that the
America was once enrolled in the feet
Of the United States navy, and still
fewer are aware that there ism t a single
scrap of paper Of any kind liz Washing
ton that serves as an authority or eX-
PLANTATION oil her sale, If sale 1t really
was. The fact has been brought to the
attention of Secretary of the Navy
Long by patriotic yachtsmen, and that
Official is said to be preparing plans to
reclaim the boat.
So far az official records go they only
show that the Anerioa, which had
been Withdrawn from the Prize Court
with the understanding that she was
to remain permanently at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis as practice
ship, vas suddenly taken away In 1873
by order of George M. Robson, who
was then Secretary of the Navy. The
late Rear Admiral John L. Worden,
famous for the monitor Merrimac fight,
was then a commodore and superin-
teudent Of the Naval Academy, and he
vigorously protested against the re.
markable old boat being taken away.
She had become the most popular boat
OF the entire navy, not SO much because
che won tho Queens Cup in the inter
national yacht race in 1851, as for the
reason that in 1870 she had been fitted
out at the expense of the Navy Depart
ment to defend the Americas Cup
against the English yacht Cambria.
Private individuals were then not so
, eager to accept yachting challenges as
, now, and the government put crew of
,, midshipmen on the boat, and these
successfully took the oonoeit out of the
Cambria.
To this portion of her career alone
was attached remarkable fondness of
naval officers for the boat, and when
Secretary Robson took her away from
Annapolis there was an awful row.
Protests we're in vain, however. Those
who have been looking for the author ity
,, or law for the transfer Of the boat have
been unable to find any, and the present
Navy Department officials admit that
the secretary had no authority t., sell
her. All the records show is that on
June Goth, 1873, the boat was given to
!, one John Cassels in consideration of
= the sum of $500. This in itself is
considered peculiar, the Navy Depart
ment having spent 20 times chat sun
repairing her for service at Annapolis
The lead keel of the boat alone was
worth twice the sum. The America
\ was subsequently purchased by Gen.
u BENJAMIN F. Butler, and is still owned
!; by his family.
q An officer connected with the Lyceum
at the Navy Yard 10 Brooklyn said, in
n discussing the transfer of the boat:
y III am glad that the matter is to
u receive official attention. 1t has often
l. surprised me that the question OF
u ownership was not propounded before.
= | attributed the lack of official action
= to the fact that the newspapers had no,
y discovered that there was something
q odd about the sale. Long is not man
III to let the grass grow under his feet,
and I'll bet that he'll recommend that
y the veteran racer be reclaimed by the
,. government. There is no doubt, TO my
~ mind, that she is still legally the
u property of the Academy. She ought
" to be preserved to Annapolis as living
example of what pluck and skill car
uU. Dur supremacy OF
y the wafer as applied to racing yachts
~ ~ The sale, SO far as records go, reems Il
~ be peculiar, II not irregular, and should
~ be repudiated."
10 A history of how the government
10 originally got possession of the America
= is necessary. Following her successful
~ race in England she was purchased b,
an English yaohtsman, who changed
y her name to the Camilla. The Con
~ federate government wanted fns
VI blockade runners at the outbreak o
az the war, and purchased the boat TO
100000. The real object Of the pur
chase was the carrying Of Messrs
Slidell and Mason, the Confederate
ENJOYS, to England. Her name wa
pt then changed to Memphis. Througl
ry some hitch in the arrangements for To
i, transportation of these diplomats tn
ny America was not used, and Slidell an,
eh Mason went Oh board the Trent a
a. Havana as ordinary passengers. Hoy
s' the San JaeInto, Capt Wilkes, stoppe,
70, and searched the Trent has nothing t
do with the Americas career. Th
're Memphis was captured in April, 1862
lg at the mouth OF the st. Johns River
60 Florida, by Lieut.. Thomas Ii. Stevens
ut of the gunboat Ottawa.
u' She had been scuttled by the Souther
ng crew, but was raised and repaired an
for a short time served as a dispatch
no boat for the bloolsadIng station Of
en- Charleston. She then came into th
ne Prize Courts, aud after being cor
at demned was bought In by the gove,r
,as rnent for S700. 1t was at this stage !
LOT her career that her captors announce
IN that they waived their right to a
ere prize money in consideration of til
rer boat being presented to the Navt
'te Academy for the use Of the 'midshlI
men. Before this occurred, however
the America bruised with the slooT
nd Macedonian and Marion and the CUR
ter boat Marblehead around the mouth
sbe Long Island Sound in search of I'll
IN Erivateer Florida.
ur- Hand Blown OF.
re- Elktou, Nd, Dec 19.-George Al
10 me thony, while loading a shell wit
ne dynamite on the farm of Manly Drel
.. nan, near Elkton, late today, to bio
lss up stumps, had his right hand blow
u.s. off and was injured about the face an
y. body by premature discharge. Thorn;
re-. Heath was also injured about the fac
OF Drs. Ellis and Hinchcliffe amputate
eil. the hand above the wrist.
the F.. Ambrose Price has bought I'll
led John B. Morton farm, in Cecil count,
for %, 445.