The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-02
RACED IN Constant PERIL
LEOwA's KEEL BROKEN IN THE
LAST RACE.
Her Crew Bailed Throughout Entire
Course to Keep Her Ahoat-Just
Learned Yesterday of Danger.

When the yacht Leowa sprung a leak
in her race on July 4th none of the six
young men who were sailing her had
any idea of the peril in which all of
theAn were placed. By incessant bailing
they managed to keep the boat fairly
clear of water and continue the course.
! 1t was not until yesterday that the
owners learned what a narrow escape
I from drowning or death by eating
sharks they had had. Instead Of the
leak having been caused by the caulk-
! ing coming loose, it was due to the
backbone of the boat weakening, and it
is thought, breaking. causing the sides
just aft the mast to bulge out in a most
dangerous way. As the result of this
discovery, the greatest resentment is
expressed against. c. d. Walker, the
constructor of the boat, who is blamed
for the entire affair.
Previous to the yacht being placed in
commission, the owners had lawsuit,
! claiming that she was unseawoTthy.
| Walker maintained that the vessel was
one of the sturdiest that they could de-
! sire and was in every way serviCeable.
! The result was a compromise, by which
| the new yacht was accepted from him
| and placed in the water a few days
| before the Fourth of July. She started
! in the third-class race over an eighteen
/ mile course from the mouth of the har-
! Dor to Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor
and return to the starting point. The
| following composed her crew in the
race Arthur Giles. captain: w B. Nc
| Lean. Otto A. Berndt, Harry Penhallow,
| Ed Morgan and Frank SChTader.
1t was not five minutes after the start
! that it was noticed she had sprung
| leak and was making water fast One
| of the crowd set to work bai!iuE, FOR tn,
| boys were anxious to try out their new
craft and not turn back so soon after
the race had begun. The water con
| tinued to fill the boat so fast that two
| more of the crew helped to bail, and
during the balance of the race three of
| the men were busy bailing. The yacht
! finished second to the Myrtle, and soon
after being moored sank. She has re
mained under water until yesterday,
waiting for a chance to be put on the
drydock.
Walker assured the boys that there
was nothing serious at fault with the
yacht The leak had sprung on account
| of the caulking dropping out, he main
tained. She had been lying in his snip
yard for number of weeks Immediate
/ ly preceding the race, and 1t was very
| probable that the caulking had dried.
This explanation was accepted as plau5-
ible by the owners Of the vessel, but
they were nevertheless anxious to have
| the craft put on the dock In order to
determine exactly what was the extent
of the damage When she was hauled
out of the water and examined yester-
day a very different cause was founC.
Just back of the mast it was found
that the backbone had weakened and
was almost broken This caused the
body of the boat to bulge out and lose
it's shape and stability. The result was
that the seams became loose, and 1t is
no wonder that either the caulking fell
out or she leaked so fast that half Of
the crew had to bail constantly HAD
the boat gone to pieces. it is very prob
able that nearly all of her crew would
have met death by drowning or from
the sharks before help could have ar
rived i'm the rough water.
Just what the owners propose TO DO
in the matter is not yet determined.
They declare that Walker will have to
put the craft in a seaworthy shape, If
such a thing is possible. They assert
that it is little worse than crime for
anyone to give out a boat that Will all
but tumble to pieces the first time In
the water and jeopardize the lives ot
half dozen people.