Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-12-06
up DEFENDERS A HARDY LOT
" the Long and nIustrious Line OF
Boats Only Two Have
Passed Away.

| The stars Of the cup defenders blaze
brilliantly in the zenith, filing the
world with their glory for the time
While their names are on everybody's
| ips- Then they disappear, consumed
| s it were in the blaze OF their own
ictories, and they are heard of no
more, says the New York Sun. Yet
hey do not die. Their bones are not
,trewn to rust on unsightly junk
heaps. Of all the brilliant train only
wo, and one of these the next young
.st after the Columbia herself, have
rome to the graveyard. The brave
defender of 1895 was attacked by
fital disease Inherent to the metal
f.ombination of which she was made.
She started in to die natural death,
though a premature one, and her
strength became so undermined by
chemical action that there was moth
| ng left to do save to kill her and put
her out of her misery. She was sold
for junk for SIS ,0Oo-her original cost
was $4,000.
i With the exception of the Defender
md the Sappho, all the rest are still
live and able, changed somewhat IN
form, some OF them, but all are still
| riding the waves. The America, which
originally brought the mug here in
lIS51, was one of the interested specta-
:ors at the recent races. Sir Thomas
Upton went aboard her one day down
ID the lower bay. She was owned
for many years by Gen. Benjamin F.
Butler, and at his death she passed to
his grandson, Butler Ames, her pres
INT owner.
| After her great victory and prior to
coming into the hands of Gen. Butler
the America had an adventurous his
tory. She was first purchased by an
English gentleman who altered her
lrig and used her for cruising until aft
.r the breaking out of the civil war
when she was fitted out as blockade
runner. In this capacity she was
luamed Memphis and was armed with
one heavy gun. But the old craft was
ttoo staunch patriot to thrive at that
business. She made mess OF block
ade running and ultimately she was
sunk in the mud of the St. Johns river,
Fla, to prevent her falling into the
hands of our navy. After the war she
was raised by the government and for
a time was used as training school
for naval cadets at Annapolis. Suisse
Iuuently she was purchased by Gen.
Butler, on whose death she passed to
Ibis son Paul, and on Paul's death she
went to her present owner. Mr.. Ames.
The Magic, which was the first to
Edefend the cup, defeating the Cam
bria in 1870, is owned by j. s: Clark
and brother. of Philadelphia, and is
Iuow laid up at Green Point, L. I. The
Magic was built at Philadelphia in
1857. She was originally sloop and
was afterward heightened.
The first Columbia in the list of de-
tenders was built at Chester, Pa, in
1871. In October of that year she de-
feated the Livonia in two races, but
in the third she was disabled and lost
the race. Under the rules which then
held it was permitted to substitute
! another boat when a yacht was thus
put out of the contest and the Sappho
took the Columbia's place, winning
two straight races from the Livonia.
The Columbia is now owned by Jo-
seph De III. Junkin, of Philadelphia,
and was in the racing cruise this year
The Sappho, which was built some
where back in the COS, was taken to
England soon after her victory and
there remained until four years ago
when she was broken up.
The Madeleine, which in August
i 1876, defeated the Canadian chal.
lenger, Countess of Dufferin, in two
races, ALL that were sailed, is still in
commission and cruising. The last
that was heard of her was somewhere
in the West Indies.
j The Mischief, which in November
1881, defeated the ATLANTA, is also
still in service as a yacht. The Puri
tan. which defeated the .Genesta il
1885. was changed into a schooner il
1896. She is owned by John o. Shaw
Jr., and is still in gservice. The May
flower that year after Puritan's trf
umph disposed of the Galatea va:
changed into schooner in 1891 ant
put into a sloop in 1894. oShe is still
cruising and is owned by j. Malcolm
Forbes, of Boston.
The Vigilant, which cost $50, 900 and
was the first of series of expensiv,
boats, having been built as to her hui
of Tobin bronze and steel, is still rae
ing. She was rugged as yawa thi.
year and is owned by Percy Chubb O.
New. York. Volunteer is still racing
after having ebeen changed twice il
. her rig, and is owned by Mr.. ,. Nal
+ colin Forbes. What happened to tn,
. next in order, ethe Defender, which
with Vigilant died for Danraven'
Valkyries II. and eIILs has aIread,
) been related. and the Cclumbia's pres
| ent address need hardly be men
toned.