New-York tribune., 1901-07-13
Columbia AGAIN VICTOR.
ropNAST OF THE INDEPENDENCE
FREAKS EARLY IN THE RACE.
EIGHTEEN MINUTES. BUT MADE
A GAME FIGHT.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuxE.I

Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUxE.I
Newport. r. l.. July 12.-The Independence. of
poe-on. not only claimed the sympathies of the
-.artators in to-day's Newport racing through
.ts unfortunate carrying away of her topmast
50, also made a showing of the gamest kind
han subsequently, and while in her crippled
.,,dition. she beat the Constitution and Column
"a, in the windward work of the race. She had
-, run for whole minute after crossing before
nor whole top hamper went out of her, and 1t
uos surprising item for the annals of yacht
,rs that the Constitution beat her by only six
rn,nutes to the first glark in spite Of the fact
.ha, the Independence dragged her wreckage
:, the water for eighteen minutes.
auank' Haff looked to be in great spirits
ne leaned on a back stay the Independence
and shifted the northeast wind that was COM
,ne at the rate of about fifteen miles hour
c,oss the bay. The men were hosting the
,a-gest club topsail and when they hauled
,bings went chock- block for they were in the
hest of humor, and put their whole back into 1t.
The Constitution was also sending up her biggest
tste and yachtsmen were wondering whether
,be rigging would stand these big sails.
THE Columbia went out first without setting
ssH topsail but after she had gone the Consti-
.,,on set her biggest club topsail. The Inde-
,y,dence and Constitution left their moorings
,ogsther at 1917, the Herreshof boat getting
quarter of a mile start, but the Boston craft
-ushed after her and passed her as if she We're
standing still. Mr. Lawsons tug Wrestler
.,usd Mt Yields big white schooner Hildegarde
MT Of the harbor, and the Constitution went
out in good company with Perry Belmont's
satanella the steam yacht Tuscarora- Mr..
prexers Sultana. McWalter's Narada, the
schooner Marguerite and the steam yachts Han
mel. Josephine lara. Ibis and many others.
<y<-3- he,
northeasterIy wind and were getting all they
uen-ed being laid down to their decks without
their foresails The committee signalled: ID
B" (southj. I'd @" northeast by easD,
I'D G L" northwest by west). This was
broad reach for the first leg. beat on the
second and another broad reach on the third leg.
The preparation whistle was sounded at exactly
II o'clock, and the big racers all headed westerly
and then north so as to come down southerly to
tske the crossing line with a big gait on AS
they went rortherly the Constitution was in the
lead with her jib as her cnly headsah
and the lib topsan IN the stay IN stops
The Columbia came next, running UP the rolled
lib topsail The independence came next with
foresail and jib topsail on the stays ready to
break out. After the 1:05 signal was given the
Columbia wheeled first and at HOS broke out
beadsails and ceme for the line at great pace.
The Independence turned next and flung three
big headsails 10 the bellying wind. She was
then about six lengths behind the Columbia.
The Constitution turned last 70 make for the
nae and while the Columbia and Independence
re-gSJiug- acro-s MP the line Rhodes
swung the Constitution off to exhaust the full
Two minutes. In doing this he lost a trihe. as
the two minute signal sounded before he got TO
the leeward end of the line. and he thus lost an
unreckoned twenty-One seconds.
mo
From a position TO leeward the Independence
bore UP 10 windward of the Columbia
as she was turned loose. and she closed the gap
between them with extraordinary speed. She
had already Tapped the Columbia's boom with
her bowsprit and was passing her hand over
fist when crack, went her topmast, and the
big kite with the cloths running 10 the centre
came down on her leeward side like gull that
is shot by a bullet Hank Haf kept her going
right along but the jibtopsail sank and dragged
water. The break came at 11:12:45. The crew
tried their best to haul in the jibtopsail from the
water but were unable owing to the boat be-
ing kept going. The Lawson tug Wrestler
nOw sufficiently near the Independence 70 see
that the port spreader had buckled The reason
for this, as given out board the yacht was
that the preventer backstay on the port side
ehsfed on the cleat and parted This was the
manila rope part that was spliced into the wire
rigging OF the preventer backstay. This may
or may not be the correct explanation but the
port sDreader was seen after the race TO be
badly bucked. This spreader is built of metal
IN two portions which join at the outer end and
he popularity was that the after portion had
bent in without perceptibIy bending the forward
PORTION. II looked as If the affair had partly
collapsed but only enough to give the topmast
-Foo
This. however, was enough to let the upper
STICK 20 over the side, and it snapped off as If
II had been sawn
Inc Columbia was going off south at
iale that was just foam and flicker and the
constitution was following on her more leeward
e'1tse. Both boats were continually yawing out
70 sindward Of their course, the pressure being
eieat and the Columbia seemed to be trying to
Iuh Wildcat. This was the best wind of the
1ss' and Haff kept the Boston boat going while
sac dragged her wreckage. The jibtopsail was
Aaaly got clear by hosting away on its hall
'aros' but the big gafftopsail, with it's huge
ssfo and club. together with the topnast were
- swinging high in the air. For long time
.ne crew tried 10 get hold Of an end of the sail.
-ie TACK had been broken so that there was no
-aOoard end to catch. except aioft and the wire
seihg held the whole mass swinging. After
~' "Iiie hle Dig canvas was Salllng around
Ae kite. the crew eased off whatever was
uihg up the mass. and IL came down into the
ster The yacht was still running on close to
NE Constitution. and losing wonderfully little.
= spite OF the drag. but when the sail filled with
scr IL seemed possible that the gaTtopsail
would carry away the gaff and the yacht
vas badly held back
An then tried running up nearer the wind. in
1ef mat grip could be got Of the wreckage.
ois sail and its spars acted queerly at
e ume being sunk below the surface and at