The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-23
SHAMROCK'S DISASTER Lipton's Story of the Total Dismasting of the New
 Yacht and Edward
 VII.'s Escape. NYMn IunM nnlMn DNllIN
KING JUST GOING BELOW
HALFWAY IN THE HATCHWAR r
 WHEN MAS1S COLLAPSED.

Hurt Lipton Struck on the Head and
 Stunned but Soon Recovers-King R ec De.
 cIares That He Will be Aboard tn,
 NextTime the Challenger SaiIs-Lipton
 Asks the New York Yacht Club f-r m
 Extension of Tlme-sHl Has Faith in
 Ills Boat.
 Southampton, May 22.-The most
 dramatic incident in the history of the
 Americas cup occurred to-day when
 a sudden squall on the Solent com
 pletely wrecked the new challenger
 above board, endangering the life of
 King Edward and several distinguish
 ed persons, including Sir Thomas Lip
 ton The results of this diseaster,
 which could scarcely recur without
 great loss oe life, can be best judged
 by the following written statement giv-
 en out late tonight by Sir Thomas Lipton:
 My deepest regret is that to-day s accident prevents me from toeing the mark at the appointed hour and com pels me to ask the New York Yacht club to grant me an extension of time. If they will be good enough to do that I shall race, even if I have to build a boat between now and the date agreed upon. I still believe the Shamrock II boat worthy to be the challenger and v,rbo to oh "a Ttar Of accidents comes to an end. she, will stand a good chance of lifting the cup. I have not a single complaint to make against the boat.
 For the many telegrams of sympa- thy received from America to-day am deeply grateful No one is more thankful than I am that the catastro- phe ended without fatality, and I may perhaps say that throughout the try ing moments his majesty was as brave as a lion. His first thought was to in- quire if any one was injured.
 Signed: Thomas Lipton."
 Circumstances have reduced the Shamrock II to a pitiful, sparless wreck. She now lies off Hythe. The story of the catastrophe is best told by Sir Thomas Llpton himself. After seeing his royal guests off to London, Sir Thomas gave the following inter- view to a representative of The Asso- ciated Press:
 We had just begun to make for the starting line when fierce breeze sprang up. King Edward, Lady Londonderry, Mrs Jameson. MT. Watson, MT. Jame- son and myself were on deck, hanging on as best we might for the challenger was almost on an angle of 45 degrees. The king started to go below just as he did so everything collapsed. A heavy block fell between the two ladies and wire rope struck me on the head. The blow momentarily stunned me. A sudden sGuall, an unexpected strain ana everything had given way. King Edward was Ealf in and half out of the companion hatchway. What hap pened, how all the falling spars and sweeping sails did not kill or sweep | some one overboard is more than I | know. When came to, I saw the king | clambering over the wreckage trying | to discover the extent of the damage | and asking: Is there anyone hurt?'
 The representative of The Associated | Press further learned that Sir Thomas first utterance on coming to was this arden adjuration to MT. Watson: "Tele- graph for more spars. We have got to sail on August 20 and this boat has got to do it."
 When the distinguished participators in the mishap had been safely trans ferred to the Erin the kings first re- mark was: When shall we sail again, Lipton?"
 DofO m ct q rt cd fny. T don, his last words to Sir Thomas were: "When you next sail I am going with you"
 In fact. the ruler of the British en- pire seemed keenly to enjoy the un- usual spice of danger into which his love of sport had led him.
 MT. Watson and MT. Jameson, espec- ially the former, are very downcast and a absolutely refuse to say anything. MT Watson, indeed is so chagrined that he could scarcely talk to even his most Intimate friends and until after din- her on board the Erin Sir Thomas be- Iieved it would be impossible to contest for the cupt this year. But thanks to his indomitable perseverance, back ad up by King Edwards optimistic and support, it was decided to ] go ahead provided the New York Yacht club would grant an extension of time, The question whether the New York ( Yacht club should be asked to permit he substitution of the Shamrock I for ile Shamrock II was quickly relegated, { because Sir Thomas anu MI. Jameson, r. spite of everything that has happen ! d, maintained that the new boat was yell worth the trouble she had caused. ; It may be stated with no little au | hority that the challenger's true merits t lave not been displayed with too much igor, and that there is more in her, .ccording to the views of those most interested, than meets the eye.
 Sir Thomas calculates that delay of hree weeks or a month in the date of | c he contest in American waters will en- c ble him to come to the scratch. He O avs that he is greatly handicapped by II he fact that he has no duplicate masts 1s
 Continued on Third Page9 la