The sun., 1901-05-23

boat Buckled and the Weight Of Canvas
0Dused tho Mast TO Go by the Board-sails
eeoshed the Deck while Bowsprit and
spars Dragged Through the water-Ed-
ward VII. stepped Into the ompa panionway
Out Of Dangcr--Sir Thomas the Only Person
little was Struck BY a Falling Back,tay
and Momentsriiy stunned-shamrock !.
Also Damaged while Going TO tho Assist.
Ance of the Chalicnser-Lipton Intimate,
In Cable Despatch That Accident viii Ne
ces,itate Postponement OF Cup Races.
SPECIAL Gable Dsspaichrs 10 THE sun
SOUTHAMPTON. May PA trial match
tfis afternoon between Shamrock H., the
challenger for the Americas Cup, and sham
rock l.. with the yawl Sybarita thrown
IN 10 make display for King Edward. was
prevented by a disaster just on the verge
of the start.
The yachts were dodging about the Solent
between Osborne and Southampton Water
until o'clock, when the preparatory
whistle was sounded from Sir Thomas
Lpton's steam yacht Erin. The imaginary
line was between the steam yachts and tho
West Bramble buoy.
The boats were mannuvring around
under racing canvas in breeze that was
piping up hard from the east and raising
a good deal OF sea -Four minutes of the
fve before the starting signal had passed
and the challenger WAS lying of on the star
board tack to leeward Of the line to come
round for the start. with Shamrock l. in
her wake and the Sybariia reaching down
from the Brambe buoy
The challenger was fattened over til
Il seemed as If half Of her deck was under
water The persons who were on board
the attending tug were Just speCuating
a. 10 the chance Of an accident when the
chalIengers topmlst yiellel, slowly at
frStand then with a snap The gafr buck led
up like paper and the weight Of the canvas
and top hamper, addeu TO the strength
OF the gust Of wind, took the mast away
by the board. Almost as quickly as one
could say II the deck Of the challenger
was cloaked over by the sails The top
mast the fragments Of the malnmast
AMI the bowsprit were over into the sea
ami dragging through the water.
The first thought Of those who looked
upon it was for the safety OF those on board
King Edward was on the challenger. as
were also Sir ThomeS Upton. Designer
Watson. Capt. jameson and others, in aIil-
ton 10 the crew
There was no want of ready help in case
II were needed Boats were lowered from
the Erin and from one or two torpedo-boat
destroyers that happened 10 be in the vicin-
ny. and from the tug, Albert Edward and
Neptune.
Shamrock l. was coming mp on the wind
20 60 TO the challeuger's assistance when
her gaiI bucklad In the middle. and in "A
moment her top-a was in ribbons and
her topsail gaG was swinging about the
mast
Capt Bevs was FIRST alongside the chal-
lenger with the yawl Sybarita, and to the
relief of everybody he was informed, on
Offering help, that none was needed and
that no one had been hurt The Erin's
launch went aIong-ido presently and Capt
Crockett Of the press tug Neptune, who
hailed Capt Sycamore OF The challenger.
was also told that all on board were safe
and that his services wcr" not required.
Those who had been on the weather side
OF the challenger had been able to scramble
free Of the canvas enlanglement and es-
capped the falling spars
King Edward had been sitting near
the head Of the companionway, 50 that
at the first warming Of the coming
wrenkag" his Majesty stepped below beyond
tie slightest rlsE Of injury. In the same
way too, the other members of the party
who We're in the cabin escaped injury while
the mast was swaying and the sails drop
ping On deck
Designer Watson was forward among
the crew when the accident occurred 10
the challenger, and when hailed by tho
Erin he held up his hands to indicate that
thcrc had been no fatalities
There was but a moments delay on the
part Of the crew IN hlndlmg.th overhang-
inG wrockage, cutting OIL the broken pieces
and hauling them on deck BY the time
the press tug wea' alongside Sir Thomas
Upton and Mr. jameson were sitting COM
I'n'Ill az lI'' lDp ~ V' conn NidnlOhWuN.
At the first ayaiable moment the King
WAS transferred from the challenger 10 the
Erin The Erin then passed line to the
wrecked boat and towed her 10 southampton
Water
The Erin was OF the squadron clubhouse
between 3 and O'Clock, and the King
went ashore in the course Of the evening.
By 4 O'Clock the hull Of the challenger and
the ShlmrocH l. wore picked up by the
tug Albert Edward and both yachts We're
at the anchorage of IIythe shortly after
clock
The challenger had her boom on deck,
bu' Nh" mast. ga!f and bowsprit had been
cu' aJrit and the steel spars went to tho
bottom
II i probable that Shamrock IT, will be-
taken around to the clyde ms quickly as
possible 10 be re-ftt.d
Interviews had by the correspondent
Of lHC SrN with the party on board tho
shamrock IT, explain the cause of the acCi-
dent II was learned that the bobstay
sacken"d again to-day, and when Capt
sycamore tried 10 luir the boat up into the
wind when he saw the squall coming she
would not answer her helm. The bobstay
plate was wrcu,hed Off and the shrouds
were carried away The buwsprit was
cut of close 10 the bed-plate The strain
was thrown onto the topmast and that
went by th" board, carrying the gan with
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