Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-26
TOUCHED A ROCK.
Constitution Disabled, Thugs
day, Off Race Rock.
Columbia logs IN a Winner, Leading
Her by Over Two Minutes.
Constitution S'ar.ed Plates on Fin and vii
Not Race. Today.

WindWald from New London to New
p1it. gave the Constitution a great and
unexpected beating. The Constitution
flashing a good third of 4 mile astern
of her antagonist and being defeated
minutes and seconds. The race was
s'uie1 in weather that as Il rule has
Just suited the Constitution, the wind
reVe. exceeding a l2-knot gait and the
sea being smooth.
Il was not until Newport was reach
ed that an intelligent explanation OF
Tie drubbing could be given.
The Constitution following right in.
the wake of the Columbia. struck.
twice on 4 ledge near the Race Rock
lighthouse There was i substantial
bump and after this accident the Com
stitution behaved like A lame duck Her
speed was diminished ana she sagged,
off 10 leeWard.
Eutler Duncan said, this evening.
that he believed some Of the plates onl
the leaden Keel We're Wrenchcd off and
that these plates torn from The Tin act-l
ed IS 4 drag.
a diver was sent down. today. butt
was unable. To make a satisfactory cx-|
animation. and Mir duncan decided
not t. race the boat further until she,
has been hauled out and opportunity
given for a thorough investigation.
There viii be no race between the big
sloops, tomorrow. and the Constitution
is expected to 20 to Bristol to be dock
vd in the morning.
The Columbia had the best of the
start. but had il nos been for another
streak OF i'll fortune the Constitution
would have crossed the line first. AS
the Constitution went off the line. sud
denly Il cat boat laden down To- The
eunwale with New London girls got
i'm the way. II was hard up the helm
To clear her. otherwise there would
have been a eat boat run down ana
perhaps the loss of many lives. Next
tug boat got in the ocean pathway.
ana causing the Constitution to gyhe.
gave her the worst of the start.
Perhaps if the Constitution had been
in the lead capt. Rhodes might have
lodged the rocks against which his
craft struck. The Columbia fent ahead
without hitting anything. After passing
Race rock the Constitution showed an
inability to point Or sail fast which
nave watched her from her launch
down to date.
The Columbia. beautifully handled
in the dead nose ender' from Race
rock to Brent0n's reef lightship. got the
Constitution under the lee ana kept her
there to the finish lire. About 80 lacks
We're made between Race rock and
Blenton's reef and many miles Of blue
water were wasted in keeping the Con
stitution bianketed.
1t must not be thought that the Con-
Stitution was handled badly. On the
contrary every foxy method known to
the Cunningest of sea jockeys was eS-
Sayed to get from under the blanket of
the Columbia. That Capt. Rhodes did
not succeed was not for lack of sea-
manlike striving.
The wind was from northeast and
blowing at a l0-knOt gait at the start.
When the yachts passed Race rock it
blew due east almost dead in the teeth
of the fleet from that point to the fin
iSh line. After Race rock was passed
it grew puffy and the foremost of the
schooner Muriel snapped OIL in two
places and made complete wreck Of
the fast and beautiful yacht. The main
topmast parted in two about eight feet
from the masthead. The revenue cut
ter Gresham towed her back to New
London. She is owned by Mr.. Charles
Smithers and was designed by A. Cary
Smith, whose yachts are remarkable
for their sea going and staunch quail
ties. The spars that snapped We're
hollow wooden ones.
A third accident happened to the
Rainbow which broke her peak hal
yards or the blocks which hoist the
peak to the gaff. Her owner, Cornell
Jus Vanderbilt. set signal of distress
ana the Lady Godiva. owned by Henry
e. Rouse. towed the crippled yacht to
Newport.
In order to show more clearly the
wide eXpanSe of ocean covered in the
iD-miIe run between Columbia and
Constitution it is only necessary to say
that the victorious yawl Nigilant fin
ished the race before the Columbia,
covering the course in ..00.3S, while the
Columbia took $500 to go the same
distance. This proves that Vigilant was
attending strictly to business. while
the 9O-footers did not care how far
they went so long rs the question of
speed was finally settled.
The preparatory gun was fred at
1O.55 and 10 minutes later the yawls
and single masters We're sent on their
way. the starters being the yawls
Vigilant and Navahoe and the sloops
Rainbow. Virginia. Athene, Bedouin.
Hester. Hldegrade. Eeiin, Isolde,
Senta. Petrol. Isolt. Affair Humma.
Sistae. Effort and Myra.
The handicap gun of the sloops and
yawls was the signal for the schooners to
start. and very fast they gathered way
with the flagship Corona well in the lead.
followed by Columbia. Emerald. Ameri-
ca marguerite. Latona shamrock. Mu-
rieI. Ouisetta. Elmina. Loyal and Indra
Next came the 9o-footers. The Consti-
tut;on seemed to have easily the best of
the start. but had to change her course
;, avoid a catboat and tug. That some
thing had happened TO her was clearly
,nnarent At one time the Columbia was
baIf \ mile in the lead. Then she would
,.,,,aon down on the Constitution. keeping
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