The Washington times., 1901-07-28
THE Old CUP DEFENDERS.
Little Now Heard of Former
Queens Of the Sea.
America. the Famous Schooner, Now
Fifty Years Old-Was Once Used A.
blockade Runner DurinG the
Civil War by the Confederates.

ssof ~ hne SOHAc0eF0Ne0
Just now. when the Constitution. the
latest production in the way OF Gun
defender. holds first place in the affec-
tions of the nauticaliy minded, ns.Ts,.s. tthe quss-
ton arises. What has become OF forme
queens of the sea? Like ex-Presidcnts.
once they have served their term they
quickly drop into obscurity, and while
their most trivial action in their hey-day
OF usefulness was faithfully recorded In
the newspapers. months. even years now
pass without mention OF theis. names
America, the famous schooner that.
fifty years ago. went to England and in
race around the Isle of Wight against
fifteen of the British cracks bore away
the Queens Cup for good and aye, as Il
seems. is still a fine and seaworthy craft.
She is the property Of Paul Butler. a
nephew Of Gen. Ben Butler, and Is now
fitting out at East Boston She will cele-
brate her fiftieth anniversary by being
present next September when the Consti-
tuition and the Shamrock ii. OF Sandy
Hook. renew the struggle for the marine
supremacy which she instituted.
But America since winning the Queens
Cup. which was afterward renamed In
her honor. has not lived In idleness on her
ANPdtdAiOA Soue llHie dIlcT winning t0e
trophy she was re-christened the Camilla,
and won several races under her new
name. isoi sne turned up as the Men,
phis at Savannah in the service Of the
Confederates, and to escape capture by
the United States frigate Wabash she was
scuttled and sunk in st. Johns River In
Florida. After the war she was raised
by the Government, and used as a prac-
tice boat by the naval cadets at Annapo-
lis. In 1870. when James Ashbury chai-
lenged for the Cup, the Government ft-
ted her out at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
at an expense Of $4,000. and although
twenty years old she beat the challenger,
the Cambria Franklin Osgood's Magic.
however, was first home out of a fleet
of twenty-four vessels. America was
fourth Ben Butler bought her from the
Government for 5000. and took her to
Boston.
The Hub has become quite a snug har-
Dor for these ancient danes of high de-
gree, and one may find there not only
the America. but the Mischief of 1881. the
Puritan OF 1855. the Mayfiower of 1856 and
the volunteer OF 1881 The Maytiower was
chartered last week by Western yachts
man, and she. too. will. be seen at the
Cup races.
The Magic. which beat the Cambria by
forty minutes in 1876. went ashore at VII
mington. Del, a dozen years later, and
in time wind and wave wrought out their
work upon her, and not trace remains.
Columbia was the ne> Cup defender.
and in 1871 she defeated Livonia. Mr.. Ash
bury's second venture for the Cup. Co
lumbia is now owned by J. De f. jun
lal-
nent part in all club functions.
The schooner Madeline, which defended
the Cup in 1876 against the Canadian boat
Countess of Dufferin. is still trim craft.
now owned by Mr.. Lord, who purchased
her from her original owner. John s.
Dicisersar. .cc-c -..-... {. tio4ea years ago.
Mr.. Dickerson, who is said to be the old
est yacahtsman in the United States. took
many cruises in her before he sold her.
and the logs of these expeditions are fun
of interest to the ardent seafarer.
The Mischief, which beat the second
Canadian challenger, Atalanta, in ISL.
lay dismantled for number OF years in
a Boston shipyard, but last season she
was once more in commission, still a
boat with a claim to admiration
The Puritan, which was built by Ed
StoS Luz q DOotOAh q JtoA
after her success over Genesta, In 1885.
was converted into schooner and Is now
owned by John o. Shaw, jr.
Mayfiower, which beat Galatea, the
next conner. in 1886, also became a schoon-
er and was sold by General Paine to e.
D. Morgan. who is managing the Column
bia In her races with the Constitution.
aIr. Morgan, who paid $4,000 for her, sold
rt .r,d t,..v
chaser brought her back to her old home.
Boston.
The Volunteer. also a Burgess boat.
is now schooner rigged and black hulled.
and Is one Of the finest cruising yachts in
Boston waters.
Vigilant. which in 1888, defeated Lord
Dunraven's valkyrie II. subsequently
passed into the hands of Percy Chubb.
former commodore of the Seawanhaka-
Corinthian Yacht Club. and he has seen
to it that her nautical education has been
Kept up. This season he had her rig
changed to that of yawl. and she has
sailed five races thus far in her new form
against Henry S. Redmoud's imported
fawl Ailsa. All of these races she has
won, except the first, when she sailed
without her centerboard in the annual re-
,atta Of the New York Yacht Club. A
tiff breeze blew throughout the day, and
he handicap of not having her board was
90 much. Since that day she has beat
n AiIsa all the way from three to four
minutes, which shows she still has no
king for British championship.
Defender, that in 1895 defeated Lord
)unraven's Valkyrie III, on his second
uest for the Cup, died this season,
martyr to science. She was built OF
teel, aluminium, and bronze. and the in
innate association of these three metals.
ogether with the action of the sea water,
aused a general corrosion. She was built
or the sole purpose of defeating Lord
)unraven, and having done that. rendered
ervice in tuning up Columbia But the
atal maIady was well developed even
hen. and Capt William Butler Duncan
as said he wondered if she would hold
ogether as he walked up and down on
er. picking up the bronze rivets as they
opped out of the aluminium deck She
ras sold to junk dealer. and as Column
la and Vigilant went up the Sound few
-eeks ago to race for the Glen Cove Cups
,ey saw her for the last time as they
assed City Island. There was the old
hampton stark upon the shore. Only
arboard strake and the keel remained.
nd the blows of the wreckers hammers
sounded on these as the feet glided by.
er spirit still goes marching on, how
fer and her steel mast has been stepped
Royal Phelps Carrolfs yawl Navahoe-
AS to her successor, Columbia-'-throw
lysic to the dogs. she'll none of it-"
etter than ever before. the baffier of
lamrock is aspirations has caused the
ew York Club syndicate some bad quar-
r hours recently. when she should have
ken a back scat and didn't But there
no lodging fate, and afterward Consti-