The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-15
CHALLENGER is ADMIRED
Yachting "Sharps' Take in Good
Points While she's Rugged Gut.

Points While she's Rugged Out
New York, Aug. 1.-THE sky-scraping
pole mast Of Shamrock II. was complete
~ rugged out today, and the bowsprit
ives placed in position. The racing main
boom, which arrived from Glasgow on
Tuesday, is IN one Of the shops at the
Erie basin. It is, without exception, the
longest main boom ever carried by any
racing craft schooner or single sticker.
It is made of steel and IS 40 feet long,
six or seven feet higher than that Of
Of the challenger win thus be the largest
ever set. It is believed she will probably
have TO give the cup defender time. Work
was pushed as rapidly as possible on the
steam yacht Erin in order to get her
out of the dry dock and get the Shamrock
II in. With this end in view, an extra
force Of painters was kept busy all the
forenoon, but so much remains to be done
that the challenger may not be locked
until tomorrow.
The paint on the under body Of Sir
Thomas Lipton's steam yacht Erin had
not dried hard enough to enable her to
leave her dry dock in the Erie basin
this evening. She, however, will be float
ed without fail early tomorrow morning.
Shamrock II viii take her place. The
keel blocks for the cup challenger were
placed in position this afternoon and
there viii be no delay in the practical
work of docking her. Captain Sycamore
and his sturdy crew were not idle today.
The interior of the Shamrock was strip
ped Of the wooden struts, trusses and
braces with which she had been strength
ened for her ocean voyage. Judging
from the number of these tinbers, she
must have been braced quite extensively
and thoroughly. 1t was learned that not
a plate was strained nor a rivet started,
thanks to the generally fair weather
she encountered and the admirable way
in which she was protected against stress
and strain by the system OF bracing en-
ployed. Captain Sycamore has placed in
placed III position the racing gaff and
main boom. The boom extends over the
taff-ran about eighteen felt and its ex-
IRENE length excited the admiration Of
all the yachting "sharps" who saw it.
The steI trusses which strengthen the
mast in the wake of the throat halyards
was also placed in position on the fore
side of the mast and the wire stay upon
an eye bolt on the deck. The bOwsprit
was secured by shrouds, spreaders and
lobsray. all Of great strength and cal
culated to Withstand any amount Of
pounding or Stating in a heavy head
sea. In fact, the rig Of the challenger
commands the approval of all practical
yachtsmen and shipwrights.
Tomorrow the ship viii be scrubbed and
painted. On Friday she viii go TO Sta
pleton, /. L. where finishing touches
viii be put on her, preparatory to her
trials of the Hook.
The tender Porto Rico. which is under
the command Of David Barrie. was paint
ed and vanished today. She Is We'll
ample accommodations not only for the
regular crew Of the cup challenger. but
also abundant room for the supplement-
ary spsrs. sails and gears that form
part of the equipment of a modern racing
machine There is a special cabin pre-
pared for the eight sa1-makers from
Ratzey's Loft, also separate quarters
for the officers Of the Shamrock. The
men are berthed in the steerare and
quarters. They have been INDUCING in
watermeious canteioupes. sweet corn
and other Yankee fare. quite new to
many of them. and are correspondlngly
happy. There is rot one Of the crews
or the Erin OF Shamrock who IS not
willing tn wager all his wages that Sir
Thomas VIII "Hft the cup this time