The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-06-07
CUP DEFENDERS HOLLOW
STEEL MAST BREAKS.
SNAPS LIKE PIPE STEM
Second Mate Carried Overheard
But Is Promptly
Rescued.

Newport, R. l., June Awhile dash
ing along in a good wheel sail breeze,
off Brenton's lightship, this afternoon,
with the three lower sails set, the
big, hollow steel mast on the Belmont
syndicate cup defender Constitution
collapsed like a pipestem through the
sudden breaking of the starboard
and windward spreader.
The mast broke off only a few feet
below the spreader, about three-ffths
OF the length of the mast above the
deck. and al the topmast was carried
aWav at the same time none of the
spars, except the boom, struck ,hc
COCK, and the latter only hit a light
blow, which did not inj,lre the hull at
all. None of the sails were torn and
all can be used again. Fortunately
three seamen had just come down
from the masthead after taking in
the club topsail, but the wreckage
swept overheard the second mate, Ed
ward Nelson. He was promptly hauled
on board, however, without sustaining
more than a few bruises.
Designer Nat Herreshoff was on
deck when the mast collapsed, and
with him were w. Butler Duncan,
manager Of the yacht; G. Oliver Ise-
lin, who managed Columbia two years
ago, when she suffered a similar &C.
cident; Rear Commodore C. L. F. Rob-
inson of the New York Yacht club.
and Newbury Thorne and all ESCAPED
injury. The Constitution will be tax
en- to Bristol tomorrow morning where
another steel mast is nearly finished.
The yacht Will be Immediately reft-
ted, but 1t will probably b. 10 days
or two weeks before she is in shape
to sail again, sc tnat the races off this
port scheduled for June Is and II will
have to De postponed.
Mr.. Duncan expressed great regret
tonight ove the ACCIDENT, but said he
was very glad that no one was in.
jured.
The trial today was the second one
given the Constitution since her ar
rival from Bristol where additional
pack stays had been rugged to
strengthen her mast.
About noon Herreshoff came down
from Bristol ana looked over the sails
which were then getting gradually
into shape. After the crew had fin.
isned their dinner the mainsail was
again hoisted and preparations made
for a spin OUTSIDE the harbor. The
wind at the time was blowing about
Is or Is knots and as the tide was a
strong ebb there was quite a lumpy
sea in the narrow channel at the
mouth of the harbor.
The number two club topsail, how.
ever, was set and with jib and fore
sail up the big, white sloop started
away from her moorings at a lively
pace. 1t was practically a dead beat
down the channel and in the choppy
sea the yacht pitched not a little.
There was more wind outside the har-
Dor, but the sea was smoother. AS
the Constitution worked off shore she
felt the wind considerably stronger
and suddenly the lasnlngs on the club
topsail gave way and the big sail be-
gan to slip and swing around the top
mast. The yacht was sem into the
wind while three seamen went aloft
to clear away the wreckage and send
down spars. This took some time, so
it was about 1920 when the yacht was
again hauled on to wind and headed
to southeast on starboard tack.
The yacht was by this time about
two miles due soutn of Brenton's reef
lightship going along at a tremendous
speed under three lower sails well
heeled over in the breeze. The wind
was probably the stiffest that the Con-
stitution had ever encountered. Sud
denly, just before 2 o'clock, without
the slightest warning, the starboard
lower spreader over the end of which
run two of the masthead shrouds made
of inch steel wire rope, collapsed or
broke off at the mast. This brought
the strain on the three remaining steel
spreads which promptly gave way and
almost at the same instant the big
steel mast began to fall over port. 1t
went over so gradually hat those on
deck saw it coming in time to get to
windward with the exception of Sec
ond Mate Nelson, who was caught in
some rigging and went overheard
under the big mainsail. Fortunately
some of the crew saw his ~predicament
and by quick work he was hauled
aboard