Evening star., 1903-08-15
Queer Tales of the Quest for
This Piece of Silver.
IN PRICELESS MADEIRA
WHEN WATER FAILED THE CREW
GOT THE WINE.
Plain Truth About the Expense of
Challenging and De-
Tending.

Written for The Evening Star by Capt. A. J.
kenealy.
The Americas cup, an old, tarnished
fagon of silver not unmixed with pewter,
If experts are to be believed is neither use
full nor ornamental.
In the first place. it has no bottom, being
a hollow cylinder incapable of holding
liquid. This is disquaifying feature, as
every seaman must admit. The winner of
the Americas cup cannot take a drink out
of it. So far as its beauty is concerned.
why. it has none. In fact it is an mar
tistic honor.
But there never was an old metal pot in
the worlds history that has excited such
eager competition caused the expendi
ture of SO many millions as this tarnished
fagon. incidentally, it is responsible for
a fabric fragile and cranky. such as never
entered into the most fanciful imaginations
of yachtsmen of twenty years ago.
The racing machine of today is trifie
light as air. her rig is gossamer and spidery.
Her hull is shell far as thickness is
concerned. but it is nevertheless strong
enough to support solid bulb of lead
weighing in the neighborhood of one hun
dred tons NO metal is too expensive to find
Its place in the building of the cup chal-
lengers and cup defenders If gold were
OF use, there is no doubt that before this
pete with US for the old tarnished jug.
Lipton's Visitors Book.
OF ali the yachtsmen who have chal-
lenged for the cup Sir Thomas Upton is
easily the most popular with the masses.
Some self-made men in their mature years
develop pomposity. and that of a peculiarly
objectionable kind. Sir Thomas is Just as
jovial. genial and unassuming as he was
on the day he landed in this country with
light heart and thin pair of breeches
as his sole capital.
His enterprise is displayed in remarkable
ways. One day you read about him enter
tanning royalty aboard the Erin or on one
OF his ShamrockS. Another day you are
informed about his corner in western pork.
Next, you are surprised to hear of his
looping the loop at Coney Island
His visitors book the Erin is filled
with the illustrious and distinguished names
of men and women who have enjoyed his
hospitality. King Edward of England with
his bold and distinctive signature, figures
more than once. Sir Thomas tried his
sweetest TO persuade his royal friend to go
a-Sailing with him on hamrock Ill but the
king remembered an exciting period aboard
Shamrock II. when she was dismasted and
the top hamper came whizzing deckward in
dangerous proximity to his royal and i'm
perial ears. For that reason his majesty
found that affairs of state prevented him
from enjoying sail in the new challenger.
Upton went aboard Shamrock II. when
she was anchored in Cowes Roads and was
greeted at the gangway by a young shaver
of boy of seven.
DO You know who I amp" asked the
Scotch-Irish knight (the blood-red hand of
baronetage came later.
''Of course | do was the youngsters
answer. You're the man who sails
passenger with my father on his yacht
"Eh. but you're a canny bonny BARN.
Here's sixpence for you" was Lipton's re-
ply.
The youngster was Skipper Sycamores
little son.
Sycamore is no longer on the Upton pay
roll, He was at the tiller of the Shamrock
when she Gismasted with the king
aboard.
The schooner-yacht America the day after
she won the cup in 1851 also had a royal
visitor in the shape of Queen Victoria.
Looked for the Propeller
The great speed of the America surprised
the old seadogs of the Isle of Wight so
much that it became general belief that
the Yankee yacht had q propeller worked
by machinery artfully concealed.
The old Marquis of Anglesey. the father
of English yachting. went out for a sail in
his cutter Pearl (which although built in
1920 was one OF the fastest English yachts).
anxious to have speed trial with the
America. Mr.. Steers. one of the Americas )
crew. a brother of her designer, went with
him.
The America with only her jib and MAIN
sail set passed the Pearl without difficulty.
The master of the Pearl said to the mar
quis. Your lordship knows that no vessel
with sails alone could do that
When the America went slowly he said.
Now it is stopped" When she went on,
IT'S going again
Steers said nothing; he was enjoying the
joke. When the yachts anchored the mar
Quis went aboard the America and, going
aft, leaned so far over the counter that