The sun., 1903-04-18

floor. - .tF- =
Late this afternoon Sir Thomas Uiptor
said TO a correspondent Of The Sun who
asked him about the accident to the chal.
ienger Il am really 80 upset that havs
no heart to speak on the subject. Az q
matter OF fact / really know little more
about the accident than has been made
public-it all happened no suddenly Sir
Thomas said the chief and almost the only
regret he felt, and that was very keen. wa,
as to the loss Of a life.
In regard to the future plans for the boa,
Sir Thomas said the accident certainly
meant some weeks delay at the very least
Still he had hopes of being able to fulhl his
engagement to race for the Americas Cur
on Sandy Hook on Aug. 20. He had already
cabled the New York Yacht Club an init.
nation OF the accident. The challenger
hull. he said. had not been damaged.
Collier. who was q native Of Colchester
was 70 years old. He had bean in Sir
Thomas Hpton's service four years His
body has not been recovered.
Orders for q new mast and new sails
have been sent to Denny Bros. and Mr.
Ratsey respectively. but nothing further
will be decided until the arrival OF Mr.. Fife
who left Glasgow tonight.
King Edwards telegram to Sir Thomas
Upton expresses deep regret over the repe-
tition Of the accident to Shamrock II. two
years ago. and sorrow for Collier, TO whose
family his Majesty sends his sympathy.
The Prince Of Wales, who Ia at Sandring-
ham, telegraphed that he was much dis
tressed by the accident. especially as there
had been loss OF lie. He hopsd the injured
were doing well. Among hundreds OF other
kilograms was one from the Countess OF
Shaftesbury, who christened the Shamrock
III. The cable dispatches from the United
States include messages from Messrs.
Bourne, Cormack. Iselin, Griscom. Ledyard
and Adams
No suggestion Of q postponement Of the
Cup races has been made by either side.
1t is believed that II such suggestion came
from the New York Yacht Club. a. in 1901
Sir Thomas would be glad to consider It
but he has not intimated desire for OF ex =
pectation OF such q postponement
All the injured are doing we'll.
LONDON. April 1s.-The Standard, In An
editorial, expresses dissatisfaction because
Of the failure Of the reported desperate
attempts' to save Collier. 1t does not
allege neglect. and admits that the failure
to save him can possibly be explained. but
It raises the question whether there were
life belts on board the yacht. and IL there
were. why some one did not have the pres
sence Of mind to throw one to him.
1t also wants a further explanation Of
the cause Of the accident. 1t says II Is agreed
that the screw OF the main shroud gave
way bit. and that Is just what 1t ought
not to have done. A great strain from a
squall is precisely whas Is always liable
to happen, and the tackle ought to be CAL
culated to stand such strain. The paper
adds:
1T will be remembered that bolt gave
way in 1901 on the Shamrock H., and now
screw has snapped. We do not hear
that these breakages occur on the Ameri-
can boats
The Standard thinks the opinion Of Ameri-
can critics that the bounds of safety have
been overstepped In racing machines may al
lay patriotic uneasiness regarding any sup
posed inferiority on the part Of British
builders and. perhaps. II a. reported, the
wire rigging Of the Shamrock iii. was made
In New Jersey 1t wAs not piece OF British
handiwork that failed to stand the test.
This. It adds. would be q consolation a.
far as It goes. but the national character
of the boat would seem to be affected II
1t were really made In America.
A cablegram from Sir Thomas Upton
was received at the New York Yacht Club
house yesterday afternoon announcing the
accident to the Cup challenger, Shamrock
III. Sir Thomas did not state the extent
OF the damage done to the yacht and there
no wG.d Ss cs sssns Sr
A. Cormack said that in his opinion there
would be no postponernent, because Sir
Thomas has undoubtedly prepared for such
an accident and has new spar ready to
step at once in his yacht and that even II
he has no spare spar ono could be made
and shipped in about three weeks. The
yachtsmen In this city expressed regret
that the yacht had been crippled 30 early
in the season, but all hoped that she would
soon be ready again TO 60 on with her
trials.
. This accident will seriously interfere with
Sir Thomas Lipton's plans. He has had
the Shamrock Ill. put in commission early
80 as to get her in good racing trim before
she has to leave for this side OF the ocean.
Whatever time she has gained by getting
into commission early In the season will be
lost later on when she has to strip for the
voyage across the Atlantic. This will take
at least six weeks, part Of which time will
part Of the time in refitting her racing
Accidents in the big class have been
numerousi The Columbia was the first to
lose her mast. 1t went while she was hav-
ing a tuning up sail on Newport In 1899,
but the delay In getting her ready again
was not very long, as spare spar had been
made. Two years ago the Constitution
lost her mast while sailing on Newport and
the accident was very similar to the one
that happened to the Columbia two years
before. The Shamrock ii. lost her spar
on May "a, 1901. while racing with the Sham
rock /. King Edward was q guest on the
Yacht at the time. This accident happened
just as she was going for the starting line
and all her rigging. sails. blocks and run
ming gear were lost overheard. IL took
four weeks TO At the yacht out again and
necessitated a postponement OF the Cup
sol{,e time ago Il was reported that De-
signers Fife and Watson had agreed that
IL was not necessary TO have q duplicate
set of spars. They were confident that those
made FOR the yacht would stand. II h
possible that the broken mast can be re-
paired by having new plates put In a. the
breaks. but new rigging and new sails will
have to he made.
NEW MAST FOR SHAMROCK.
Denny Brps. Have One In Hand Which
VIII Ne Finished In Two weeks.
SPECIAL Cable DsspaicA to THE SUN.