Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-22
SIR THOMAS Upton.

racing sails well as they fetched out
from the shelter of the breakwater,
the Shamrock III. leading on tack out
seaward apparently with the intention
of testing the strength of the wind out
side. The breeze had just weight
enough to keep her lee rail Tipping.
Before the start Sir Thomas Lipton
Ratsey, the sailmaker, and Col. Shar-
man Crawford, vice commodore of the
Royal Ulster Yacht club, boarded the
challenger, which made magnificent
she drove past Nothehead.
The Erin had taken up position to
send the boats away, round a TRAN
gular course, and everything seemed to
promise fine race. The Shamrock III.
then made short board on the port
tack, dragging through heavy squall
with her lee decks awash.
Yacht Completely Dismantled.
At about 1O:40 a. M, when nearly a
mile off shore, she went about on the
starboard tack to stand up to cross the
line, when sudden gust of wind sweep
ing out of Weymouth bay struck the
yacht and completely dismantled her.
The weather rigging screws of her
main shrouds and her mast carried
away close to the deck and with it went
her spars, sails and gearing in con-
fused mass of wreckage. The yachts
decks were crowded with Sir Thomas
Lipton's guests, officers and men and
it seemed impossible that the disaster
was not attended by serious loss Of
life.
{ One Man Drowned.
| So sudden was the calamity that the
yacht lay wrecked and helpless before
those on board of her we'll realized
what had happened. Fortunately most
of the tremendous weight of the gear
fell clear of the deck, as otherwise the
disaster must have been multiplied
threefold. AS it was only one life was
lost, that of a member of the crew
named Collier, a brother-in-law of
Capt. Wringe. Collier at the moment
of the accident was handinga binocular
glass to Sir Thomas Upton and still
had the glass in his hand when he was
struck by some of the tumbling gear
and knocked overheard. The rattle of
blocks and wire ropes on the metal
deck of the boat drowned all other
sounds for the time. The luH which
followed was broken by sharp order
from Capt. Wringe to get away boat. !
The captains self-possession spurred
the crew to instant action and boat
was shot overheard, manned and start
ed to search for Collier. Boats were
also dropped from the Shamrock I. and
Erin, and in a couple of minutes these
were all heading for the scene of the
accident. Collier, however, never re-
appeared. A number of others were in
jured by falling gear, but none wasseri-
ously hurt. Sir Thomas was knocked
down a hatchway and one Of his hands
was injured, but not seriously.
The hull of the Shamrock III. was not
damaged. The mast when it went over
board went solid. There was at that
4ime only one break, which was about
seven feet above the deck. As the big
spar with its weight Of canvas became
heavier owing to the water in it, the
mast again buckled, it's head going
down till it rested on the bottom. It
Is believed it will be comparatively easy
to repair the mast, but whole suit of
canvas is irretrievably ruined.
-. Barges,with a crane were soon on the
spot to raise the broken mast after
which the Shamrock III. will be taken
to her mooriugs inside the breakwstes.
- 4 u <1ss+sE :. ~.4.2. j.. Q 33:t5s