The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-04-30
SHAMROCK DISMASTED
New Cup Challenger Struck Cy
SQuall OF Weymouth, Eng.
SIR THOMAS LlPToN INJURED
The masts and Canvas Were Carried
Away and the Yacht Was Left a
Mere Hulk-One Of the Crew Drown.
ed and Several Injured.

ed and Several Injured.
Weymouth, England, April Is. -
Fir Thomas Lipton's new challenger
Tor the Americas cup was dismasted
in squall shortly after leaving the
harbor preparatory to another trial
spin with the Shamrock |. Her mast,
as it fell over the side, carried sew
eral of the crew and all the gear and
canvas overheard. One man was
drowned and several persons, inClud-
ing Sir Thomas, who was knocked
down hatchway, were bruised or
otherwise injured.
The yachts were manoeuvring In
the roadstead, under mainsails. jibs,
foresails, and gaff topsals prior to
the start. A strong northeast breeze
was blowing. but there was nothing
in the nature OF gale. The boats
seemed to carry their racing sails
we'll as they fetched out from the
shelter of the breakwater, the Sham
rock Ill leading on tack out sea
ward, apparently with the intention
of testing the strength of the wind
outside.
The Erin had taken up a position
to send the boats away, round trian.
gular course, and everything seemed
to promise a fine race The Sham
rock Ill then made short board on
the port tack, dragging through a
heavy squall with her lee decks awash
When nearly mile off shore. she
went about on the starboard tack to
stand up to cross the line. when a
sudden gust of wind, sweeping out of
Weymouth bay, struck the yacht and
completely dismantled her. The
weather rigging screws of her main
shrouds gave way and her mast car
ried away close to the deck, and with
II went her spars. sails and gearing
in a confused mass of wreckage.
The yachts decks were crowded
with Sir Thomas Lipton's guests, Off
GERS and men, and it seemed impossi-
BILE that the disaster was not attended
by serious loss of life. Deprived of
its chief support the immense steel
tubular mast swayed for a fraction
of a second. crumpled up like tube
of paper and went overheard, creating
general havoc as II fell.
So sudden was the calamity that
the yacht lay, wrecked and helpless,
before those on board of her well re.
allied what had happened. FOrtu-
nately most of the tremendous weight
of the gear fell clear of the deck,
as otherwise the disaster must have
been multiplied tenfold. AS it was,
only one life was lost, that of mem
brother-in-law of Captain Wringe.
Collier at the moment of the accident
was handing a 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. A number of 9th.
ers were injured by falling gear, but
none was seriously hurt. Sir Thomas
was knocked down a hatchway and
one of his hands was injured, but not
SCI IOuSli
The hull OF the Shamrock III was
not damaged. The mast. when it went
overheard went solid. There was at
that time only one break, which was
about seven feet above the deck. As
the big spar, with it's weight of can.
vas, became heavier owing to the wa,
ter in it, the mast again buckled, its
head going down until it rested on
the bottom.
During the work of raising the mast
| II buckled again owing to the weight
of the canvas, making three distinct
| breakages The challenger was finally
! cleared Of wreckage and was towed
into the harbor. The canvas is ire,
| trievably ruined.
1t is said the accident will not delay
the races for Americas cup. and that
repairs will be finished within a