The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-03
COLUMBIA SAILOR DROWNED.
SWEPT OVERHEARD by HUGE
WAVE IN YACHT RACE.
Reliance Pounds Dent Five Feet Long
Under Bow and Constitution Breaks
Gaff-New Boat Only One TO Get Over
the C0urse-Irakes Lead ON First Leg.


married the race of the aO-footers sailed on
| this port to-day. A sailor was lost over
| board from the Columbia, the Constitu-
| ton broke her gaif, and the Reliance, al-
though she managed to get around the
course, pounded so in the heavy seas that
there is now dent five feet long and a foot
| and half wide under the port bow, and
she will 60 to Bristol at once to have the
| damage repaired.
The loss OF a sailor from the Columbia
has depressed the yachtsmen, and Mr..
Morgan says the Columbia will not start
again until the cruise begins two weeks
from to-day. There was half gale OF
wind blowing from the southwest by south
A rough sea made the yachts pitch and dive
as they never had before, and although
they started out of the harbor with small
club topsails set, these were quickly lowered,
and the start for the first mark was made
under mainsail, jib and fore staysai on
each boat
The Columbia was nearing the first mark
of the course when the sailor was lost She
was little astern of the Reliance and had
nearly finished the ten-mile beat to wind
ward Preparations were being made for
the reach TO the second mark. The gait
topsal had been set and then men went
out on the bowsprit to send up jib topsail
ready to be broken out as soon as the mark
was passed. Four men went out on the
port side of the bowsprit, hauling the big
piece of canvas, which was in stops, with
tn, IN.
Carl b. Olsen was the second man on the
bOwsprit and was considered an expert
sailorman. Suddenly the yacht took
dive and stuck her bowsprit well under one
of the big waves rushing in from the south
west A pile of water fell on the bow Of
the yacht, and for moment she staggered
under its weight Then,l shaking herself,
she rose out of the wave and rushed on
toward the mark The first man on the
bowsprit had held on safely, but Olsen had
been washed on The third and fourth
men were carried inboard and thrown on
the deck by the force Of the wave.
Man overheard" was the cry, and Mr.
Morgan, who was at the wheel, shot the
Yacht into the wind. Life buoys were
thrown out, and az quickly as possible some
of the men ran the forestaysail down while
the dingy was dropped over the side, and
a sailor and one of the officers got into the
boat and rowed about to find the unfortu-
nate sailor Several men went aloft on
the Columbia to look out for Olsen, and the
steam yachts Delaware, Riviera, Surf,
Rambler. the tender Park City, the tug
De Witt c. Wins and the torpedo boat Wins
low Joined in the search. The yachts
sailed over the spot for nearly half an hour,
but in vain, and then the Columbia picked
up the tender dingy.
The Columbia sailed back 10 the harbor,
and Capt. Lem Miller went ashore at once
and reported the accident at the Custom
House. He said Olsen was native Of
Honefoss He was shipped in Brooklyn
and was unmarried. Olsen was with Capt.
Miller in the Navahoe last season and was
regarded as a very able sailor Capt
Miller says Olsen was just forward OF the
whiskers Of the martingale, and he thinks
that when he was washed of he was jambed
against the martingale and badly hurt,
and then, falling into the water, was sucked
under the boat. The jib topsall, which |
the men were setting, was torn TO ribbons, |
and pieces were twisted around the bob
stay.
Capt. Miller has been on the Columbia
every year she has been out since she was
launched, and he says she never stuck her |
bowsprit under a wave before. When the
Columbia got in the larbUr the three other |
sailors who were on the bowsprlt at the |
time Olsen was washed off were taken TO
DR.. Murphy TO be treated for sprains and
bruises they sustained.
The starting line for the race was made
about three miles east Of Brenton's Reef
lightehip. There was strong wind blow
ing when the yachts left the harbor and they
had sent small club tops ails aloft, but
outside the wind was about twenty-five
miles an hour. Big seas were crested
with caps OF foam, and between these
crests there were big holes. When near
the starting line the club topsails were
lowered and a sigh Of relief went up when
the big sails were safely slowed.
The yachts were to race over a triangular
course each leg being ten miles long. The
first leg was to windWard, and the compass
course was southwest by west, that being
the direction Of the wind. The second
leg was southeast by eist one half east,
and the third leg north half west. The
preparatory signal was made at 1918 and
fifteen minutes later the yachts We're sent
off. There had been little attempt at jockey
ing.
The Columbia crossed the line first on the
starboard tack at l2;3O45 The Reliance
was to windward of the Constitution, and
she crossed the line with the handicap gun
at 1232:00: The Constitution was handi-
capped twenty-seven seconds, Each car
ried mainsai and jib and forestaysai
They were heeled SO that their lee rails
were under water The Columbia took the
port tack as the Reliance crossed the line.
The Reliance tackled tire minutes later
and the Constitution a minute after the
Reliance. The Reliance was to leeward
of all on this tack, and the Constitution APP
peared to be doing the best work, pointing
high and footing faster.
At 1240O0 the Reliance tackled to go after
the Constitution, and at that moment the
Jaws on the gaff on the Constitution broke
The gaff shot forward Of the mast and
then snapped, the peak toppling over to lee
ward. The mainsail was torn from the luR
nearly to the leach The sails were low
cred and the Satellite towed the crippled
yacht back to the harbor.
Then the Reliance went after tho
Columbia Each made three short tacks
and at l:l42O the Reliance crossed the
Columbia and tackled on her weather After |
that she gradually increased her lead,
and turned the first mark at 1920, |
Just after the Columbia had lost the sailor |
overheard.
The Reliance broke out No. jib top
sail for the reach on the second leg. Prcpa-
rations had been made to send small club ,
topsail up, but having no competitor, tho !
yacht kept on with no topsail. She gyhed |
around the second mark at 2d4lO and then !
set balloon jib topsail for the third leg,
which also was n reach.
The wind lightened considerably on this
leg and the Reliance made fast trip, sail
Ing the ten miles in 81 minutes 30 seconds,
She crossed the finishing line at 33l 20,
The third ten miles was sailed in AZ minutes
10 seconds, which was at the rate OF little