Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-18
SIR THOMAS Upton SLIGHTLY HURT
Merchant Yachtsman Injurss His Hand by
Fall Down Hatchway.
ONE MEMBER OF CREW is WASHED AWAY
Sailors and Guests 0rowding Deck Escape
Serious Accident by Miracle.
CHALLENeeRs HULL REMAINS UNOAMAGEO
New suit of Canvas and New Steel
Mast win He Required to Re-
pair Boat Before Trials
RecOmmence.

RecOmmence.
WEYMOUTH, April 1.-THE misfortunes
which seem to have pursued Shamrock III
eliminated today In a gust Of wind whlcn |
dismasted II and leaves the beautiful chal-
lenRer lying tonight a helpless wreck In |
Portland harbor. The accident will neces-
state a delay certainly Of a month and |
probabI-; OF six weeks in the challengers |
salt for America but Sir Thomas Lip |
ton said tonight that the accident would !
not be allowed to interfere with its pres
ence in New York in time for the cup
races.
The yacht was caught in squall shortly
after leaving the harbor on trial spin
The mast was carried overheard. together
with several of the crew. and all the gear
land canvas.
4 One man was drowned and sew
/eral persons. including Sir Thomas.
who was knocked down hatch
way, we're bruised or otherwise injured.
The man who was drowned was brother
in-Iaw Of Captain Wringe. He was hand
ing a binocular glass to Sir Thomas at
the time he was swept overheard. The
yachts were maneuvering in the roadstead
under mainstails, jibs. foresails and gan
topsails, prior to the start.
Strong wilma Is blOWhn8s
n 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 breakwRter, Sham ock
III leading on a tack out seaward. appar-
emily with the intention Of testing the
strength Of the wind outside. The breeze
had Just weight enough to keep the lee
rail tipped.
Before the start Sir Thomas Upton,
Ratsey the saIlmaker, and Colonel Sher-
man Crawford, vice commodore OF the
Royal Ulster Yacht club, boarded the chal-
lenger, which made a magnificent picture
as under a cloud OF canvas It drove past
North Head.
Erin had taken UP a position 30 send
the boats away round triangular course.
and everything seemed to promise fine
race. Shamrock III then made short
board on the port tack. dragging through
q heavy squall with It's lee decks awash.
At about 10:40 a. m, when nearly
mile of shore. II went about on the star
board tack to stand up to cross the line,
when a sudden gust of wind sweeping out
Of Weymouth bay struck the yacht and
completely dsmantled It. The weather
rigging screws OF the main shrouds and
mast were carried away close to the deck
and with it went the spars. sails and
gearing in a confused mass OF wreckage.
Crowded with Guests.
The yachts decks we're crowded with
Sir Thomas Liptons guests, officers and
men, and II seemed a miracle that the
disaster was not attended by serious loss
of life. Deprived of its chief support, the
immense steel tubular mast swayed for a
Araction Of a second and went overheard,
#creating general havoc as 1t fell.
The hull of Shamrock III was not dam
aged The mast, when It went overheard,
went solid. There was at that time only
one break. which was about seven feet
above deck. AS the big spar with Its
weight Of canvas became hevier, owing to
the water in 1t, the mast again buckled
its head, going down till It rested on the
bottom. II is believed 1t will be COM
paratively easy to repair the mast. but a
whole suit of canvas is ruined.
Barges with a crane were soon on the
spot to raise the broken mast, after which
Shamrock III was taken to Its moor
ings inside the breakwater.
Sir Thomas had a narrow escape He
was thrown down the hatehway with a
sailor and fell with such force as to break
the board flooring covering the tank
So sudden was the calamity that the
yacht lay wrecked and helpless before those
on board realized what had happened
Fortunately most of the tremendous weight
of the gear fell clear Of the deck. as other
wise the disaster must have been mul-
tiplied three-fold. AS 1t was, only one
life was lost, that Of a member Of the crew
named Collier.
The rattle Of blocks and wire ropes or
the metal deck Of the boat drowned al
other sounds for the time. The lull which
followed was broken by sharp order from
Captain Wringe to get away a boat
The captains self possession spurred thu
crew to action and a boat was manned ant
started TO search for Collier. Boats wer,
also dropped from Shamrock and Erin
and in a couple OF minutes these were al
heading for the scene OF the accident Col
Her however, never reappeared.
several Are slightly Injured.
A number Of others were injured by fall
ing gear but none seriously Sir Thoma
was knocked down hatchway and on
OF his hands was injured. but not seriously
Clearing away the wreckage was quite
dificult task, owing to the nature Of tn
spRrs and gear.
Erin passed line 10 the wrecked yach
and stood by to give al the aid necessary
Sir Thomas. who was extremely distresse
by the fatality and the Injury TO the yach
said that the accident occurred absolutel
without warning. and much quicker tina
Shamrock l was dismantled in the Solen
Just as a race between Shamrock II an
Shamrock / and sybarita was being starte
In the Solent on Southampton on May 2
1901. sudden squall struck the yAcht
broadside on.
The top mast Of Shamrock II was carrie
away and then its main mast went by n
beard carrying all its sails with II an
leaving the yacht practically a wrec
shamrock ] was also considerably dan
aged. No one was injured on board eth
Of the yachts. but King Edward. who ",
on Shamrock II. had a narrow escape.
Expects 20 Ran Race.
Sir Thomas Upton Informed the corr
spondent Of the Associated Press that
expects to be ready to fulhll his engag
ment on Sandy Hook August 90
The whole thing" said Sir Thomas