Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-04-18
CUP CHALLENGER IS
CAUGHT IN SQUALL
Shamrock III Happens to Sc
rious Accident.
ONE DROWNED, OTHERS INJURED
Several of Crew Swept overboard-sir
Thomas Upton sustans Injuries.
Main Mast Goes Crashing over the
Deck-Relief Hurried to Yacht.

Weymouth, England, April 17-Si1
Thomas Lipton's new challenger for
the Americas cup was dismasted in a
squall today, shortly after leaving this
spin with the Shamrock Her mast
as it fell over the side carried several
of the crew and all the gear and can
vas overheard. One man was drown
ed and several persons, including Sir
Thomas Upton, who was knocked
down hatchway, were bruised and
otherwise injured.
Maneuvering in Roadstead.
The man who was drowned was a
brother-in-law of Captain Wringe. He
was handing a binocular glass to Sir
Thomas at the time he was swept over
board. One of Sir Thomas hands was
injured, but not seriously. The yachts
were maneuvering in the roadstead
under main sails, jibs, foresails and gaff
top sails prior to the start A strong
northeast breeze was blowing. but
there was nothing in the nature of a
gale. The boats seemed to carry their
sails well as they fetched out from
the shelter of the breal1water, the
Shamrock III leading on a tack out sea-
ward 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 Upton,
Ralsey, the sailmaker, and Colonel
Sharman Crawford, vice commodore
of the Royal Ulster Yacht club, board
ed the challenger which made mag
nificent picture, as under her cloud of
canvass she drove past Nothehead. The
Erin had taken up a position to send
the boats away round a triangular
course, and everything seemed to
promise fine race. The Shamrock
then made a short board on the port
tack, dragging through a heavy squall
with her lee decks awash. About 10: 40
a. m, 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 dlsmantled her. The
weather rigging screws Of her main
shroud and her mast were carried
away close to the deck and with it
went her spars, sails and gearing in
a confused mass of wreckage.
Decks Crowded with Guests.
The yachts decks were crowded
with Sir Thomas Lipton's guests, Of
fcers and men, and it seemed impossi-
BILE that the disaster was not attended
by serious loss of life Deprived of
it's chief support the immense steel
tubular mast swayed for fraction of
a second, crumpled up like a tube of
paper and went overheard, creating
general havoc as it fell 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 the most tire.
mendous weight of the gear fell clear
of the deck as otherwise the disaster
must have been multiplied three-fold.
As it was, only one life was lost,
member of the crew named Collier, a
brother-in-law of Captain Wringe.
Struck by Falling Gear.
Collier at the moment of the acci.
dent was handing 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 of
the boat drowned all other sounds for
the time.
The lull which followed was broken
by a sharp order from Captain Wringe
to get away and aboat The captains
self-pOsse session spurred the crew to in
stant action, and boat was shot over
board manned and started to search
for Collier. Boats were also dropped
from Shamrock l and the Erin, and in
a couple of minutes these were all
heading for the scene of the accident
Collier, however, never reappeared. A
number of others were injured by the
falling gear but none was seriously
hurt. Sir Thomas was knocked down
a hatchway and one Of his hands was
injured, but not seriously. Clearing
away the wreckage was quite diff.
cult task owing to the nature of the
spars ard gear.
Accident Without Warning.
Tho Erin naCCod line m tha u,rnnI