The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-17
Several Of the Crew, Gear and
Canvas Overheard.
ONE SAILOR DROWNED.
Sir Thomas Himself Knocked
Down Hatchway.
The Two ShamrOcks Preparing
for a Trial Spin.
A Sudden Gust of Wind Out of
Weymouth Bay.

Weymouth, England, April ISL
Thomas Lipton's new challenger for the
Americas cup was dismasted IN "a.
squall today. shortly after leaving this
harbor preparatory to another trial
spin with the Shamrock T. Her mast as
1t fell over the side carried several of
overheard. One man was drowned,
and several persons, including Sir
Thomas, who was knocked down
hatchWay, were bruised or otherwise i'll
jured 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
roacstead under mainsails. jibs. fore
sails and gaff topsails prior to the start.
A strong northeast breeze was blowing
but there was nothing in the nature of
q gale. The boats seemed to carry their
racing sails well as they fetched out
from the shelter of the breakwater. the
Shamrock III leading on tack out
seward, 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
Ratsey, the sailmaker. and Colonel
Crawford. vice commodore Of the Royal
Ulster Yacht club, boarded the chal~
lenger. which made magnificent pic
ture as under her cloud of canvas she
drove past Nothead- The Erin had ia
ken up position to send the boats
away round triangular course. and
everything seemed to promise a fine
race The Shamrock III then made Il
short board on the port tack. dragging
through heavy squat with her lee
decks awash- AT about 1910 a. M
when nearly mile off shore. she went
on starboard tack to stand up TO cross
the Inc. when sudden gust of wind
sweeping out of Weymouth bay struck
the yaeht and completely dismantled
her: The weather rigging screws Of her
main Shrouds and her mast carried
away close to the deck. and with il
Went Ser sDars, sails and gearing in a
confused mass OF Wreckage.
Inc yacht decks We're crowded with
Sir IhomaS Lipton's guests. officers and
men and il seemed Impossible that the
disaster was not attended by serious
loss of life. Deprived of its chief sup
port the immense steel. tubular mast
sWayed for a fraction of a second
crumbled up like 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 realized what had hap
pened. Fortunately most of the ire
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. that
of a member of the crew named Collier.
The rattle of blocks and wire ropes on
the metal deck of the boat drowned all
ether sounds for the time. The lul
which followed was broken by a sharp
order from Captain Wringe to get away
boat The captains elf-possession
spurred the crew to action and a boat
was manned and started to search for
/ Collier Boats were also dropped from
the Shamrock I and Erin, and in a
couple of minutes these all were head
ing for the scene of the accident Col
/ lier however, never reappeared. A
number Of others were injured by fall
/ ing gear but none seriously Sir Thorn
as was knocked down a hatchway and
one of his hands was injured, but not
seriously
Clearing away the wreckage was quite
difficult task owing to the nature Of
the spars and gear
The Erin passed line to the wrecked
yacht and stood by to give all the aid
I necessary. Sir Thomas, who was ex-
4 tremely distressed by the fatality and
the injury to the yacht, said that the
accident occurred absolutely without
warning and much quicker than when
/ the Shamrock III. was similarly dis
mantled in the Solent.
The hull of the Shamrock III was not
damage The mast when it went over
/ board 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
heavier. owing to the water on it. the