The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03
PAIR OF CUP YACHTS
SENT TO JUNK HEAP
Columbia. Twice Defender Of
Trophy. and Defiance Are
Sold for Old Metal.
LATTER A GREAT FAILURE

The passing OF the year 1914 also saw
the end OF two yachts built for Amer'oa's
Cup honors One made a remarkable
record. tho other. built as = possible de-
fender was failure The best known
OF the two is tho Columbia, which sue
cessfully defended tho cup IN 1899
against the Shamrock I. and again In
1901. In the latter year she defeated
the Constitution in the trail and prel-
minary races. and defended the cup, by
defeating the Shamrock II. This was
after tho closest series OF races ever
sailed for the cup The other yacht TO
be broken UP Is tho Defiance. built last
spring by the Bath Iron Works for
syndicate OF yachtsmen representing New
York Boston and Philadelphia and for
that reason generally called the Tri-city
yacht
These two yachts have been sold for
old metal, The Columbia, which has been
at City Island since tho trial races OF
1908. has 90 tons OF lead on her keel.
and is plated with bronze on steel web
frames so that she Is worth a fair price
for old metal Lead sells for $50 ton
when in lump as or the kneol OF a
yacht. The late j. P!elpont Morgan was
one OF the syndicate 70 build tho Column
bia, and after sho had defeated the
| Shamrock l. Mr.. Morgan became her
sole owner G. oliver Iselin had charge
OF the Columbia IN her first year. and
| W. Butler Duncan Jr had charge OF the
defender which was the tran boat. In
| 1901 when the Shamrock IL came here
| former Commodore +. d. Morgan had
charge OF the Columbia and Charles Barr
was her sailing master. w. Butler Duncan
had charge OF the new yacht the Constitu-
ton, built for syndicate headed by
| August Belmont and Urlas Rhodes was
her skipper. These two yachts were evenly
| matched and as Columbia made "a
more consistent record she was selected
to defend the cup,
Tho first race for the cup was won hy
! the Columbia by min. 20 sec, the sec
ond race over the triangular course by
/ Columbia by min. 35 sec, and the third
race IN which Shamrock II. finished first,
was won by Columbia by II sec. az
| Shamrock had to allow 43 sec. In thirty
! miles,
The Columbia was used as trial yacht
| when the Alliance was built, and In tho
| races that year she showed again that
she was a better yacht than the Con-
| stitution.
The Defiance was a failure from the
start She had the easiest form OF the
| three defenders built last year. the small
est lateral plane, and yet her designer
tried TO make her carry the largest sail
spread. She was 80 much over canvassed
that before she had taken part in race
her sail plan had 20 be cut down. Later
this was stu further reduced She was
tender and weak, 30 that those In charge
| we're afraid of her. Finally. II was an
| nounced that her mast step had so weak
| ened that she might lose her mast at any
time, and she was withdrawn from racing.
T.. Walter Clark OF Philadelphia was the
largest subscriber TO the syndicate which
was capitalized at $4,000, and at tho
end OF the season he purchased the other
interests in the yacht After thorough
examination IL was decided that nothing
could be done to the vessel, which was
structurally weak. and she was sold for
Junk Some of the spars and fittings are
TO be used on the Istalena, which In now
being changed into a schooner, and the
lead will be cut UP and sold The hull Is
worthless except for the little value OF
the steel frames and the thin mahogany
Veneers used as planking She had sew
enty tons OF lead
The Defiance cost $4,000 to build
Her two suits Of sails cost about $4,000
each, and when rugged she probably cost
the syndicate about $4,000 Mainten.
: anco during the year increased this cost
TO about $1,000 and she has been sold
for about ten per cent. OF her Original
cost