Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-16
Yacht America to
Have Honor Berth in
Severn at Annapolis


Severn at Annapolis
New York, May. 14-Thousands of
yachtsmen in the eastern part of the
United States will have the oppor-
tunity within the next few months Of
treading the deck. of the famous
schooner yacht America as she makes
her last voyage from Boston to a
permanent mcoring in the placid wa
tiers of the Severn River at Annapolis,
where she will take her place once
more as one of the government yes
sells attached to the Naval Academy
after an absence of 48 years.
AS the yacht will call at nearly all
the yachting centers on the way
south, it viii be possible for more
persons to view and personally in
spect the winner of the Royal Yacht
Squadron Cup, which now bears her
name, and is regarded as the Blue
Ribbon trophy of the yachting world,
than ever before in her remarkable
career.
This opportunity is made possible
through the courtesy of her owner,
Charles H. w. Foster, of Boston. who
through the Eastern Yacht Club, of
which he is one of the oldest mem
bers, offered to restore the boat to the
government The offer has been ac-
cepted by Secretary DENLY, with the
stipulation that instead of the Navy
Department accepting the boat as a
gift, it shall be permitted to buy the
a,1 Co., - ID
lar. The law prohibits the govern
ment from accepting personal service
without remuneration or acquiring
property except by purchase or cap
ture.
Even in case of capture, the prop
erty has to go through what is known
as a prize court in order that the
claims under the admiralty law of
the persons who in any respect par
ticipated in it, may be rewarded. Sin
gularly enough the America has been
through a prize court, but in that
case, the crew of the United States
warship Ottawa which captured and
raised her from the bottom of the ST
Johns River, in 1862 after she had
been scuttled by the conferedates
waived their claim for prize money
to Annapolis as a training vessel for
the cadets.
After nearly year on the blockade
off Charleston, during which she
made several captures unaided, the
yacht which had been renamed by the
Confederates, but which had been
changed back to America, appeared
at the Naval Academy, and for 10
years was in more or less active
service. She was fitted out for the
pursuit of Confederate privateers,
engaged in the summer manoeuvers
of the Academy fleet after the war,
and finally in 1870 participated in the
first race here for the cup which she
had won 10 years before off the Isle
of Wight, England.
In the early races for the Amer
ica's Cup in American waters. the
challenger was forced to sail against
a fleet of defenders, and the Amer
lea which had been fitted out as a
yacht by the Navy Department at an
expense of several thousand dollars
was entered in the race by a MEM
Der of the New York Yacht Club
The America was fourth boat at the
finish line, but the challenger Cam
bria was more than 10 minutes
astern.
Three years later, the America
passed into private hands and from
1873 to 1917 she was owned by Gen
Benjamin F. Butler of Lowell, Mass,
and his heirs, being sailed in later
years by Gen. Buffers son, Paul
Butler and his grandson Gen. Butler
Ames.
In 1880 by Gen. Buffers direction
the America was practically rebuilt
She originally had a short stern
something like the present New York
Yacht Club 50-footers, and when she
won the cup the stern was embel-
lished with a spread eagle in gilt
This emblem is now in the trophy
room of the New York Yacht Club
The only part of the original Amer
lea at present intact is her foremost
splendid stick of clear white pine
Except for the stern however, the
America today is exactly the same
boat as far as her model is concerned
as when she was launched 20 year.
ago, just as the Constitution is just.
ly regarded as the same boat which
defeated the Macedonian, although
all that remains Of the original Ole
Ironsides is her port gangway ant
one of her bits.
The America was last under sal
in 1901. when she appeared in thu
Sandy Hook horse shoe and anchor
ed between Shamrock II and Colum
bia while those boats were partici
pating in the 18th series for the cup
She was inspected at the time BY
Sir Thomas Upton and several mem.
bers Of the New York Yacht Club
including s. Nicholson Kane, tn,
chairman of the regatta commute,
in charge of the races, who com
manded the America for a few
months while he was a cadet at tn
Naval Academy
Gen. Butler Ames placed her on
Of commission in the fall Of 1901 an,
for 10 years she lay in the dark
sluggish waters Of Chelsea Creek II
Boston. In 1911 she was shifte<
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