Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-25
HISTORIC SCHOONER
To REST ON BEACH

KEY WEST, Fla.-The schooner
Magic, which on August 8, 1870,
in lower. New York bay sue.
cessfully defended the Americas cup
against the British yacht Cambria.
probably will have a final resting
place on the beach or a sand bar in
the harbor here. Old, weather worn
and dismansted, the vessel which
once represented in all her glory the
marine architecture and seamanship
of the Yankee against those of the
Britisher, has been condemned by
her owner as useless after ending
her active days afloat as pilot
boat on the Key West bar.
The Magic in reality was the first
of the modern cup defenders, for
the America, which first won the in<,
ternational trophy, did so on Au-
gust %, 1851, by defeating the Brit
ish yacht Aurora and it was not un-
til nineteen years later that British
yachtmen attempted to take it
home. 1t was in this contest that
the Magic emerged the victor, the
first of nineteen vessels in the race
to cross the finish, defeating her
British challenger by thirty-nine
minutes and twelve seconds. In this
contest the Magic then owned by
Franklin Osgood, Of New York, best
ed the America, Dauntless, Rambler,
FleetWing, Alarm, Widgeon, Silvie,
Idler, Alice, Tidal Wave, Calypso,
Madeline, Phantom and four other
American yachts famous in their
day, all of which were in the race
to outsail the Cambria, the British
entry. At the finish the Cambria
was eighth in actual time and tenth
in order by time allowance.
The Magic was built in Philadel-
phia by T. Byerly & Son in 1857 for
Captain r. F. Lopez, as a sloop and
upon launching was christened the
Madgie. After her first season she
was heightened fifteen feet forward,
the second season twelve feet aft,
her rig at that time being changed
to that of a schooner, and during her
third season she was heightened fiji
teen feet amidship. Before meeting
the Cambria she was rebuilt at City
| Island, n. Y, and when she defeated
the challenger sailed on about sew
enty mine feet waterline, twenty feet
nine inches beam, and six feet three
inches draft She registered 92.2
| tons.
The vessel passed through various
hands before Mr.. Osgood gained pos
session of her She was sold by
Capt. Lopez in 1854 to William j.
McViker, who became commodore
of the New York Yatcht club in 1866,
and it was McVicker who changed
her name from Madgie to Magic.
George Lorillard purchased the yacht
in 1866, kept it one year, then sold it
! to w. H. Gray, who rebuilt the craft
before disposing of it to Osgood in
May, 1870. The vessel was owned
! by many other yachtmen in later
! years, Mr.. Osgood having her on
! two other occasions after disposing
of her to Lester Wallack in 1871.
The Merrill Stevens Shipbuilding
and Drydoclk company, of Jackson
Vile, Fla, purchased the schooner
some years ago from John S. Clarke
& Brother, of Pittsburg, Pa, and
disposed of her to Stephen Lowe, Of
Key West, who Immediately put the
vessel on the bar as pilot boat.
The Magic was dismasted and sunk
in the hrabor here by hurricane
and Lowe raised the hulk. For
many months it has been anchored
in the harbor near the railroad pier
awaiting disposition. Now Mr..
! Lowe has condemned the craft.
Companies preparing to tunnel the
Ohio river are the Cleveland and
Western Coal company, Maher Col