Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1901 — SHAMROCK II. WRECKED. [ARTICLE]

SHAMROCK II. WRECKED.

K tig K Iward, Aboard tlic Challenger, Has Narrow Escape. England well-nigh lost her King Wednesday in the waters of the treacherous Solent. He was aboard Shamrock 11., the America's cup challenger, when a vicious squall struck her broadside «u, ripped away her sails, tore out her masts and left iter a helpless hulk, tossing on tiie wind-lashed waves. For a time it seemed that she must founder and sink, so heavy was the gale, lint site righted liersolf after each blast and made the harbor at Cowes in the tow of other boats of the Upton fleet. King Edward was on deck when the wind struck the frail little yacht. He was standing amidships when the topmast and the mainmast fell about him nnd the sails swept overboard into the sea. liis escape was miraculous. Longer titan an hour Shamrock was at the mercy of tiie wind and for just that long did King Edward hang over the edge of the world. When the gale was at its height nnd the boat was plunging through the big seas, he threw himself prostrate on the deck, clinging to the stump of the mainmast to save himself from being swept overboard. While the yachts were maneuvering for the start n squall came without the slightest warning, nnd the bowsprit of the challenger was carried away short. The extra strain thus thrown ou the topmast proved too much for the spar. It whipped: broke nnd doubled off to leeward, carrying the whole weight of tho jackyard nnd gear over the side in a terrible tangle. Almost a* the topmast fell the great steel mainmast, weighing more than two tons and-carrying spars and gear weighing ail additional three or four tons, toppled also.