British Whig (Kingston, ON), 7 Nov 1898

p.1 Likely All Drowned - 6 people left Kingsville for Pelee Island, boat capsized, floated ashore at Point Pelee.

p.3

THE AMENDMENTS ADOPTED.

New Rules To Govern L.Y.R.A. Yachts.

Saturday afternoon's session of the lake yacht racing association's annual meeting was held in the parlors of Hotel Frontenac, with all delegates present, including J.E. Burroughs and T.B. Pritchard, Rochester, N.Y., not mentioned in the morning session's report. The association immediately entered upon a discussion of the proposed amendments to the rules. Owan Martin introduced the amendments suggested by the Queen City yacht club, adopted on motion by Mr. Martin, seconded by W.Q. Phillips. They declared that the cruising knockabout class shall have a maximum racing length of twenty-two feet, shall be cabin boats and shall sail without time allowance. All boats built or brought to the lakes after November 5th, 1898, for this class shall in addition to the conditions set forth in the "Table of Scantlings" be subject to the restrictions as to area of midship section, freeboard, beam, overhangs, cabin and sails. The restrictions were mentioned.

Commodore Jarvis submitted the proposed amendments from the Royal Canadian yacht club, which brought forth a vigorous discussion, and which with some alterations and additions were adopted. They were the sailing rules adopted by the yacht racing union of the great lakes at Buffalo, with the addition that a rule providing for time allowance for boats that may be forced out of their classes by the new classification and by reason of their being measured with crews on board. The above classification is as follows: Twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, forty, forty five first class and twenty-two foot knockabouts, all measured, with the exception of the knockabouts, by what is known as the Girth rule, the formula for which is: Length plus beam, plus seventy five per cent of girth, plus one-half square root of sail area divided by two. The draft allowed is from ten to five feet according to class and as to crews one man is allowed to every five feet of racing length or fraction thereof.

Capt. Martin introduced an amendment deprecating the principle of time allowance, but in the case of boats being sent above their present class by the new measurement, they give time allowance, but no time to be allowed among the boats strictly in the class. His amendment was lost, and the first amendment carried, Mr. Martin's being the only opposing vote.

On motion Messrs. Martin, Ambrose and Gray were appointed a committee to prepare a measurement certificate and look over the amended rules before they are printed.

T.B. Pritchard called attention to the fact that the Fisher cup presented to the association had lain uncontested for three years, although the council and a former president had been requested to draft a set of rules under the deed to govern the contests. Mr. Pritchard, E.H. Ambrose and F.M. Gray were appointed to draft out a code of rules to govern contests for the cup, which must be held between boats identified with clubs along Lake Ontario. It was subsequently moved and adopted that the association be authorized to amend the deed, making the minimum class a thirty-five-foot racing class, instead of the thirty-two-foot water line restrictions.

The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Alfred G. Wright, Rochester yacht club; vice-president, F.B. Hower, Buffalo yacht club; secretary-treasurer, F.M. Gray, R.C.Y.C.; council, the above officers with J. Mott, Oswego; E.H. Ambrose, R.H.Y.C.; E.L. Stephens, V.Y.C., Hamilton; Owain Martin, Q.C.Y.C., Toronto; Frank Strange, Kingston.

The delegates to other association meetings were thus selected: To union racing association at Chicago, J.E. Burroughs, Rochester; F.M. Gray, Toronto and J.F. Monk, Hamilton.

To North American union at New York, A. Jarvis.

Rochester was chosen as the next place of meeting. The matter of a rendezvous or circuit racing for next year was left with the council. The delegates were entertained to dinner at the British American hotel after the meeting by some of the members of the Kingston yacht club.

p.4 The Yacht Club Banquet - given to visiting convention delegates.

p.6

Broke His Leg.

At about two o'clock this afternoon an accident occurred in the hold of the schooner Melrose, lying at Richardson & Sons' wharf unloading damaged wheat. The grain was being unloaded in bags. The signal was given to hoist away, and when a sling full of bags were about midway up to the deck the sling slipped, allowing the bags to fall back into the hold. In their descent they struck Joseph Cummings, breaking his leg, the injury being painful. Corbett's ambulance took the sufferer to the general hospital. Cummings used to be engaged as a street car conductor and hails from Wolfe Island.

Donnellys Have the Contract.

The Donnelly Wrecking and Salvage company has been given the contract to raise the steamer Lloyd S. Porter, sunk near Quebec by collision with the steamer Turret Age. John Donnelly jr. is at present at the wreck making preparations for beginning the work of raising the steamship. It is expected a wrecking outfit will be procured at Quebec, although part of the local plant will be used. The task of raising the steamer is a very difficult one.

A Steamer Burned - Midland, Nov. 7th - The Northern Transit company's steamer Northern Bell was burned yesterday morning about 2 miles up Byng Inlet river. The cause of the fire is unknown. All that is known is that it caught somewhere around the boiler. It was only seven minutes from the time the crew saw the smoke until they had to leave the boat. All the crew got off safely. Nothing was saved, not even the men's personal effects.

General Paragraphs - A force of men went today to the relief of the stranded schooner Hector, ashore near Wellington. It was expected that operations tending towards the release of the schooner could be carried on as the weather has moderated and very little sea was rolling.

The tug Bronson arrived today from Montreal with three light barges. She will enter the government dry dock to receive a new wheel.

Capt. John Gaskin is at Wellington directing wrecking operations on the stranded tow barge Hector.

The schooner Melrose is being discharged of her damaged grain at the foot of Princess street.

The tug Thomson cleared today for Montreal with six grain laden barges.

Great quantities of lumber and wreckage from some unknown lake vessel are coming ashore two miles south of Grand Bend harbor.

Nov. 8, 1898

p.2 Incidents of the Day - Capt. Miller, engaged for the past month or six weeks in piloting steamers down to Montreal, have returned to the city and taken command of the steamer America.

The steamer Hamilton is on her last trip of the season. She will lay up at Sorel, Que., to receive extensive repairs.

The schooner Collier is on her way from Napanee to lay up at Belleville.

p.6 Kingstonians Are Interested - Great interest is being taken in Kingston over the challenge received from the Chicago yacht club for the Canada's cup. Yachtsmen who were at the L.Y.R.A. annual meeting at Kingston state that without doubt one yacht will be built there to contest for the honor of being selected as cup defender, and that probably several would be defenders will be built by Kingston men. [Toronto Mail and Empire]