The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-22

still on course to the leeward OF the light
ship. Approaching the latter point it was
found that large fat, employed in the opera
tions Of the sunken wreck, had drifted to the
extent Of it's cable, 30 that its western end was
close upon the bows OF the lightship and not
more than two. boats length to the southwark
of it. To overcome this dilemma without loss
OF time made the situation critical in the ex-
treme. 1t was, apparently, The turning point
OF the race, and it required an extraordinary
command of nerve, skill and judgment to COM
pass the difficulty The Ella Anna, having
stood we'll over towards the shore, had evident
ly determined to sToid all risk Of accident by
going around the ightship, wreck, fiat boat
and all, and made her tack with plenty OF sea
room. The Eleanor, not having 30 con-
trolling a position to windward. made q
virtue of necessity, and pushed bold
ly for the narrow gap between the light
ship and the fat. For even one boat to
attempt such q feat would, under other Cir
cumstances, have been deemed sheer reckless
ness, but the complication which suddenly
followed made the situation doubly dangerous,
and one of great peril. It proved, however,
the cool heads and admirable management OF
the captains who had the yachts in charge.
They knew what they were about. Quick as a
fash and almost as unexpected, the Maggie
Mitchell, which had kept up q sharp stern
chase, and WIS long distance in the rear, un-
der the impetus Of some auspicious flaw, fair
ly leaped over the intervening distance, and
plunged headlong neck and neck with the
Eleanor into the narrow pass. The flood tide
was dashing through it with the velocity Of a
mill race, and there were not three feet to
| spare on either side. The excitement was now
intense, for life itself was in the stake. A
single false movement, a tremor OF nerve
would have precipitated a catastrophe-a
shipwreck. But the leap had been made;
both boats wore in the narrow space;
men held their breath you could have stepped
from one boat to the other. "Look out"
shout dozen voices from the ightship and
fiat, and there was q stir as il to lower away
boats for q rescue. Seconds glide by like
minutes "Steady" is the word. The Maggie
shoots ahead, passing 30 close to the light
ship as to scrape her paint; the Eleanor clears
the fiat by an inch, turns as on pivot, and
her bowsprit sweeps the deck Of the little
Maggie. 'Look out" "Keep offl" "Keep offl
you'll sink us i" shout the crew ofthe Maggie.
"We can't give an inch" was the reply, "but
we won't touch you" In moment more all
was clear. The Ella Anna now came rushing
down (showing how close had been the calcu-
lation of Captain Morse in going his course)
making clean sweep Of all, and accomplish
ing his turn only half length behind the first
yacht. The Unknown followed, but had strain
ed her mast to such degree that it required
the most careful nursing, and hence took po-
sition in the rear.
HoMEwARD BOUND.
The course from the lightship to the Gum
mings' Point buoy was direct and unbroken,
the Eleanor leading by length or two, and
the Maggie Mitchell nearly abeam Of the Ella
Anna. Rounding the buoy and hauling on the
wind, the yachts now made for the White Point
buoy, rounding which the Ella Auna, by reason
of having crept well to windward, took the lead.
The stretch as now for Remley's Point, but
the wind had slackened, although it had not
changed it's quarter, and hence the interest at.
taching to the speed of the yachts was some
what lessened, especially among those on the
steamers, who had seen them under the best
advantages.
On shore, however, the scene was different.
The Battery, the wharves and shipping appear
ed to be perfectly black with people for nearly
tbree-fourths of o milo, and chccr nftor chuor
rang .out as the yachts. with every stitch OF
canvas set-mainsails. square sails. jibs, gaft
topsails and ''ring- -tails"-moved with stately
grace up the river, to enter upon the
final contest for the prize. Following in ir-
regular procession, md dottipg the water like
q great convoy OF white-winged birds, was
every species of craft Of which Charleston can
boast; and the spectacle at this juncture was
one long to be remembered.
The Ella Anna kept in the van to the buoy
of Remleys Point, where, on turning, the
Eleanor again made dash; but the race was
now against wind and tide, and it was evident
at tho outset that the Ella was destined to
bear away the practical honors OF the day.
Hugging the Mount Pleasant shore to keep out
of the tide, making short and frequent tacks,
rapidly she crept away from her competitor,
until, thirty two minutes past four, she made
the stake boat off the Southern wharf, and
rounded to-.
The Maggie Mitchell came in very few min
utes afterwards, the Eleanor and Unknown
both being distsnced It is proper to state,
however, that the former not only lost gaff
topsail by reason of It's being fouled, but run
aground and 80 remained for two minutes and !
ten seconds, while the latter lost her mast.
The following account of the race, from q
standpoint different from that from which the
above description WAS written, will convey IN
admirable idea in brief OF the chief features of
this mcst interesting event, together, with the
decision rendered by Hon. P. G. Gaillard, the
umpire:
AS tue moment for starting approached the
excitement became quietly intense. At five
minutes before one, the warning gun was fired,
and the yachts with their buoys well aft lay
ready for the start. At one precisely the start
ing gun was fired, and before the wreaths of
smoke had circled away from the revenue cut
ter the yachts wero of. The start was an ex-
colent one. In moment the jlbs were sci,
and the four Contestants drew away from The
land. The Maggie was the first TO be fairly