Evening star., 1869-08-09
THE GRAND REGATTA.

ssi Felt in the ace-A Dead Calm Pre-
Nails-The Start.
This morning, at an early hour, the first
movement II preparation for the previously
announced regatta. for ;he parse o! $50, offered
to the fastest boat by Captain George i. Shek-
eli, was announced by signal guns from Poto-
mae Perry wharf, Watts Bay and the Long
Bridge, which was promptly responded 10 by
The unfurliDg of flags all along the front and
the rapid assembling of persons desirous of
with es sing the sport. Soon thereafter the co % +.
Peting yachts casted on from their moorin- -.
and one after another appeared in the stre1 n
with bows directed TO the point OF assembling,
(POtOmac Ferry Wharf,) where. a. each boat
arrived, they took position tor the race. accord
ing 10 the rules which had previously been
adopted, a assigning 10 the smallest beat the first
position TO the windward. and 30 on till the
last and largest boat bad taken Ter place on the
leeward. At half-past nine o'clock the CON-
peting boats had all ranged in lire, and awaited
the eslgnal gun for moving of. The whar yes and
hillsIdes were literally crowded, as well as the
dschs OF the steamer Wawaset which mad been
chartered for the accommodation of parties
wishing 10 witness the beginning and conclu-
sion Of the exhilarating sport, and altogether
the event has proven 10 be, as was anticipated,
one OF the most interesting OF Its character
which has yet taken place in this locality.
Previous to the hour of starting q preliminary
meeting OF the owners and judges OF the boats
was held, when, in view Of the almost dead
calm which prevailed, some slight modifi.
CATIONS were made in the rules as first adopted
AZ TINS meeting 1t was formally announced that
the Philadelphia boat. George NJ Hill entered
by an horIty of Capt. VIM. L. Stewart, WouId
not De IN the race, as she had not vet been sent
for from Philadelphia. The list of boats entered
Were as follows:
Witch of the Wave rs fpes lannth Can,o;,
6uTielgh1 sailing master
CnTisT, as teet, Captain Moffltt, sailing
master.
Dolphin. Navy Yard boat,) 20 feet, Captain
LATHE Ella, 2a feet Captain Tasky, sailing
master
Mary Emily, 20 feet, alexandra boat,) Cap
tain Wesly Davis, sailing master.
Robert L. Lee, 81 feet, alexandra boat)
Captain Lacock, sailing master.
.!,2 Jona II, Sessford, 20 feet, Captain Freddy,
FAIRY, 10 feet, Captain Miller, sailing master.
Nellie, 10 feet, Captain Cumberland sailing
Ne.con-he. con, Is feet. Captain Motfltt, sail.
John T. Given, II feet, Captain Faance.
sailing master.
At 10 O'Clock the stakeholder and Judges
to wit: Mr.. John Il. Sessford, stakeholdei,
and Messrs. Henry Kertz, John H. Sessford,
positions on the stern deck Of the steamer
Wawaset, and gave the signal for the starting
gun, at which time the parties in the variCu'
minutes the boats maintained thsIr respective
positions rs when starting; but ere the &C.
comphshnent Of I've hundred yards,
gained, whereupon rudder sculiing was re-
sorted to, and soon the Nellie, Dolphin, Little
Ella, John T. Given, and FAIRY, took the lead,
leaving ,n ,neir competitors in the rear and al.
Dolphin took the windward OF the Nellie, the
effect OF which was to inspire an increased
spirit Of betting on the former; but this ad van
tase was not maintained long; for the Nellie
was first TO fal, into the wake Of gentle breeze
which filed her sails, and thereupon the skill
OF the sailing masters was brought into play,
and q hn
aged his charge as to show that he was master
OF his work, and able to keep her ahead. At
me halfway tree the yachts commenced
manGuyering Tor position and were in the
ioilowlng order: Nellie first, and Dolphin,
Litt'e Ella, and John T. Given about even,
with the Fairy few yards behind,
ali having struck thes gentle southeast
SO far In the rear as TO leave them out Of
the eompe tition for the prize purse. At eleven
O'clock and on the third stretch the Dolphin
inside position; but in the maintenance of this
she was thwarted, as the helmsman of the
Nellie avaiied himself Of strategic manGavre
ana made the next tack in advance OF
his adversary, thereby regaining ali the
ground which she had lost, and bolster
ing up the momentarily tagging spirits OF
the Nellie's friends. Of the coal wharf at
Alexandria, with the Nellie still ahead, the
Little Ella took the windward OF the Dolphin
which unexpected maneuveT somew hat damp
ened the enthusiasm expressed in favor of the
d., and N corresponding degree elevated the
spirits Of the friends Of the Little Ella, many of
whom expressed willingness to accept some
Osas o. ae oan,ers s %I Wnlsh mad previously been
their eaEtling winning the race. shortly
aitel wards, however, ard whsn opposite the
ferry wharf az Alexandria, the Dolphin re-
gained Aer position, at which time the leading
crafts and most popular contestants were rum
ming IN the same positions AZ when tnev first
struck the breeze, in the following order
Nellie, about one hundred yards ahead: the
Dolphin next; the Little Ella about fifty
YARDS behind. with the John 7. Given press.
ltg her hard astern, and the Fairy scud
thirty yards in the rear. Here for 4 while the
steamer Wawaset having moored at the Alex
andrix wharf, and the attention OF her passen-
gers being diverted IN another direction, a sus.
pension of attention to the progress of the race
-nsued; but after the lapse Of q few min ut
the parties interested, but who were
ssamsp sS ple the usH1s accompany the Chartered
ingtoE and return, assembled on the dec ks
of the Potomac Ferry steamer City Of Alexau.
dfia, and with the aid of strong glasses espied
the little gliding waits rounding the point on
Huntington, at which time the Little Ella had
taken the windward Of all. with the Dolphin
in close pursuit and the Nellie, 1.-THE first time
from the start,) third best. When these obser.
yahons were made the Curlew, X E. Lee
Witch OF the Wave, Ne.con.h con- and Mary
Emily came dashing by the ferry wharf In tn
each other, the PROV Of the Witch driving the
foam even with her deck, and making such
furious surges for the prize Nv aich she ha,
never yet lost) as to raise q cheer from her
friends on the deck of the ferry steamer and
10 cause response from the yachts crew that
they yet hoped 10 win the race. The Jonn H.
Sessford had before this drawn out OF the race
and was far behind.
The betting mp TO this point was quite spir.
tied, with odds in favor OF the little Ella against
the fleet; Dolphin next in popularity, and toe
many friends OF the John +. Given still will.
ing TO wager their pile on their favorite The
wind, at the close Of our report, was still blow.
ing gently from the southeast, with a fair pros.
pect of an increase the return stretch
IhaI the winning boat IS embraced in
the hrst fiye mentioned as ahead above
there can be no question, but TO predict
winch will be the winner is above our ken, and
we therefore await the close before haZardinp
an expression. In addition 10 the original
purse OF $50. offered by Captain Sheksll. a
handsome pendant flag has been offered by
Captain Sam. Gedney for the second best boat
This premium was flying at the masthead of
the Potomac Ferry steamer City OF Alexandria
during her passage to and forth To-day
AN APPEAL HoR AID.-Mrs. J. s. GrifiuR
agent OF the National Freedmen's Relief a. So
eiatlon or the District OF Columbia, il out in
another appeal to the charitable for aid tor the
support OF the colered paupers who have been
tnrown upon this community. According to
Mrs. Grlfhng's statement, since April list $50
families nave been monthly the recipients of
CHARITY. This support, It is stated. has been
given IN part out Of Congressional appropria
lions made last winter, ana in part out of con-
u.butlons from the North and East She sava