New-York tribune., 1885-09-15
CROWDS ABOUT THE NARRows.

VIEWING THE RACE FROM FORTS wADswoRrH AND
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ar THE END.
The sky above Fort Wadsworth. on Staten
Island, looked upon spirited scene at 1880 M yes
terday. Down upon tho bay swarm OF moths
wngng over the surface lying idly at rest on both
shores fes black and seeming to stick to imag
nary sheets of paper. The moths white winged
yachts the flies human beings The former swept through
the Narrows out upon the bay; the latter poured
along the water batteries and traverses filing full the
gacs The stream Of people began coming In the morn
ing 1t had not ceased at the finish OF the race There
several thousand specaorsn the morning on each
side OF the Narrows and in the afternoon argeminded
persons estimated that there 10000 the Fort
Hamilton side and 10000 about Fort Wadsworth There
was a woman to nearly every man. The women who had
babies to bring, brought them the men carried field
glasses and cigars 1t was thoroughly cosmopolitan
crowd-bg, puffy Germans Of both sexes; slim
Frenchmen, check-suited, one-glassed Englshmen'
sunny-hsred swedes, nighthued citizens and noisy
Americans. And 1t was great. good-natured crowd
crowd whose members acc0sted each other familarly
If all had been bosom friends for life; crowd that
sat cannons, the grass, the bouders Of the
beach, the wooden steps leading to the banquete,
on the fence guarding the trench and the incline OF
the parapet stood up the massive and aged tim
bers the grass plots that particularly pro-
tected by signs.
High above the heads OF the crowd stood the plane
table house on the parapet The yachts just
ing the line the when uniformed officer placed
In front OF the house tripod which was mounted
long telescope. He glanced through the glass, but
shook his head at the young ladies standing
near him the Puritan was just off Dix Island
best with the naked eye. 1t was
after o'clock before he again adjusted the focus. The
Puritan was then leading away from Bnoy NO ~
toward No. sig, the Genesta two miles astern You
racing topsa above the threemaster tack
ing out" he said 10 the young ladies' IL you VIII
swing the telescope around you can almost distinguish
fhe smiles the the tOneV Island tower ana
the men IN the elephant There are forms In the cupda
signs OF lie on the point of sandy Hook" There were
banks Of haze further out they shifted positions now
ana then and began TO play strange antics with the
competing craft The Puritan seemed to pass the Scot
land light; then her great topsail was hung on the
smOkestack OF ocean steamer then II changed into
the wing OF an albaIross OF haze mixed up
racers, steamers and accompanying yachts IN hopeless
tangle Of dim outlines aud mOcking shadows. Ihe
officer sat down with his feet the incline. The
young ladies vigorously waved hand dpanted fans under
crowd beat restie.sly and FRO soldiers paced along
the ramparts. newcomers hastened TO points OF
vantage, dead swells struck against the rocky
beach with muiled sounds. By-and-bye
out Of the haze came shadows reconvered Into tangible
forms white baloonJiD showed against "a dark main
sail crowned by darker topsoil-the Puritan was max
the homestecb and showing white and dark outlines
In the sunlight There was no need Tor tine telescope
the officer turned It vertically In Its circle. face
down. Then great eagle flew the bay the
sakebOat but he suddenly changed his course, for d
recty beneath came fash aud the roar % small gun
The Puritan aud the eagle crossed the line at the same
time. America had won the race.
The which had been still and silent in the In
and sOphOmOres having cane rusn Oh the campus
when the result assured. IL wild the gae
throwing up hats waving handkerchefs and screeching
itself Then IL rushed along the traverses and
water baiteTes and broke down through the roadway
still shouting Part OF IL camed and tdrned back To
the Ccnes "A make the line and then the entire throng
took possession o the street the express Wagons
the hacks-anythng that would carry return
ing visitors for compensation. The ferryboats
went away loaded 10 the waters edge.
Among those who witnessed she race from the plane
table house were the officers OF the post with few
friends armed with telescopes and Held glasses. Among
Mrs. Cl0ssen, the Missed COsHen,
Lieutenant Whistler acting commander OF the battery
in the absence Captain Van Ricd Mrs. Whistler, DR..
Harvard Lieutenant Babbitt, Professor and Mrs. John
son, Mrs. Edward T. Brown, Miss Agnes Brown. Miss
Ncnuls Miss Perkins Mrs. Nichols aud Mrs. Herter.