New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-10
accepted it. aud it was probable that he would not
MANY DIsGUSTED sIGHTSEERS.
THE EXCURSION BOATS EXPERIENCE PLENTY


FOG AND RAIN
The ,arsans Of nasty weather for yacht racing had
their inning yesterday and would do well to take an
extreme for the rest of the yachting season.
SO, at least, thought every one of 1900 or o,OOo
belaed sghseers who had gone down to the In tho
fog yesterday morning take part In the Msyhowers
final yictory and who had to steal home in the dark
ness, wet, hungry and disappointed The conditions
for racing fizzo were almost perfect dead sea,
rain, fog and light wind which dicd away capri
ciousy just when 1t ought to have blown the hardest
All there of the over In ten minutes Inc
rest dreary procession which the thickenng fog
put end TO before the hallway point was reached,
and then the dsgusted excursion boats made for home
as fast unfavoratle elements would allow.
In spite of the lowering weather the Taurus carried
nearly twice as many people down to the Scotland
Lightship as 1t had taken the inner course on
Tuesday. The captains and commodores of the New
York Yacht Club out in smaller force, however,
mindful of the terrors outside had dotted their uni
forms in expectation of trouble. Their places we're
taken by many gayly dressed ladies and host OF men
whom the fashionable sport had brought back within
the last week from Newport and Bar Harbor Betting
among them was dull, the only thing offering fair
chance being the time by which the Boston sloop
would WIN.
The Upper Bay was shrouded in fog as the Taurus
finished Goddess on Bedlow's Island hidden out Of
sight by thick veil of mist. The tangled forest OF
masts over by Bay Ridge had disappeared and every
sign of Tuesdays hustle and animation was gone. Inc
Mayower and Galatea had taken tugs and had passed
already through the Narrows, and behind them was
narrow string of excursion boats all hurrying toward
the starting point OF the impending race
Once through the Narrows the fog lifted little and
from there on to the Scotland Lightshp the gathering
feet OF yachts and steamers made pretty sight Inc
more striking features OF tuesdays spectacle,
of course absent. The water dull and heavy
and when the fine rain stopped falling, the clouds
seemed to bank up against tho whole circle OF the
horizon. The graceful sailing yachts with their fresh
hnlls and sails, had not vcntured out on the long
tedious beat to windward. The big excursion boats.
however, side wheeers and all, were backer than ever
with excited passengers. The Iron Steamboat Com
pany bad sent besides the Taurus, the Cepheus. the
Sirius, and the C,ygnus, all more heavily
allowed. The Grand Republic and the Columbia were
as crowded and the big ocean steamer OF the
Old Dominion Line. tue Breakwater, with its high
shrouds The John Lenox, of the Starn Line the Bay
whole course while the John Sylvester stopped at the
lightsh and waited for tie finish alone few OF tie
dgnifed yachts followed the racers, among
them Jay Goulds Ataanta the Permeia, Oneida,
Tillie Hanniel and Ocean Gem. The United States
revenue cutter Grant flew the customs nag ana
brought up the rear with the harbor police boat
Patrol A dozen or two OF tugs, most OF them char'
tered by parties of NewYorkers or BostoniaDs, were
on hand as usual with their elaborate bunting and
noisy steam whistles.
By IL o'clock the whole feet had gathered about
the Scotland Lightshp. The slOOp and cutter were
cast loose and for nearly twenty minutes the man
oeuvrng fo, position went on. Finally both boats
caught the wind from the right direction and swung
gracefully over the imaginary starting line. Both had
the sails and only the Mayhowers pot-eadlnS
and the Galateas crimson line seemed to distinguish
them for o minute. But hardly the first short
tack when the MayfOwer drew easily ahead
Another stern chase was inevitable.
Beating to windward is slow work and the heavily
weighted sde-wheelers had to kill time by cruising
around iii all directions The wind was tresher now
ham har hpfn
both the boats plunged good deal and sometimes
seemed to ship water The May got the better
of it, however the cutters big bow going under the
waves and then till its band of red sank out OF
| sight. The MayhOwer soon standing away on one
tack aud the Galaea another The lam kept falling
and the fog gathered in, and from halfpast IL on TIL
| the Engishman disappeared entirely it was almost
impossible to see both the soop and cutter at once
The Gaatea tackled tar to the south. followed by one
scattered too but the bulk OF the feet kept making
after the Mayower for the turningbuoy still Tar out
OF sight
termnable The buoy at least. if not the Americas
Challenge Cup was apparently on Its way toward the
British Isles. At last it sighted, bobbmg IN the
waves and floating from it were the Stars and Stripes
The Mayhower took squirt and rounded II LII the last
approaching dusk. All the whistles blew Tor minute
and the small brass pieces fired. Once around
the soop seemed to stick in the heavy water her sas
happed and her newlyset spiDnaker dipped over into
the sea The breeze gone and tor the first time the
spectators lost hope OF finishing the race The Taurus
and two tugs drfed about the buoy tor thirty minutes
longer waiting for some sign OF the Galatea which
had disappeared far to the southeast in the fog IL
grew dai ker and darker and the rain fell dreary AT
length the Taurus started back for the lighship the
buoy and tugs fading ont in the rain and mist.
The Galatea sighted again half way back and the
MayHower was passed with her spnnaker taken in
again and her other drawing loosely III hall
wind The Scotland Lightship was reached about
half-past and whistling in concert by the tugs
living there half hour later seemed to indicate that
the Mayfower had at last got over the course
The Jog meantime OF Sandy Hook had become
exceedingly Dense The steamers kept their bells aud
whistles going constantly and under but halt head
of steam The Scotland Light could be seen only
few hundred feet away aud the Sandy Hook lights
were quite obscured The yachts fell tar to the rear
and left the big excursion boats 10 pick their way
carefully through the Sandy Hook passes and then
again through the Narrows. Collisions were threat
ened several times and the first boat did not reach
New York till nearly o'clock
The tugs at the turning buoy did not wait long on
Lieutenant HEM. He must have sailed for the Ber-
mudasn said one of the New York Yacht CLUBS com
modores So we'd better pull up stakes and 90
home" And with that the buoy was lifted and the
Luckenb bach and her sister tug steamed painfully after
the vanishing Taurus. They got in safely, and most
OF tho excursion beats turned up before midnight but
the twelve hours wettng, the delay and the dangers
OF the night and fog have made many of yesterdays
yachtsmen converts to racing dry land and to-mor
rows bulletins will probably furnish all OF that sort OF
excitement that they banker after.