Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-22
rHR GA1aTEAs cHAL1ENGE.
The English Cutters second Visit to
This Country

1ne EnEi1hh cutter second VISIT
This Country.
From she Eer YORK Times
Some prophetic person having penne
and published a speculation to the elfec
that the English cutter Galatea, whicl
has challenged for the Americas Cup,
not after all coming over to contend for it
the suggestion has been accorded yer,
general oredeuce, and it now passes cur
rent for something very like popular i'm
preston. The fact that the committe,
appointed by The New York Yacht cub
TO arrange the details of the match has
not yet received a reply from lie GAIA
teas owner, Lieut.. II nm, tits commuhi-
cation acQuanting him with the terms
offered, is cited already as evidence that
the Euglisnmau does uo' intend 10 come.
The truth is that sufficient time has not
vet elapsed for a reply to reach the COM
inittee. tits hardly more than iour weeks
since the communication was mailed 10
Lieut.. Hem Allowing reasonable
time for the consideration be would nat
urally want 10 give the matter and Tor the
DELAYS incident To the transmission OF the
mails, hIs reply could not wei nave been
expccted before now, nor viii it be surpris-
mgit ia does not come 20 hand during the
current week.
There is no shadow Of reason for doubt
ingthat the Galatp8 viii come. On the
contrary. private letters recently re-
beved from England by yachtsmen in
this city render IL certain not only that she
will come, but that the preparations for
her leaving England are already in ac-
tive progress. Among those wto talked
with MIR. Beaver W ebb before he returned
to England after the Puritan-Geuesta
rae So tall, there never has been mo-
ment's doubt of.the Galatea's coming. On
the night before be sailed for England he
spent several hours in lbe rooms Of the
New York Yacht Club, and cOnVersed
very freely on the subject OF the Galatea's
proposed visit. Some one having asked
him whether, 10 view OF the Genesta's de-
fear, the G2latea would come, he replied
without any besiJation:
"Oh the Gaatea will come. Lieut.. HEM
may not expect to take the cup, but, hav-
ing challenged for il, he is too much OF a
sportsman not to bring his boat over and
make the attempt to take it,. He viii come
out and have a good time, whether he eX-
poets to take the cup or mott
He added that Lieut.. HEM was "a Jolly
good fellow and most excellent COM
pany. Dir. Beaver Webb, though re-
served with strangers, is not bad company
himself when feeling at ease with those
about him. On t5is occasion the cOndi-
tons were favorable to cOngeniality, for
abundant precaution had been taken to
Keep the conversation from getting dry.
After momentary pause he told the fol-
lowing anecdote;
"rhere is an aged English yacbtsman
who is an authority on all matters per-
tanning to yachts and yachting. Meeting
him one day after the Genesta and Gala
tea bad challenged for thecup. he said:
"'Webb, YOU fellows are fools to have
challenged for the Americas Cup
"HOw SO 2 said 1.
"'Because you'H never get it,
"'We ell, III lay you a ten-pound note
chat we can beat anything they have
anOat to-day
THAT may be- said the old man, 'but
that is not enough. A great many years
ago the English had a frigate That beat
every thing on the seas. Yet the Yankees
went 10 work and built man-of-war that
beat the English irigate. And now, al
though you may be able to Outsail any
yacht they have afOat, they'll 90 to work
and build yacht that will beat you when
you get there"
1t was on the day after the arrival Of the
6enesta at Newport, where the feet of the
New York Yacht Club was temporarily
staying during the cruise Of last August,
that the great race between the Puritan
aud Priscilla took place over the triangu-
lar ocean course from BrentOn's Reef 10
Lightshps. sir Richard Sutton was in at
the time with carbuncle on the back of
bis neck, and so could not go to see the
race, but Capt. Carter. Of the Genesta, ac-
ceptd an invitation from Acting Commo-
Gore Douglas TO witness the race from
the deck OF the flagship Polynia. Capt
Garter stood upon the bridge from
the start to the finish. IL was a windy
day, with a tumblng, spitelul sea- The
AZ eI q trn
tremely anxious to discover Carter opin-
Jon OF the Puritan, and they Piled him
with questions from time to time to that
end, and the only answer they could get
from the wary ScOtcbman was that she
was "a bOnny boat" This, of course, did
not satisfy the yachtsmeu, and after the
return 10 Newport some one suggested to
Commodore Douglas to send aboard the
Genesta ana see how they felt. The ennis
sary found Sir Richard sutton, MIR. Will
lam Levings, Dir. BeavOr-W ebb, and Capt.
Carter seated in solemn conclaVe around
the table In the saloon. but he failed to get
any information about the conference,
though be rightly surmised that it con-
cerned the merits OF tee Puritan.
These circumstance were recalled to
Mr.. BeaV0r- Webb's attention on this even
Ing by ON the gentlemen present and
be was 70 tell what Carter had said
on his Dc rom the race.
"W ell. answered Mr. Beaver Webb
with quiet smile, 81 will tell YOU. We
were as anxious as you 20 ascertain what
Carter thought OF the Boston boat. and 80
when dinner was over we called him into
the CABIN 10 tell us about the race. His
nrst remark was that he wished the tree
that furnished the wood 20 build that boat
had never been grown From that time"
continued Mr.. BeavOr-Webb, "we had
very little doubt how the match would re-
suit II the Puritan were chosen to defend
the cup, unless some happy accident
should turn the scale i'm our favor"
SUI be expressed a decided preference
Tor the Friscalla over the Puritan, and
said thar # be were allowed 10 spend
about $1,000 IN making needed alterations
on the Priscilla he would Law a heavy
wager that she would beat the Puritan.