The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-25
WON A 15,OOO-MILE RACE.
TIE CLIPPER SHIP REAPER Nv AND
THE WESTERN BELLE OUT OF 1T

THE CLIPPER SHIP REAPER Nv AND
THE TESTERN BELLE OUT OF 1T
Tho Beno Got 20 Pitcairn Island First from
Oregon ana Was in Too Great n Hurry
TO Be Polite to the An,inble Nntives-The
Reaper Traded tho News OF tho World
for tho News OF that Odd Corner. and
Came Home Air. Boiling md n Winner.
The first question that Capt. William Taylor
OF the Yankee clipper shin Reaper asked when
he got into Quarantine on SUNDAY night was:
Has the Western Belle arrivedf" He had a
personal and financial interest in the answer
for tho Reaper and tho Western Belle had left
Astoria. Or. only twelve hours apart for n race
OF $4,000 miles around the Horn to this port
and each confident skipper had put up $1,000
on the result. When Capt. Taylor heard that
the Western Belle had not been reported he
executed hornpipe step and chuckle.
Tho Western Belle is bark and is not ms
big as the Reaper by nearly 400 tons: but she
has, in proportion to her displacement, n
larger spread OF canvas. and has a reputation
as flyer. She was the favorite among ship
ping men when she sailed from Astoria on the
morning OF June 81. for New York. The
Reaper had got of twelve hours ahead OF her
on tho night before. Both are Dath-built craft
OF the clipper variety. They are sharp and
lean. and carry stu'n's sails. Just like tho grey
hounds that made the record trips around the
Horn before the war" Capt. Taylor told his
story OF the race yesterday at the Office OF
Dearborn 4 Co.
Tho Reaper encountered laffling winds and
Gains. with an occasional squall. until she
found herself thirty nine days after she
slipped away from Astoria. OF Pitcairn Island
in the South Pacific. In one OF the squalls the
Reaper's jumper had parted. and her jibboom
was carried away. A spare spar was made to
serve as iibboom. 1t took two days to CON-
plete tho repairs. and. although the ship kept
on her course under shortened sail. she lost
nearly hall O day.
As she approached Pitcairn Island. eight
stalwart descendants Of the mutineers OF the
British ship Bounty rowed out toward the
Yankee clipper. Capt. Taylor didn't have
much time to spare. 80 he did not drop anchor.
But he was anxious to sec and talk to the
happy islanders. whom he had never seen be-
fore. SO he hove to and let the eight oarsmen
come alongside and board the ship.
Their whaeboat was piled high with BAN
anas. oranges. lemons. pineapples. and cocoa
nuts They said they were out to offer the
load to he WouS te as
them something in exchange. They said they
wanted nothing except news OF the world be-
yope hem Die Of %eseln Tned ssates
newspapers about a yard high.
the natives alive had seen anything Of the Western
seemed to be in great hurry, They had spied
fore Just above the horizon and had rowed out
to meet her with a boat load OF fruit. Capt:
shouted to the islanders: Have you seen the
ship Reaper pass this wayE
The sHd they hSdn and the
ment squared away and stood on her course.
much 70 the disgust and amazement Of tho
some news out q her about the present state
ofthlngs on earth; ~ ,.,.s ,u,,.
hn se sn nrs ssi
few DEATHS Deaths On the island within the twelve
they smiled when the skipper offered money
to them. saying they had no use for It: They
oshnr no sxeepe TSey said
body on the island used tobacco or LIQUOR. and
.hsy didn't see why other folks were found Of
After hearing that the Western Relle was
nearly day ahead Of him i'm, Cent TAYLOR began
hs shp ana shs glory the
bark into New York., He told the Islanders
hs weud to
catch up. Remembering the treatment they
had received from the bark. the Islanders Joy
aboard the clipper Capt; TAYLOR wrote a letter
Western Belle had beaten him to Pitcairn Isl:
and nearly a day, but that he thought he would
9yertake her betors he got into the Atlapt TIC
fish war ship anchored off the island; and it
found it's way to Valparaiso and finally to As
spTna OF the racers OF p fsMnd ana
the shipping world knew ten days ago that the
" TSs s sSs sa tod Gap Taylor that Yam
kee schoolmaster had settled amo ng them and
married a native woman. There were also an
American clergyman and his wife on the
Every stitch OF the Reapers canvas was
her as she bounded to the southwark. They
duck above egs Shs carried
Yards. increasing her ordinary spread by 800
night. or she may have Glided by her In the
SssSw pis s@ The h.. Hh Of shy o
Win VII on the. voyage was The, sritlsh ron saip
twelve days the Brton held her own with the
w"9dsn Sirgsr Then the Bryce
Of the new-inshlonod sort. equipped with only
plain sail, and the stu'nsails OF the Reaper
We're t2G mucn '1 th hf alter leaTlnG fne
vessels.
Capt. Taylor said that the philanthropio
Pitcairn islanders wanted him to notify the
shipping world that they had dug a well CIV
ing excellent fresh water. on Demo Island. fifty
miles mort Invest Of Pitcairn Island.
last year. and the crew suffered much because
OF the lack Of water. They were d scovered by
some Pitcairn Islanders who Ind rowed over
they might find shipwrecke ed folks on Demo.
The British crew were taken to Pitcairn and
later boats crew OF Pitcairn mon went over
to Demo and dug the well for the benefit OF
crews that may be castaway there and for
ships in need Of supply OF fresh water.
Can't. Taylor 10 anxious to hear from Capt.
Mcintosh Of the Western Belle.