St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-08

English Valkyric.
New YORK, Sept. All sea roads
led 10 the wide Atlantic today. Out be-
yond the Hook. where the blue pillows
flashed into eurving crests like the
names of white horses. great fleet had
gathered to watch race between four
of the sWiftest sea hounds ever un-
lashed on the trail OF the winds. White
salts wheeled and veered, great steam
erS wheeZed and churned the big waves
into clam broth. long, black steam
yachts ana long, white steam yachts,
cat boats, pilot boats. sloops and
Schooners dipped and flOundered around
that grand Old marine tombstone that
marks the wreck of the Scotland. 1t
was the occasion of the first of the series
of trial races to determine which of the
new American SloOps is best fitted to
compete Eith.the English yacht Valkyrie
in the coming international races for
the possession of the American cup.
The course was from an imaginary line
at the Scotland lightship TO and around
float fifteen miles 10 Windward and
GNtuI II. nttiStltHZ III TIC SILL I4u2 BOtul.
1t was long after IL O'Clock when the
signal to start was given. The Vigil
ant was the first to cross the line and
she was closely followed by the Jubilee
and Colonia. These were the only
starters, the Pilgrim having broken the
jaws of her gatf before the start and
withdrawn from the race. i twenty
mile breeze was blowing from the south
east as the yachts started and the sea
was moderately rough. Before start
ing the Colonia had taken down her club
tOpSall and substituted one OF the
ordinary style.
THE VIGiLANT
looked stumpy with her tOpmast down.
but she travelled like Tam O'Shanter
Five minutes after tue start everybody
could be seen pointing at the Jubilee.
Her maiumaSt did not look exactly
right.
"She'S broken the outer block of her
gatf," said an oracle. \ moment later
the Jubilee Swuag slowly around and
started back for New York like Grip
pied pigeon. This left the contest be-
tween the two HerreshofT boats. and it
was evident that the wind and the
weather were too much for the Boston
sIoops.
The Nigilant and COlouia were now
standing of on different tacks. Through
glasses the crews of the two vessels
could be seen ciinging to their slOping
decks like rats. Swiftly the two racers
sheared their way through the topping
seas with the curling bow waves roar
ing out from their quarters in tempeStS
of fOam- The Colonia lay over far more
than the Vigilant and seemed to ham,
ba ,uf 81
ghost. After fifteen minutes or so of
sjarboard work the tall ColOnia wheeled
about in the direction OF the feet of
excursion boats ana came careeuing
down.
she's holding her OWL" said every
body. So she was, for not an apparent
inch had the scissor bowed NigiIant
gained on her. Both were pointing al
most in the eye of the wind, ana were
drawing it as fine as they knew how.
There were DO streaks OF wind or
fluKes about this race. The wind blew
flush across thousand leagues Of sea
as steady
AS CLOCK-WORK.
Both boats sailed independently and
tackled when they liked, but the cOhdi-
tiOns were absolutely the same. All the
sailing craft were left far aStern except
the pilot boat Gerry, which hung like Il
swift hawk on the flank of the racers.
Finally the race became mouotOny of
tackS, and it became apparent that the
VIgilant had burrOwed her way up into
the wind. leaving the C0lOnia a quarter
of mile astern. The stake boat was
finally sighted. and this was where in
terest In the race reached its greatest
height. The Vigilant had set her top
mast and topSaiI some time before stand
ing for the buoy The weather had
fallen thick and foggy, and everybody
had salty taste in mis- mouth. Just be-
fore reaching the buoy, the Vigilant
threw her long spinnaker boom to port.
followed few moments later by the
ColOnia.
Shaving the red flag by few feet, the
Figilant squared away for home and
brought out her great sDinnaker a few
minutes after rounding. The COlonia
| was about five minutes behind. Her
! spinnaker came out faster than that of
the Figilant. Ana so did her enormous
balloon sail. The race home was a
silent, slippery procession. The Colonia
gained gradually on the Vigiiant in the
run home. Inch by inch and foot by
| foot she crept up, and when the finish
| gun was fired she had won by six sec
| Onds. Then her crew threw up their
hats and ranted around like mad men.
! and the great couglomeration of vessels
/ made for their piers.