Evening journal., 1893-09-09
PILGRIM LED OFF TO-DAY
The Greatest of All Races
sNow Being Finished.
PILGRIM FLOPs BACK BUT sPURTs

Latest Dispatches Received at 2 O'Clock
show That the Preliminary Contests OF
American Yachts To-day Was Bril-
liant Exhibition and Test OF American
Skill and Mechanism.
NEW YORK, Sept. 9.-The interest in
the vessels built to defend the Americas
Cup is increasing if that is possible.
The New York Yacht Club has not been
visited by so many members in months
as were seen there yesterday, and all
seemed to be Of an inquiring turn Of
mind. They wanted to know what the
Cup Committee had found out by Thurs.
days race. and were very anxious to as
certain whether General Paine's boat
would be ready to day, while they sym
pathize with the Pilgrims people be.
cause of their bad luck.
Little information could be obtained at
the clubs headquarters, although mem
bers of both the Americas CupSand Re
gatta committees were present at the
time. None of these officials could con-
scientiously say anything about the cup
candidates because nothing has been
proven.
True, the weather conditions Of Thurs
day were the best that could have been
had to test the boats, but the unfortu-
nate withdrawal of the Jubilee and Pill
grim left the old opponents-the Colonis
and vigilsnt-to fght it out, and the
closeness of their race was calculated to
bother the committee only and not to de
eide anything. Still the future trials
may be of value, but 1t will be a long
time before wind aud sea are again in
such obliging humor.
The Pilgrim in Good shape.
The Pilgrim sported brand new gaf
to-day when she lined up with the three
other aspirsnts for the place of cup de
fender.
The gaff is ffty.three feet long and il
the race on Thursday the jaws indicate,
a tendency to go entirely around thu
mast. This was only prevented by th'
lowering of the sail at once. A defec
in the construction Of the jaws causet
the accident.
In order to have the fault remedie'
the Pilgrim was towed over to iBa,
Ridge late on Thursday afternoon an'
the gaf taken ashore. The boat la,
off the Bay Ridge ferry all day yester
day and the crew worked so indus
triously THAT last night Captain Ed
ward Sherlock, the sailing master. de
clared her 'it
"We can't tell what she may do, salt
Captain Sherlock, because w
have not tried her to the fullest ex
tent. We really don't know her full
capacity, although we had a little go OF
the quiet in the Sound the other after
noon.
The work on the Pilgrims jaws wa
done in Wintringham's yard. 9Th
trouble was" said one of the men
''that the old jaws worked on a universe
joint, causing the gsff to work aroun
the mast at one time on Thursday tn
gaf was forward of the mast. Now W
are making a stationary set of jaws so a
to hold the gaf rigidly in position.
Pilgrim Took the Lead at the Start.
New YORK, Sept. 9.-The second q
the series of races between the yacht
built to defend the America cup, too
place to-day.
The day was an ideal yachting day
The wind, however, was blowing rath'
too light
The course to-day was an equilaterl
triangle of thirty miles. All four yacht
sailed down to the Scotland light wheI
they punched ready for the start.
Sailing yachts. small boats, steal
yachts and all classes of crafts wei
sailing in the vicinity of the moorings @
the Colonia, Pilgrim, Jubilee and Vigi
( ant, while thousands of people crowde
the shores and heights awaiting eager
the starting gun.
, At II o'clock the wind was blowing
,, miles an hour and stiffening
The starting gun was fred at 11.21.
The Pilgrim got away first at 113
+ Colonia, IL 3O10; Jubilee, 11.31; Viz
! liant, 1131 30