The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-30

offer deal OF encouragement. But it
was seen that the Nigilant was now
holding her own much better. At
times she seemed to be gaining, but
tacks were such that Ii was hard to
make anything like an accurate esti-
mate Of the distance separating the
two.
At ten miles out the Nalkyrie didn't
seem to have increased her lead, and
it began to be seen that the Nigilant
would only make three tacks to four
for the pride of all England in order
10 get around the outer mark.
Then the Valkyrie put on another
squirt, went right up for the stake
2:33:4O. At this time she had lead
of nearly or quite half mile
Once she rounded, her spinnaker
blossomed out as if by magic. Out
went her main boom, and with every
inch OF canvas strained she went
streaking out for home, while the
whistles footed and all America was
sad and sick at heart.
On came the Vigilant, making a
gallant uphill fight. She was over
three minutes behind when she
turned, and three minutes in a fifteen
mile run, with one minute and thirty
five seconds TO be tackled on to that in
the way of time allowance, means
great deal. 1t didn't seem possible
that even the Famoose could catch
the Valkyrie, stretching forward free
and far away there in the lead.
"She's gaining." shouted the
Americans, pop-eyed with excite
ment and getting sights on shore
points to compare time. Shes gain
ing fast :"
Sure enough she was. At the end
of five miles that half-mile lead had
been cut down to a quarter of mile,
and it was lessening with every foot
travelled.
"She'll catch her in the next five
miles" said the hopeful.
"But can she make up the time
allowance after that" inquired the
anxious.
Steadily the Vigilant drew up on
her fieeting rival.
"They're even at last" said those
on watch.
At the end of ten miles all that
great lead had been overcome. The
two clouds of white canvas were to-
gether again.
Wrack
Those on the Valkyrie heard sick
ening sound. II seemed as if the
heavens had split. Looking up they
saw n rent in the spinnaker-that silk
spinnaker which had called for so
much admiration when it was first
set, and on which was placed the chief
dependence in run before the wind.
Another was sent up at once, but the
delay was fatal.
On went the Vigilant, gaining now
faster than before. She soon showed
cleaa water between her stern and
her rivals bowsprit. She kept right
on, without the sign of an accident
right on to the finish line, struggling
to make up more than l minute and
SO seconds of time allowance.
And she made it.
The cannon doomed again, the
whistles put loose all their pande-
monium of sound and the white de-
fender flew over the line well in the
lead.
Then out came the watches. How
the seconds seemed to fiyi Could the
Valkyrie still win? Every second
counted, and hearts kept time to the
ticki ng of the watches.
Boom! went cannon again.
The Valkyrie had crossed the line
Just minutes and IS seconds after the
the margines of 10 seconds for the
American.
The Vigilant had won as gallant a
race as ever was sailed, and the cup
will not go back.
But everybody is saying now that
had it not been for the splitting of the
spinnaker the Valkyrie would have
won.-S. F. Examiner.