The morning call., 1894-09-24
The San Franchises Open Race a
Howling Success.
YACHT Oracle GOES UNDER.
The Wind Came in Strong Squalls
That Caused Many a Cockpit
Raiier to Be Taken.


such enthusiasm displayed as was mani
house at Sausalito.
The attendance was the largest this year,
and every one was in favor of some spe-
ciai craft for the trophies. AS the wind
increased so did the interest of the spec
tators. until when it had become a howl
ing gale the excitement knew no bounds
and the crowd seemed to have gone wild.
Cheer afier cheer was sent up for the vic
tors and mingled with the boom of the
cannonading on board of the feet that
lay at anchor.
Commodore Cutie must have had spe-
ciai contract with the king of the wind,
as for the past week the bay had been as
quiet as a millpond. But yesterday it
seemed as if all the pent-up energies of
this element had burst the bonds that held
them and had come down on the contest
Ing yachtsmen with a vengeance.
AT the start there was calm stroke out
TO beyond the stakebOat. which delayed
the y chts. But this once pissed, wind
was found, and to some it was more than
was wanted.
The first to drift across was the Clara at
l Sc: II; closely followed by the rest of the
class, but the wind was too strong, aud it
was some slime before the Petrol cleared
away, crossing at 40 10: Then another
long wait was undergone before the Queen
| crossed at 1 80 40, followed by the Truant,
| Edna, Seven Bells, Fawn, Cisne. Florence,
Flash. Mayor. Mirtb. Whirwind. Cath
crime, Stranger, Dan, Surprise and Pilgrim
In the order named.
They had hardly got well started before
they began TO catch the "whOoles" which
come one after another and made things
decidedly wet aboard the yachts. One
4 rln-
II seemed almost impossible for them to
weather the windstOrm under their racing
canvas. Their bottom line was study for
a nava. architect.
The jaws of the gaff on the Belle gave
way after the first two or three knock
downs, and she had to return 10 her moor
! ngs The Dan also came back, finding IL
altogether TOO moist for an open craft.
Tie reach To Shag Rock and TO the stake
| boat off Goat Island was quickly made.
| with the yachts well together. but it was
on the windward work that they began to
string out.
The Clara made the first half in 40 min
utes and 81 seconds. Next came that
speedy yacnt, so properly named the
Queen, in 46 minutes and seconds. then
tue Edna In 81 minutes and seconds, the
Petrol Ia hour and minutes and 90 sec
onds, then the rruaut in 50 minutes and
40 seconds. the Rover In AZ minutes and 5
in 80 minutes and % seconds, and the
Florence in 1 hour, 9 minutes aud sec
onds.
This made the Queen leading the fleet,
with the Rover close on her heels. Hardly
had these yachts, which had to cover the
course twice on account of their size,
passed when ii was noticed that the
Whirlwind was almost ready to cross the
line aud finish. This was almost too much
for the old salts who were watching the
race, and too much praise cannot be given
to Commodore Won Schmidt for the fine
showing he made in his craft single
handed. The Whirlwind met with an ac-
cident when about halfway over the
course which cost her some minutes. The
sheet block on the boom gave way and il
took the commodore some time TO re-
place it.
The next best time was made by the
Stranger, who was about four minutes be-
hind the commodore. Then came the
Flash, five minutes behind the Stranger;
then the Mayor, just thir;y-two seconds
later, and the rest or the class strung out
In the fifth class there were but two to
go over the course. the Cisne and the Ca
price. The former won in tweGty-six
minutes.
After the Queen had got half way to
Shag Rock on the second round she ran
into a calm streak, where she hung for
almost five minutes. Great were the re-
grets of almost everv one ashore, as il was
thought that the Queen would surely be
dethroned. But, luckily, the wind came
her way ard she started off again,
The Thetls met with nasty accident
while trying TO jibe around Shag Rock.
She carried away the shaekles on her
| main-sheet block on the boom and She
gave up the race.
The first to finish was the Clara, cover
ing the course in :3S:1S. Next came the
Queen. which beat out the fleet and won
+ om the Clara by over two minutes.
actual sailing time. Next to- cross was the
EDNA, then the Petrol, then the Rover.
which. when her time was figured. was
only beaten by the Clara by thirty-six
seconds, corrected time. But as the Clara
was ruled out for OF living up to the rules
this places the Rover first in her class and
second in the general race for the trophv.
The Oracle was In very hard luck this
race. Some days ago Doc Hill beached
her to clean up, and in doing so tore off
her lead on her centerboard. But with all
tnat ne started Yesterday 10 the terrible
Wind, with the lead aboard for ballast.
He was lucky in covering the course. and
was about to cross the line when his craft
| was struck by succession of SQUALLS
which laid her on her beam ends, and, not
being able TO come Into the wind quick
enough, she filled. Luckily, she did not
| go tn the bottom. There was a great
scampeTing on board to reach the high
SIDE, which, at one time, was almost to her
| keel. The tug Governor Perkins was out
with party aboard watching the races,
ana made lne fast and lowed her into
shoal water.
Taking the regatta from tbs start to the
nnlsh IL vas the universal open opinion IF
those present that it was undoubtedly the
greatest race that has been sailed for the
past fifteen years.
The corrected time of the yachts was /:
| Queen. 1857; Clara, 1:3T:42: Rover.
1:3o1S; Edna. :43:16: Truant, l 40 :O7 !:
Petrol. l 80 :57; Fawn, 2:O4 10: Florence
2:24:48. for the ten-mile course.
| The class corrected time for tho veobts
in the fourth and fifth class was. WhirI.
wind, 57:1S; Stranger, 1:o1 %: Flash
:oo:!7; Mayor, 1:06:49; Cisne. 1 III:
| Pilgrim. /: 10; Catherine. / :12:i1. MirtS
/ 10 :36; Caprice, :37 SO.
| This gives the Hsmmersmith and Fiald
trophy to The Queen, also first in sacnnd
class. The Rover gets first in ihe frs,
class, WITH the Petrol second. In the sec
onu Grass tue queen is first and Edna Sec
ono. In the third class the Truant ia first
ana me ra"n second. In the fourth class
tue Wnlrlwiad is first and the Stranger
second. In the fifth class the Cisne il
| first and the Caprice second. -
Inc ollcers 81 the day were: Ex-Com-
modore DICK Ogden and Captain Leon b.
TOMAS, judges. and Messrs. Hill and
rHommedleu, timers.
| Big Fire in St. Louis,
OF. LOUIS, Sept. ga fire. originating