The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-08
IT WAS NIP AND TUCK
The Defender Defends the Cup
Right Calamity,
SHE CROSSED THE LiNE LAST
But Won by a Half Nile, Which
Was Gained inahe
Last Two.

New York, Sept. 1.-THE Defender won
her name in truly American fashion to-
day, finishing far ahead III the English
challenger, Valkyrie Ill, ana giving every
evidence OF ouNclassing The Dunraven
boat in almost any kind ofMeather.
There were many strangt features con-
nected with the race, not The least beine
the general doubt expressed during tbe
first Is miles of the coure as to which
was in the lead. 1t waS nip and tuck
from the first signal gun and until with
IN short distance Of the mark, and then
the Defender caught a breeze and to the
delight of thousands simply sailed away
| from her rival.
| From that moment She went on in
creasing her lead to the end winning
by surprising margin OF minutes and
| 40 seconds.
The British boat led oht into the fog
and rain toward the turning mark, near
ing which the Defender passed her an
tagonist and turned ahead. On the run
home the identity of the yachts could not
be disclosed owing to the thickness of
the fog, until they were close to the
finish.
The manner in which the Defender out
footed the Valkyrie made even old
yachtsmen stare, for ft was a remarka-
Die performance for a boat after sail
ing almost even with another for many
miles, to come out at the end with a
lead of almost half mile, gained in the
last two.
Never in the history of the races for
the cup has a foreign boat shown to
such advantage as did the Valkyrie to-
day. She got over the line first and for
long time pointed higher and outfooted
the American boat.
Many were the tears shed by Yankee
syiLpathizers who had counted on three
straight victories for the Defender, when
they saw the Britisher, evens when well
pitched up in the wind and sailing prob
ably from half a point TO point higher
than the Defender still going through
the water faster ahead.
The first surprise of the day was in
the position that the Defender showed
on crossing the line.
Very strange to say, she was little
bit to windward of the English boat
behind, 1t is true, by four seconds, but
still to the windward. There had been
so much said about the superior skipper
shlp or Captain Sycamore that it was |
reared by thousands of Americans who |
witnessed the scene. that the Defender |
would not be only behind at the start. !
but that she would be so thoroughly |
bpanketed that she would never have a |
show in the whole race.
But while the Englishman did get over
the line first by about half a length, the
Yankee was on top of him Instead OF |
being below or underneath his wind.
Both yachts were handled in a most |
admirable manner, and 1t cannot be said |
that the sails on the Briton set a whit |
better than those of the American boat. |
In fact. no flaw could be seen in any |
bit of cloth on either boat.
The only thing to mar the days pleas !
ure was the action of the excursion |
boats notably the Richard Peck and
City OF Lowell, in going too close to
windward of the racing yachts.
The official time table is as follows
Defender-Start, 12:20:50; outer mark |
$685. finish, 5:2l IA; elapsed time, 50O:24; |
corrected time, 4:5955
Vallkyne-Start, 12:20:43; outer mark, |
1852; finish, 5:29:30; elapsed time, 5:0S:4l; |
time, 5:0S:4.
Valkyrle allows % seconds.
1t is estimated by the syndicate owners
IF the Defender, c. Oliver Iselin, e. D.
Morgan, and w. X. Vanderbilt that their
expenses in connection with the present
series for the Americas cup will amount
o not less than $250,OOO.
Hardly less than this amount will be
expended by Lord Dunraven in the same
-ood cause, and it is impossible to csti-
nate what it cost the $4,000 people who
occupied the steamers in viewing the
ontest today.