The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-09
HEAD OF IHe PROCESSION.
Il. II. Keith's Tug Led the rieet ~
Saturdays Race.
ION Board Tug GovernorD

Those oil us VINO were out III 'i.".. |
OH the heels of the racers Saturday, tosseu
bv the rolling waves, are pitehi5g about
in our more or less easy chairs tnis hiso
noon, two days after the greatest hIal,ne
spectacle this country ever saw msS M
ished. There'h has been considerapie Wiz
ten about the interference of sleamvrsI
and the reckless way they were saie1
close TO the racers, thereby preventing
them from doing their best.
Everything considered, II was wohuer.ui
to see how we'll the great hoatlhg cHy'
with its 40, 600 population, behaved.
Two or three times the racers weio
bothered a little, but the Enigsninah
had no reason to complain, as tne ian
kee got the worse of the alleged crowoms
at the start, and for few miles pi .he
windward work. At the turning poiiit snS
800 keels OF all sizes and shapes nasseu se
600 pale faced, trembling victims 0I Sea
sickness, might have troubled the vaIky
rie some, but from start 10 hnlsh, every
thing considered, the pleasure craft III
reference was OF no consequences, wnie
the great sea pageant gave TO the aaoo
worthy distinction and retinue III Ior
kings and emperors. II was worth soine-
thing to win a race before such marine
metropolis, and IL was also worth eohe
thing To gain the plaudits OF thousanus Vi
people, who, under different clrcuIn-
stances, would be under physicians care,
instead of cheering themselves dizzy at
two of the greatest yachts that ever noa'-
Those who had the good luck to be able
to accept manager b. +. Keith's hospi,
tality had view OF that race when VIII
never be effaced. -
word "go." The News representative
and manager Fynes and his wife joined
the Boston party at Fall River, ana on
the steamer Puritan the happy, dinner
party was just 49, Somebody SAD was
| a lucky number. The moonlight sali was
! delightful Neptune had his rock n
| horse going at Point Judith, but the
| ton was gentle, and no one felt really
! dissgreeable. Breakfast was also pleasure
| BILE TO the entire company. snort walk
up West street brought the party 10 tne
| pier where tug Governor was walting.
| She was bedecked with flags and bunting
from stem to stern. At the tore hoated
| Mr. Keith's four-leafed clover, q lucky
plant. The captain was a New York har-
Dor tug chief of 20 years experience.
That ne knew his business was oeni IN
strated conclusively, for he poked MS
craft right up to the front OF the process
| sion. and kept il there until there was no
shadow of doubt but that the Yankee
clipper would keep the "mug' IN the hrst
race Mt least.
of Providence and New England slght,
seers was close by the Governor, ana
those who had the good sense 10 empark
on the Narragansett Bay queen steamer
had no cause to regret their choice.
The sea was lumpy: Three hunuieu
vessels of all sizes bobbed up ana down
upon il, and the bilious passengers all
agreed that it was rough. The Govern
| or's guests stood the tossing talrly Wen.
but most of them had very little use Tor
the dainty lunch provided on poarn py
manager Keith. 1t was plucky company
|
downs and they stood il much better thsn
a lot of glassware that smashed In the
thrashing, and had to be thrown over
board.
When the two racers crossed the line,
the passengers on the Governor, could al
most throw biscuit aboard the Valkyrie;
The skipper put his tug to the leewara
Of the Englishman, where there could no,
, be the slightest interference, ana kep'
!, her there nearly to the turning stake
= Everybody was of the opinion that Tn.
yalkyfie was leading the Rhode lslane
point OF view, but the sailors, amateur
' and professional, knew better. The En-
y | plish boat was slipping through the wa
q ter like a witch and making the gap VIA
e er and wider between herself and th'
: Yankee. Defender seemed to be gong
I lnp n longer stretch every minute between
i the racers and the following crowds ol
: the steamers were still as death and some
what discouraged.
The spectators with experienced eyes
however, noticed that the Valkyri
r slipped to leward, even If she did go fast
t or through the water. She poked ne
) nose up to windward, but slid of tn
o slide ike some of us used TO DO on In
v lev hill with sled that could go lik
c blazes, but persisted In Slowing on IN
!. snow banks. That was the trouble VIII
| .l.ns skaln
@ Meanwhile, the Defenders runners wer
pripped fast to the ice, and she was goin
Il straight over the slide, rising and failln
h with wonderful grace. She sliced II
q great rollers like knife, and cut out nt
Q track over the billows with marveiou
1t precision. Her competitor was poundin
the seas and burying her bowsprit in II
10 brine, and sailing wonderfully fast, toe
q Twenty thousand persons were SUI
4 that the Yankee boat was behind.
rs Then came a tn, Hing experience
ID something never before witnessed III
" race for the Americas cup. The skipp'
of the Valkyrie thought he was ahead
NHank,, Half and also thought he wou
humiliate him by crossing the Brist
boats bow. He tried II and he was hir
self humiliated to degree never beio
"a witnessed. Foot by foot the two wonde
Ia ful sloops came together. The Valkyr
!, was almost aboard Of her rival when
oi was discovered that instead of ber bell
~. ahead she was really behind and II z
su course was held Defender would cross v,
~ kyrie. This would never do, so the r.
giishman turned tail and ran. This W
~ the last OF the Valkyrie. Instead OF bell
~ the leading boat from the start sne "
v, in reality always behind, for the iank
~ had the weather side, just az fast leg
" aud could do as she pleased at any ni, sta
OF the race. At this moment disappolI
ment turned to rejoicing, because ev
~. the landlubber could understand that I
Yankee boat was sure winner.
Nv Those who went TO see the race al
were doubled up with pale faces I'm &C
'us yenient corners and places reused the
ry selves TO hear the great shout OF victe
from 30, 600 throats, the hoarse blasts fr'
Es the three decked steamers, the sli
ON whistles of the yachts and the screecl
SO. of the tugs and the boom OF cannon; :, \
,us race had been won at this point, and V
9u kyrie. in trying TO be smart, metapho
the cally had been back broken.
Manager Keith's guests were nearest
y the remarkable marine accident a
= could almost see the blush of shame