The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-07
BOTH BOATS MEASURED
Valkyrie Ill VIII Have to Give
a Time Allowance OF
% lilo Seconds.
BRISK WEATHER PREDICTED.
Opinions of Experts on the Various
Chances of the Asplrants
for the Cup.

NEW YORK, n. Y, Sept. 6.-A1 is
ready for the battle royal between the
Valkyrie III, Great Britain's pride, and
the Yankee combination of aluminium
and bronze, the Defender, which all
patriots hope will keep the cup on this
side of the Atlantic one more year.
The final preparations for the first of the
international races have been made. Both
ships are anchored in the Horseshoe ready
for action tomorrow. The veil of mystery
which has kept the public in ignorance Of
the actual dimensions of the competing
yachts was raised to-day. Honest John
Hyslop, official measurer of the New York
Yacht Club, passed his steel tape from bow
to stern, from deck to masthead and along
boom and bowsprit of both crafts, and the
result is that the Valkyrie III allows the
Defender % 1-10 seconds. This is less
than yachting sharps have guessed.
The appearance of the Valkyrie and the
calculations which have been made cred
tied her with an excess of water-line and
sail area over the American boat, which
would allow the latter from l to min
utes over a thirty-mile course. The cut
ting away of the after body of the Val
kyrie and the light steel boom which was
recently substituted have undoubtedly
given her saving on load-water line,
which reduced the time allowance to less
than half minute. Both boats are less
than SO feet on the load-water line instead
OF being close to 80 feet and the Valkvrie is
two-eighths of foot longer than the De-
fender. Her sail area is greater but the
Defender has a boom lie feet long, while
that of the other boat is only LOG feet.
The prospect of seeing the Valkyrie and
Defender together before the great race
was an attraction which drew crowds to
the Erie Basin. They began to arrive at
the break OF day, many taking in the sight
before going to breakfast. The mum bers
increased, till at IL o'clock fully 5000
people swarmed about the dock, and during
the afternoon 1t was estimated that 5000
were present at one time. During the day
nearly 20.GO0 persons must have visited the
boats. They were of all conditions, and
there were many women. Yacht caps
bearing devices showed that the yachting
world was we'll represented, and there was
many bronzed-faced English shipmaster
or seaman, who talked yachts as gIibly as
any freshwater sailor.
Measurer Hysiop arrived before noon,
and shortly after II o'clock went aboard
the Valkyrle. He began the work of
measuring just as the tall mast OF the De-
fender was seen over the great storehouse
near the entrance TO the basin.
AS the Defender was towed into the
basin by the tug Wallace B. Flint the
crowd rushed to the end of the neighbor-
ing piers, and climbed up the sides of
big ships and into heirrigging, and surged
over into the tugs at the wharves. Small
boats crept around from all directions, and
then from the crowd of spectators, grouped
as for picture on some festal occasion, q
mighty shout went up for the American
boat. Captain Half responded by taking
off his cap. Mr.. Iselin was at once taken
aboard the Defender, and the absence flag,
floating from the starpoard spreader, was
hauled down. as the yachts were brought
near together the greater weight of the
Valkyrie's spars and rigging was apparent.
The Defenders rig was more graceful and
trim than her rivals, as her underbody
was also. The light blue paint on her top
sides did not show up favorably, however,
with the Immaculate white of her oppo-
nent's :, nor did the unbleached color of the
ramie-cloth mainsail, in its furls, look as
natty as the Valkyrie's white duck.
An inspection of the Defender showed
that with her change of booms, gaffs and
sails, and the removal of her water tanks
and other fixtures dispensed with in the
races, she fioated pretty light. 1t was,
therefore, decided that she could stand
some more ballast, and accordingly about
a ton of lead in pigs, which had earlier
been placed on the tender, was passed over
on to her and slowed below. Then the
measuring was proceeded with, the sale
area being taken last.
Mr.. Watson said: "We hope to win,
but are prepared to lose" and he looked as
though the hope fathered thought.
Mr.. Iselin would say nothing of the pros
poets, but he looked as though satisfied.
1t was generally believed in yachting
circles that the difference in time allow
ance in favor of the Defender would be
anywhere from one-half to two minutes,
and consequently there was some disap-
pointment when the announcement was
made.
On the eve of the battle betting has be-
come quite brisk. English and Canadian
money has been held back for better odds
then have been offered. Small bets were
made at odds of to on the Defender,
but in large amounts the odds were 6 to 8
and 10 to Z. The latter was the latest
figure at the New York Yacht Club and
the hotels.
On the Stock Exchange to day it was
said on good authority that $4,000 was
placed. F. t. Adams placed $1,000 on the
Valkyrie at odds of Ito 10. The wager was
laid for an English client. The betting
opened and closed to 10 with wagers in
the interim at to 10. The Valkyrie end
of the betting has been taken principally
by Canadians.
The weather outlook for tomorrow
favors the American rather than the
British boat. Local Forecaster Dunn,
after carefully going over his reports to-
day, said q Taking all in all, the con-
ditions most likely to prevail tomorrow
will be favorable for the contest. There
L.