Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-27
VALKYRIE IS SHY.
SHE WOULD NOT GO OUTSIDE THE HOOK.
Perhaps She Did Not Like to Make Her Trial Spin With the Vgilant at
 Her Heels


 corted by a fleet of newspaper tugs, went down to Sandy Hook this afternoon for the avowed purpose of taking her first spin in American waters under racing canvass, but disappointed great many people by anchoring at the Horse Shoe and remaining there. Among the dis appointed ones was George J. Gould, who went down to Sandy Hook on the Atlanta, was transferred to the Vigilant and sailed the Tobin bronze boat outside. MT. Gould may have been out merely to try his hand at the wheel of the Vigi- lant and to see what kind of shape MT. Willard has gotten her in, but the way he took the cup defender of 1893 outside the Hook and lowered about until nearly nightfall gave ground for q suspicion that he wanted brush with Valkyrie III.
 The British yacht was f1oated at 9:30 a. m., the water having been let into the dry dock at the Erie basin two hours earlier. At 1O:30 she was warped out of the dock and made fast to the side of hes tender, the City of Bridgeport. The crew were busy all the time putting the finish ing touches on her racing rig and making things ship-shape Captains Cransfield and Sycamore and MT. Glenny directed operations, and Sailmaker Ratsey saw that the preparations for stretching the canvas were complete. Just before noon the crew removed shoes ands stockings and in bare feet scrubbed down the decks and side of the yacht. The cup hunter then looked genuine racing machine. She seemed to sit on the water as light as a duck and the coat of paint which ex- tended up to within inches of her deck gave glittering black sides in place of the white ones brought from Bonnie Scot land. Her polished yellow sparsj shone in tae ttrrl,t I.,.t |. mained the color of galvanized iron and was the only thing about the boat which did not look trim and yachtlike.
 At o'clock the tug Lewis Pulver, with H Maitland Kersey on board arrived. The Puver was given a line and the Val kyr1e started out of the basin in tow. As the yacht proceeded down the bay the work of bending the mainsail was be- gun. The United Press tug c. T. Ray mond and four other tugs carrying the newspaper men and photographers fell in line.
 In the lower bay the Vigilant was found with mainsail, club topsail jib and staysail set up, cruising about in the main ship channel. She met the Valkyrie and, going about, followed her down to the Horse Shoe inside of Sandy Hook. Just as the British yacht reached the southwest side, inside the hook, the steam yacht Atalanta, with George J. Gould, Edwin Gould and several guests, arrived The Atalanta dropped anchor and MT. George Gould was rowed to the Vigilant. As he stepped and took the wheel he was given three cheers by the rew.The Viglant had on new suit of clothes, and no finer has been on any yacht in this year, at least. The sails were all made by Sawyer the Herreshoff having apparently been abandoned. The mainsail had cloths running from head to foot, and the four outside cloths being newer than the rest of the sail, indicated that it is one of her old mainsails en- larged. The jib, staysail and club top sail fitted perfectly The jib was with out the club, which has distinguished the Vigilant from the Defender all summer The baby jib topsail, afterward broken out, had five battens in it and set as flat as a board. As soon as MT. Gould stepped aboard the Vigilant was put about and went outside of Sandy Hook.
 Meanwhile the work of bending the mainsan progressed slowly on the Val kyrie. Instead of going outside she went in toward the Horse Shoe, but held on to her tug.
 MT. Ratsey stated before leaving Erie basin that the mainsail could be bent in forty-five minutes. Instead of that the crew worked at it three hours. Then at 5 o'clock the halyards were manned and the sail was hosted. It proved to be a handsome piece of canvas and of enorm- ous proportions. The forty arms seemed to have all they wanted to do to get the throat and peak of the gaff well up. The sail set well except at the foot. There was considerable fullness from the mast two-thirds of the way to the end of the boom. The sail seemed to be about 6 feet longer at the foot and or feet taller than the mainsail of either the Vigilant Or Defender
 Sailmaker Ratsey examined it closely and made notes for some slight trimming down at the foot. MT. Kersey viewed the sail a NanthQ lannch and after a consultation with the others on the Val kyrie he went over to the city of Bridge port, which had arrived and anchored near by. The Valkyrie dropped her an- ehor and dismissed the tug Pulver. At 5:45 o'clock the mainsail was lowered and all prospect for sail today was abandoned. The jib and staysai were on deck ready to be sent aloft, but the mainsail was the only canvas put in place today. Whether the people on board the British boat were influenced to give up the proposed sail today by the presence of the newspaper tugs or the actions of the Vigilant is not known It ss pretty well understood that Lord Dun ravens people would prefer a quiet spin when no one was looking and with no boat like the Vigilant about to get a linS on the cup hunter. In all probability the British boat will trim her mainsail, get her head sails in place and take a sail early tomorrow morning.
 At 6 o'clock the Vigilant returned in- side the hook and anchored near the Val kyrie for the night.
 The Vigilant is in better shane than ever and the sails used today will prob- ably be employed in the next trial race which is set for Thursday at Il a. n
 The Defender is expected here tomor- row, and will also make her headquar- ters in the Horse Shoe when she arrives