The morning times., 1895-09-07
VIEWED By THOUSANDS
Defender and VaIkyrie Objects
of Intense Interest.
YANKEE BOAT is UHEERED
Measurements of the Two Yachts In
the Nature of a Surprise-The Eng
Iish Craft Only Gives Twenty-hine
SecUnds-A Comparison of the Two.
Defender Favored In Betting.

New York, Sept 6.-All is ready for the
battle royal between VaIkyrie III, Great
Britains pride and the Yankee combina-
ton of aluminium and bronze, yclcpt De-
fender. which all patriots hope VIII 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 Hyflop, official mcasureF OF
the New York Yacht Club, passed his
steel tape from bow to stern, from deck TO
mast head. and along boom and boweprlt
of both crafts and the result was that
Valkyrie III allows the Defender 20 lilo
seconds.
This is the loss the 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 one TO two
minutes over q 3U-mile course.
TINE ALLOWANCE.
The cutting way OF the afterbody of the
Vaikyrie and the lighter steel boom which
was recently substituted. have undoubt-
edly given her saving on load water line
which reduced the time allowance to less
than half u minute.
Both boats are less than 80 feet on The
load water line. instead of being close to
80 feet, and Valkyrie is two-tenths or
foot longer than the Defender. Her sail
area is greater but Defender has a boom
l06 feet long, while that of the British
boat is only l05 feet.
The prospect OF seeing ValkyTie and De-
fender together before the great race was
an attraction which drew crowds to the
Erie Basin. In the course or the day
nearly 10000 people must have viewed
the boats.
1t was shortly after O'Clock this morn
ing when the work OF letting water into
the dock commenced. Two hours later the
Valkyrie floated. IL her new white paint
sails bent and furled and things above deck
generally siIlpShape she looked pTeItler
than at any time since her arrival here.
Measurer HyslOp arrived before noon
and shortly after I2 O'Clock went aboard
The Nal6yrie. He began the work OF meas
uring Just as the tall mast OF Defender
vas seen over the great stOrebOuse near
The entrance TO the basin.
DEFENDER CHEERED.
As the Defender was towed into the basin
by the tug Wallace b. Flint the crowds
rushed TO the ends of the ueighborinE piers
and climbed up the sides OF big ships and
into their rigging and surgcd over INTO
the tugs at the wharves.
Small boats Crept around from Ill Glrec-
tions, and then from the crowd OF spec
tdtOrs, grouped as for picture on some
testal occasion, mighty shout went up
for the American boat. Capt. Haff re-
sponded by taking Off his cap
As the yachts were brought near to-
gethcr the greater weight OF Nalkyrie's 5
spGrs an drigging was apparent Defend
er's rig was more graceful and trim than
her rivals. as is her underbody also.
The light blue paint on her topSides did
not show up fayOrably. however, with the
immaculate white OF her opponents, nor
did the unbicaChed color CT the Ramie
cloth mainsail in its furls look at natty as
ValkyTie's white duck.
A the New York Yacht Clubhouse this
evening some surprise was expressed at
the result OF the measurements
On the eve or the battle betting has be-
come quite brisk English ana Canadian
money has been held back for better odds
than have been offered. Small bets were
made al varying odds OF L. on De
fender, bat in large amounts the odds were
6 TO and 10 to z. The latter was the
--latest figure tonight at the New York
Yacht cab and the hotels.