Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-19
OF PR0D|CIOUS SIZE.
Valkyrie iii Surprised Those Who Saw
|, Her For the First Time.
Yachtsmen Turn Out In Force
to Give Her Greeting.
Opinion That Defender Has No Mean Com.
petitor 10 Deal With.

the United Kingdom was sighted yesterday
afternoon off tho Long Island shore. Tho
way had been long and the wind and sea
had been high, but safe through all came
Valkyrie III.
AT l:l5 p. m, by telephone and tele-
graph, it was announced that the British
boat was of Forge river. She was then
about five miles of shore. At 1886 she
was passing Smith Point. An hour later,
the lookout In the tower at Fire island
saw her coming In from tho eastward. by
O'clock Valkyrie III was of Firo island.
Valkyrie III Is tho best boat ever sent
over by England, and will be met by the
best boat ever turned out on this side Of
the water. This will be the second time,
II the Defender is chosen, az she undoubt-
cdly will be, to defend the cup, that q keel
boat has been tho American champion
since an American keel schooner, the
America, first won the cup.
Craft Of all kinds were gotten under
way TO meet and welcome tho foreign
visitor Among the first of these to get
An motion was tho freight steamer City Of
Bridgeport, with Lord Dunraven's repre-
sentative In America. II. NJ Kersey, and
q large party OF friends. aboard
Viglant, In tow of the tender Aeronaut,
and Defender, towed by her tender, the
Hattie Palmer, were soon fastening to
welcome the foreign yacht Valkyrie III
passed Forge river life-saving station at
1:15 p. m, and Smith Point at 2:35 D. IN.
She was reported by Fire Island at 1888
p. m, under full sail.
Welcomed by Big Fleet
The fleet of vessels that went down to
meet the foreigner was the largest that
ever advanced to the place Of meeting an
incoming yacht. 1t was an all-day job,
but 1t was Sunday, and yachtsnen were
therefore gifted with plenty Of time, and
they put 1t in In q most courteous manner.
The news that Valkyrie LII had been
sighted off Moriches, L. l., at Ills p. IN.
spread with astonishing alacrity, II that
opinion may be formed from the appear
ance Of the enormous crowds which
gathered along the Fort Hamilton shore.
Although 1t was Sunday crowd, that
same crowd was nearly doubled by the
aggregation Of "sharps," II not cranks, of
the yachting species
AS the night wore on, interest In the ar
rival Of Valkyrie increased, and, when
shortly before $3.50, the report arrived at
Quarantine that Vaikyrie was heading
shout of relief, and somebody raised q
shout Of "Three cheers for Valkyriei" and
they were given with right good will.
At 9:45, the Valkyrie, in tow, and fol-
lowed by two tugs, slowly passed Quaran-
tine, and was boarded by the health off,
Ger. The cup challenger looked trim and
neat. Her sails were snugly slowed, and
on her decks were apparently all the mem
bers of her crew. Hearty cheers Of well
como were exchanged with the English
sailors, and then, the usual formalities
having been complied with, Valkyrie con-
tinued her journey up the bay.
When Valkyrie III reached the Quaran-
tine station, she found good many peo-
pie waiting for her, and the warmth Of
her reception must have satisfied her off,
GERS. Yachts Of all sizes went down tho
bay In the hope Of catching q glimpse Of
the cup challenger. The larger vessels
went away outside Of Sandy Hook and
cruised about.
Story Of the Voyage.
Off Quarantine, Valkyrie was boarded
by reporter, who obtained the following
story of the voyage: Captain Cranfleld
said: "We left Gourock on J uly M with
full crew of AZ men all told. After leav-
u
fresh N.N.W. gale, accompanied by high
seas, which blew hard for "a hours and
then moderated.
ION July 81 1t commenced to blow again
from NV. to S.W., and 1t blew hard for
five days, when the weather moderated to
q light southwest wind, which lasted up
TO Cape Race There we caught north
west wind which carried US 10 Sable
al tha xxyivI hor N<hk
left us becAlmed Qt times, and lasting up
to our arrival here.
1--WE sighted Shinnecock light at noon
today, and at $50 this evening, when 20
miles west of Fire island, we were taken
In tow by The World tug, @. P. Ray.
mond, and here we are We mode 8Oi8
miles in oil, and one day only made about
20 miles. We never carried away o rope
or yardarm throughout the voyage"
Valkyrie anchored of Liberty island for
the night, and was taken to the Erie basin
this morning.
Sizing Her Up.
When the Valkyrie came In sight Of the
gazers from Quarantine, and there were
many old pilots among the onlookers, the
universal expression among them was
"Well. II she isn't big one, / don't
know" Further than that, they said
"Why she looks like prodigious clam
sloop" They meant by that that the
English yacht was one Of such immense
proportions, comparatively speaking, that
she overtopped all yachts that ever raced
for the Americas CUP
The thing that first struck tho vision of
tho sailors was tho boats beam. Looking
st her from ahead Of the bow, thoy saw
tho cutaway front under tho bowsprit
that has become so common In late years.
When they raised their gaze they SOW two
great, big, bulging sides that ran 10 tho
fnldships section, always on tho increase
of width. The estimate that tho Val
kyrie measures "a feet at her widest beam
was not doubted By any one who knows
what beam is. Some Of the "sharps''
said they would not be surprised II tho
beam measurement was found 10 be W.
After that, the boys who knew IL all
went astern of tho vessel, and took n look
a al..A la II a.