Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-08
TALL HAIL, DEFENDER" i" The Gallant Yankee Yacht Is the
 Victor BY 8 N< JTES, 49 SECONDS. Valkyrif z the Way at the Start. Going Like 1S Ghost IF x THE LAZY WIND PRESERVED < h From That Minute the Briton's Boat Was Never in It-The Great Race
 Witnessed by an Immense
 Flotilla.
THE LAZY WIND PRESERVED

New York, Sept. An hail Defender!
 The aluminium and bronze boat de- feated Valkyrie III eight minutes and forty-nine seconds in the first of the races of the America's cup today.
 Twenty thousand people on the great est flotilla that ever assembled off San dy Hook witnessed the race and there was scene of hilarious joy when De- fender crossed the line fully two miles ahead of Lord Dunraven's boat The joy of the multitude was undoubtedly increased by the fact that Valkyrie led the yankee boat for the first hour. She walked away from Defender in a way that led the Englishmen to fondly hope that their day had come at last Bright visions of the Americas cup foated be- fore their eyes, while the patriotic Amer jeans who were packed tier above tier on the many decked excursion steamers were very glum. A hush fell over the marine ampitheater when the boats started, and all the joys of yachting seemed gone when Nalkyrie easily moved to the front and showed her heels to Defender. Cheers and enthusiasm were missing for a full hour when the British boat was leading. There was only a five-knot breeze at the start, and as predicted in these dispatches Valky- rie was going through the water faster than the Defender in the light air. There was lumpy sea on and quite a swell came in from the ocean, but the buffet ing of the waves against the Britisher's bow did not keep her back She out pointed and outfooted the Herreshoh boat, to the amazement of the great crowd of spectators.
 But after establishing lead of good quarter of mile the wind freshened, the 1lao 1loY,r ffaf1 hnl har TxTT and the yankee yacht began to gain. When the crowd saw 1t there was gem eral brightening up, and as it became plain that the product of American brains was picking up her rival cheer went up and tug boat whistles screeched. As both yachts were beating to windward it is impossible to say just when the De- fender overhauled the British boat, but it was 1:25 D. m. when the boats had covered nearly half of the fifteen miles windward work. Once the Defender got her gait there was no catching her, and as the wind continued to freshen she opened up very large gap between her stern and the bow of Lord Dunraven's boat When the Defender reached the outer mark she had an advantage or three minutes and twenty-seven seconds There was big demonstration as the yankee boat made the turn. The wind having shifted, the run home became 0 broad reach and it was of constant gain fol the gallant American boat. Going hoi 1e the gain was four minutes and fifty-three seconds.
 With the time allowance of twenty nine seconds, the Defenders victory was eight minutes and forty-nne seconds. The wind was ten knots at the finish.
 The days race showed Valkyrie III moved like a ghost in a wind of less than six knots and that she seemed speedier than the Defender in that wind. It also showed that with wind of from eight to ten knots in both windward work and broad reaching the English boat could not keep thepace set by the Defender. Both yachts were somewhat interfered with by the attendant fleet, but the patrol yachts kept fairly clear course except at the start and finish.