Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-08

loving ABOUT hye miles an hour There
N Mas something OF swell on the sea
~. ehe weather could not be called
rough by any means. The weather
conditions at the time were pretty
nearly those that have been described
us most hitting the Valkyrie.
me challenger slipped through the
water beautifully, throwing some spray
ap9Ne her bows. 1t Is true, but surely
n ,rg ahead faster than the Defender.
me latter was held very high up. but
Tor several minutes was outfooted and
outpointed. II was now the time when
was given birth the apprehension ~
the Yankees. The Valkyrle. IL was
plainly seen, was doing the faster work
ana as she slipped past the Defender
the sharps who had been betting on
Defender to win the match came nearly
to an opinion that their money was
gone Even the most enthusiastic adj
fnlrers of Defender and Captain Haff
such as for Instance, Captain Harry
Denis. of the tug Fred S. Dalscll, who
mas been on steamers for nearly forty
years remarked:
We will be done up today sure;
that Valltyrie is marvel In this kind
OF going"
Both yachts were handled in the
most admirable manner and IL cannot
be said that the sails on the Britou.
much as has been boasted set a whit
better than those OF the American boat.
In fact. II may be said that no fay
could be seen in any bit OF cloth on
either boat. The impression which
| some people have that RatZy was the
| only perfect canvass cutter in the
world was dispelled when Defenders
spread was seen in her really first race.
The yachts stood on the starboard
tack until 1883, when Defender was
iirst to go about. As soon as she saw
| this move, Nalkyrie did the same.
| Nalkyrie continued to gain advantage
and Defender was held up very sclose
to the wind and by so doing became
blanketed. When Captain Han saw
the trouble he was getting into. he at
l2'fI eased his ship OFF and gave her
the good full that her friends had been
hoping to see for many minutes. As
soon as Defender was eased of she he
gan to increase her speed. She caught
up on the Nalkyrie and her apparent
gain was less In reality than ii liolted
to be. When the Nalkyrle saw the De-
fender case off she did the samr thirg,
| though not to SO great an extent and
she maintained her lead. Now the
breeze freshened to about seven miles
an hour.
vallSyrle on feeling the breeze az ain
stood up high again while the full rap
on Defender was continued. Here De-
fender with her sails choclS full Of
wind, went ahead very fast but she
was the better than an eighth a. mile
to leeward.
1t was a beautiful race up to this
| point, but II was not a pleasant enc
for the patriots to gaze upon for
Valkyrie was surely In the lead. on
this tack the vessels encountered lead
seas from the southeast and horther
took them better than the other. Both
pounded good deal Valkyrle was
first TO come about. She rounded to
slarboard at 1:l2 and Defender followed
her example at once
The Defender was still an eighth of
n mile away on Valkyrie's weather
quarter. on this tack there was an
effort to get In some windward ad-
vantage by Defender. and she was
pinched very much. but Valkyrie held
her ground, and Defender could get no
nearer to her.
AT las Valkyrie evidently believing
that she could cross Defenders bow
II the latter would split tacks with
her, came about. The challenger was,
however, unable to weather the De-
| fehder, and when she passed under the
| Americans storm there was shrletlng
| by the steam yachts and excursion
boats in attendance that Will never
be forgotten by those who heard e..
Valkyrie, on finding that she had not
yet gained enough TO weather Defend
| err came back again to the starboard
I
she did so. Defender came about TO
port.
At . p. m. the contestants began n
long reach to starboard. During this
tack the wind hauled gradually to
east southeast by east, and finally to
southeast. The breeze stiffened. too.
up to about eight miles an hour. and
with that increase the Defender began
to overhaul the enemy. She picked up
her rival with burst of speed that
was remarkable as delightful to the
Inhabitants of the floating city that
was looking on,
So quickly did she overhaul the chal-
lenger that more than one observer re-
marked to his nelghbor to the effect
that old Hank Han had only been
jollying his competitor all the time.
II was 2.55 when the Defender was
on even terms with the Nalkyrie.
Thence she gradually forged ahead,
and at $3.50 II was estimated that the
Yankee boat was three lengths ahead
and well to windward at that. De-
fender was first to come around to
stnrboard and head for the other mark.
This was at 1926 II looked Just then as
though Defender was quarter OF u
mile to the good. When Valkyrie
| came about 10 seconds later, she was
| well away on Defenders quarter. The
breeze continued to about eight miles,
| and they came along at pretty lively
gait to round the buoy and square
| away for home.
As will be seen by the table below
the Defender passed first by three min
utes and twenty-three seconds, gain
OF three minutes and twenty-seven
seconds from the start. on turning
around they eased off sheet on the
starboard side, set balloon jlb topsails
and sped for the finish. The Valkyrle
took In her jlb. Before long, however,
seeing that Defenders staysal was
drawing we'll, reset hers.
The few champions OF Valkyrie wh1
were left said that their boat would
overhaul Defender on this broad reach
home. But she dldn't. The same Sails
were set on both ships all the WY to
the finish line whlla la wind gradually
dropped to its original strength OF
about five miles an hour. In ne n ath
Defender continuously incrcal ID Ter
lead over Nalkyric's ,.nd finished fisht
minutes and forty-nlne seconds ahead
OF her. 1t was. taken altogether. espe-
cialiy the concluding par. after 50
much had been sail ;lnut Nalkyrie'
power In light war. "he II the most
Interesting races.
The only thing 10 ar -he caN's
pleasure was 'he nctl3a - excursion
boats. notably the isichs.d eek aid
CITY OF Lowell, on go!rS TOO closely Il
windward OF the racing yachts.
when the Defender crossed the finish
I Ntt4 uFhfg.