The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-09-11
vALEYRIE CANE IN FIRST +!
An Accident Mars the Second Race
For the Cup.
DEFENDERS RIGGING CRIPPLED
The Britisher Broke the Americans Top
mast Backstay, But the Defender
Hoisted a Protest and Sailed On.
May order Race Resailed.

May order Race Resailed
NEW YORK, Sept 11.-Crippled, but still
heeling far over in her strength and swift
ness, Defender followed Valkyrie across
The finish line yesterday. Less than half a
mile separated the two, and anxious eyes
kept pace, second by second, with the time
indicators as they moved around and
when it was seen that the American de.
fender had not only lost nothing in the
last twenty miles Of the course, but had
actually gained, great shout went up for
the gallant struggle gallant vessel had
made.
There were cheers for the victor, too, but
although Valkyrie III was the first chal-
lenger since n to lead over the home line,
the honor her performance was lost sight
of for the time in the grand effort of the
American, for if it were for nothing else
the American heart loves the hard loser in
the fight, and loves him the more when he
loses through no fault of his own. 1t was
a grievous accident that ruined the Yankee
| boats chances, an accident which under
the hair splitting circumstances of jockey
ing at the starting line looked to be un-
| avoidable.
EARLY in the morning the racers had
| leisurely made their way down to the
| Hook from Bay Ridge, white winged and
beautiful. They circled in great rings
about the lightship until the signals went
up for the course, and then the shippers
took a tighter grip of the wheel. Captain
Hank Half had made a record in seaman
ship on Saturday, and the English skipper
prepared to regain the fame which had
preceded him. They maneuvered swiftly
after the preparatory gun had been fired,
and with Valkyrie to the windward Cap
tain Half made every effort to gain that
position.
Just before reaching the line, when Val
kyrie was still to windward and Defender
leeward length astern, but still over
hauling her. the American boat was blank
eted so much that her baby jib topsail and
jib shook. Captain Half seeing this, luffed
up little, evidently intending to let the
other boat go ahead for the purpose of en-
abling him to pass under her stern and to
windward. Captain Sycamore, at Val
kyrie's tiller, noted this move and luffed
up also
1t was then that the thousands of
watchers on the surrounding boats noticed
how dangerously close to each other the
racers were. And just at that moment,
too, asnap and a rending sound was heard
and it was seen that Defenders jib topsail
was flying loose in the wind. Valkyrie'
main boom had swung around and fouled
Defenders rigging. TO those who had
witnessed the accident and sprang forward
at the ominous sound it seemed as though
Defender trembled with the shock They
saw her topmast bend and her topsail
swing over as though it would break away,
and groan went up as though the brave
boat which had won so noble victory a
few days before was wholly debarred from
even an effort to secure n second.
lightning action was necessary to save
the tOpmast from breaking away com
pletely, for it was already sprung from its
fastenings, and Captain Half with a mas
ter stroke, taking his boat down to lee
ward soon maneuvered her into a safe po-
sition and gave chase. Valkyrie, which
had crossed the line first, had gained good
lead by Defenders disasters, and had prob.
ably little moro than half mile advan-
tage at the end Of the first leg in the trian.
gular course over which they sailed. Her
gain was something less than four min
utes in that beat to windward
From that on, however, Defender, while
not psroeptibly closing the gap between
them, lessened the time, and they crossed
the line not much more than two minutes
apart. Vslkyrie, according to corrected
time, however, wins from the cup defender
by just forty seven seconds
Such an ideal summers day in the lower
bay has seldom been seen. 1t was moi
what American yacht pen call an idea
racing day, but nature has always been
kind to Dunravon, that gallant English
sportsman, and for the second time, in the
second race of the series for the America
cup and the honor of the sport, the winds
and the seas have favored the man who
has come 80 often to the line like true
Briton, with seldom a chance of winning
as events have happened.
There was life and motion at the start,
although it was no such scene as was pre-
sented on the day of the first race. The
course was down the Jersey coast, and
nautical experts on board some of the
boats, critically observing Defenders pro
gres1 expressed themselves as believing
she was merely following the Englishman
over the course, without attempting to
race. The belief was strengthened by the
fact that directly after the fouling at the
line protest flag was run up with a vigOl
that denoted determination on the part OF
the American commander.
/ Dub OcleuNlbf WAS III lOT u IdC6t anu uuI
ing the progress of the first few miles suf
flcient repairs were made to enable her &c
to set baby jib topsail after rounding the
: first buoy. Her little iib topsail looked
like speck, however, compared with the
great bellyiLg balloon jib topsail set by
Valkyrie, which was drawing tremend
ously. But the second ten miles was 4
veritable victory for the Yankee. She
gained slowly, but she gained steadily ,ant
turned the second mark not far hel
rival
Towards the end it was evident that the
gap was closing, and Valkyrie had scarcely
crossedthe line and got out of the way wheI
Defender came tearing at it like thor
oughbred under the wire. She must have
put on an extra burst of speed to gratify
those who had kept their eyes ON her while
canvass from gun to gun, for she was wei
on her side, and her sails bulged with The
force of tho driving breeze as roar o
whistles and volley of cheers and can
90, aoo,nd naoa