The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08
AS SEEN IN THIS CITY.

went begging almost at to 1.
AS SEEN In THIS CITY.
How the "CaII's" Model Yachts
Showed Every Phase of the Great
International Race.
| Even more successful than the original
event in New York was its accurate repro
duction in miniature at the business Office
| OF THE CALL in this City.
While the original Defender and the
giant Valkyrie III sped over the waters of
| the Atlantic, two model yachts, constructed
ON the Identical lines of the great racers,
moved at directly proportionate speed
over the course laid out above the big sign
OF the San Francisco CALL on Market
street. Fifteen miles to windward and
return was the New York course; sixty
feet (also to windward) and return was the
| miniature distance. And all through the
great contest glance at the models re-
| vealed the progress of the race, and brief
mental calculation on basis OF four feet
to the mile told how far ahead was the
| leading yacht.
| In fact, San Francisco was better situated
| than New York SO far as actually seeing
| the race was concerned. On the Eastern
| coast people secured supposed points of
vantage and relied on their own eyes for a
| correct view of the race. But the racers
mingled with the feet OF pleasure craft,
the summer haze hung over the water and
ere the yachts got home a thick fog rolled
up from the Atlantic, and the finish of the
| greatest race OF a great series was lost to
them because they had made no such
| preparations as THE CALL had made for
the people of San Francisco
| And the people of San Francisco appre-
ciated the efforts of THE CALL in their be-
| half. Long before the announced hour of
| the race the crowds began to assemble
| in front Of the Office on Market street, and
curious eyes were fixed on the big sign
above which the racers were to be shown.
Then the yachts appeared and great
| cheer greeted them, while yachtsmen dis
cussed their perfect lines and chances of
victory, and many an urchin cast longing
glances at the pretty models. The false
start, the recall and the final "go' were all
viz idly and accurately reproduced. Did
the Defender in New York go about on the
| port tack? The tiny Defender above THE
CALL Office went about also as quickly as
electricity could flash the news across the
continent. Was the gap between the great
! yachts in the East closed up a quarter of
| mile? The interval between the models
was lessened by foot. And so it went.
The Defender passed the stakeboat and
started on its homeward run three minutes
before the Valkyrie and the crowd in front
of THE CALL office cheered.
And such a crowd! Market street was
black with people, SO that the gripmen on
the cable-cars could barely secure a pas
extended, and along the sidewalks in
either direction for a block. Little groups
there were about other bulletin boards, but
THE CALL's yacht race was the attraction
OF the day, and THE CALL had the people
with it.
The circus came along. With difficulty
the heavy wagons made their way through
the throng, for Market street could not
easily accommodate more people. The
procession attracted but passing notice,
toe, for the yachts were only five miles
from the finish, and the people awaited
the end.
Presently the end came. defender
wins!" flashed over the wires, and the
black-hulled model crossed the line. No
need of bulletin to tell that story! A
rousing cheer celebrated one more Ameri-
can victory. Caps and hats were thrown
into the air. while strangers shook hands
in congratulation. Then the bulletin con-
frmed the news, and there was another
cheer.
|. How was it done? One old fellow, who
had apparently taken a day off to see
Americas representative win from the
sturdy Britisher. explained to a friend
that THE CALL had two wires in New York
attached to the rival yacht, and that by
electricity the relative position of the
models was made to agree with tina. of the
originals.
"What wonderful things they do these
days by electricity" exclaimed the friend,
but that explanation was incorrect.
Back of the big sign stood table bear
ing a telegraphic instrument, and through
that instrument at brief intervals came
messages-most of them from the steamer
Mackay-Bennett in New York har-
Dor, upon which were two CALL CORE
spondents. Wires connected the steamer
with the shore. In accordance with these
messages the models were moved; and
thus by the enterprise of THE CALL San
Franciscans saw the race, which many
New Workers would have given almost