The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-27
WGlLANT WANTED, A SPIN.
SHE FOLLOWS THE BRITISH YACHT
OUTSIDE IL RACING CLOTHES.


by soon Dropping Her Anchor.
Description of valISyrie's Appear
ance and POints-Her Racing suit
OF Sails Handsome One.
New York, Aug 26.-The Valkyrie. es-
corted by a fleet of newspaper tugs,
went down to Sandy Hook this after
noon for the avewed purpose of taking
her first spin in American waters under
racing canvas. but disappointed great
many people by anchoring In the Horse
shoe and remaining there. Among the
disappointed ones was MIR. George ].
Gould, who went down to Sandy Hook on
the Atalanta and was transferred to the
Vigilant and sailed in the Tobin Bronze
boat outside
Mr.. Gould may have been Que merely
to try his hand at the wheel Of the Wig
liant and to see what kind of shape Mr..
Willard has got her in, but the way he
took the cup defender Of 'e3 outside the
Hook and hovered about until nearly
nightfan, gave grounds for suspicion
that he wanted a brush with valkyrie
III.
The British yacht was foated at $3.50
a. NJ, the water having been let into the
dry dock at the Erie basin two hours
earlier. At 10:30 she vas warped out
of the dock and made fast to the side
of her tender, the City of Bridgeport.
The crew were busy all of the time put
ting the finishing touches on her racing
rig and making things shipshape. Capts.
Cranneld and Sycamore and Mr Glennie
directed operations, and Sailmaker Rat
sey saw that the preparations Tor stretch-
ing canvas were complete. just before
noon, the crew removed shoes and stock
ings, and in bare feet scrubbed down the
deck and sides of the yacht.
The cup hunter then looked kenu-
inc racing machine. She seemed TO sit on
the water as lightly as a duck, and the
| coat of potlead which extended up 10
within six inches of her deck, gave her
! glistening black sides in place of the
| white ones brought from bonnie Scot
land Her polished yellow spars shone in
| the sunlight but the big steel boom re-
mained the color of galvanized iron and
was the only thing about the boat which
did not look trim and yachtlike.
At o'clock the tug Lewis Pulver with
| H. Maitland Kersey on board, arrived.
! The Pulver was given a line and the Val
| lxyrie started out of the basin in tow. AS
| the yacht proceeded down the bay the
work of bending the mainsail was begun.
The United Press tug c. I. Raymond and
four tugs carrying newspaper men and
photographers fell in line.
In the lower bay the Vigilant was found
with mainsail club topsail. jib and stay
| sail up cruising about in the main ship
| shannel. She met the Valkyrie and going
about followed her down to the Horse
shoe, in side of Sandy Hook. Just as
the British yacht reached the southwest
| spit, inside of the Hook the steam yacht
! Atalanta with George ]. Could Edwin
Gould and several guests arrived. The
| Atalanta dropped anchor and George
Gould was rowed to the Vigilant. As
| he stepped aboard and took the wheel,
| he was given three cheers by the crew.
| The Nigilant had on a new suit of clothes
and no finer has been seen on any yacht
in these waters this year at least. The
sails were all made by Sawyer, the HERE
schoffs sails having apparently been aban-
dOned. The main sail had cloths running
| from head to foot, and the four outside
cloths being newer than the rest of the
| sail, indicated that it is one of her old
main sails enlarged. The jib, staysail and
club topsail ftted perfectly. The jib was
| without the club which has distinguished
| the Vigilant from the Defender all sum-
mer. The baby jibtopsail, afterward
broken out, had five battens in it and
set as fiat as a board. AS soon as Mr..
| Gould stepped aboard the Vigilant was
put about and went outside of Sandy Hook
Meanwhile the work of bending the main
! sail progressed slowly on the Valkyrie.
i Instead of going outside, she went in to-
! ward the Horseshoe, but held on to her
! tug. Mr.. Ratsey stated before leaving
| Erie basin that the mainsail could be
| bent in forty-five minutes Instead of that
the crew worked at it three hours Then
at 5 o'clock the halyards were manned
| and the sail hoisted. 1t proved to be a
handsome piece of canvas and of enor-
nous proportions. The forty men seemed
to have all they wanted to do to get the
| throat and peak of the gaff well up.
The sail set well, except at the
| foot There was considerable fullness
from the mast two-thirds of the way to
the end boom. The sail seemed to be
about six feet longer at the foot and four
or five feet taller than the mainsail or
either the Vigilant or Defender. Sailmaker
! Ratsey examined it closely and made notes
for some slight trimming down at the
foot.
The Valkyrie dropped her anchor and
dismissed the tug Pulver. At 5.45 the
mainsail was lowered and all prospect for
! a sail to-day was abandoned. The jib
and staysail were on deck ready to be
sent aloft, but the mainsail was the only
canvas put in place to-day Whether the
people on board the British boat were in
fiuenced in giving up the proposed sail
to-day by the presence of the newspaper
tugs or the actions of the Vigilant is not
known. 1t is pretty well understood that
Lord Dunraven's people would prefer a
| quiet spin when no one was looking and
with no boat like the Vigilant about to
get line on the cup hunter. In all prob
ability the British boat will trim her main
sail, get her headsails In place and take a
sail early tomorrow morning.
Ats o'clock the Vigilant returned inside
the Hook and anchored near the Valky-
rie for the night. The Vigilant is in bet
ter shape than ever and the sails used to-
day will probably be employed in the next
trial race, which Is set for Thursday at
| II a. m.
The Defender Is expected here to-mor-
row, and will also make her headquarters
in the Horseshoe when she arrives.
West India storm sim Moving.