The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-04

race was to be fifteen milea straight running be-
fore the wind and fifteen miles beating back.
When the signals were put up the excursion
feet which had reached the LiRhtship by
this time. spread out toward the southwest:
the torpedo boats aud the revenue cutters had
already established a line not half mile but
from mile to mile and half from a
straight line drawn from the Sandy
Hook Liehtship down the Jersey coast.
and they hustled back and forth warn
ing everybody to keep outside OF that line.
threatening dire vengeance on any skipper who
dared to break over 1t even as much as boats
length.
At Ills the starting gun was fred.
the yachts that had been jockeying about
being then some distance from the line.
They came down. heading from two to three
points east OF the course Probably Barr was
willing to start behind. tho rear boat before
the wind having the advantage. The Sham
rock crossed with spinnaker in stops to port.
breaking out small lib topsail as
she went over. The Columbia broke out
both spinnakcr and balloon lib topsail In
crossing. She ran up quickly. threatening to
blanket tho shamrock. whereupon the
Shamrock luffed still further and Columbia.
unable to compete with her In that game be-
cause Of her spinnaker. put her helm up and
got upon the course. By this time she was
but little astern. and the Shamrock bearing
away for the course also pulled open her spin
maker and the race was on 10 dead earnest
1t was a sight to see On either side OF
the yachts. between two and three miles apart
and almost as far as the eye could reach. was
line OF boats most OF them filled and overflow
ing with an enthusiastic. shouting crowd.
There was the big four-decked Plymouth.
black from the gangways. above the
h. i1NN
house There was the City OF Lowell. three
decker. with az big crowd aboard as she ever
carried. and the Glen Island. the Monmouth.
the Columbia tho Grand Repu bile. the Richard
Peck, the Dolphin. the Block Island the Mount
Hope half dozen OF the Iron Steamboats,, and
dozens OF others. all black with people.
Sandwiched in between these along the line
were the most beautiful yachts that
are to be found anywhere in the world. There
was the Aphrodite, the Valiant, the Varuna. the
Kanawha. the Niagara. the Columbia. susque-
hanna Peerless. Marietta. tho Corsair and
almost a hundred others.
Within fifteen minutes the Colum ba had
overhauled the Irish boat. and at half past
IL she was actually passing her. and the
crowds on the excursion boats cheered and
yelled In their happiness The captains OF
some OF these big boats got so enthusiastic at
Just this time that they began to crawl into the
patrol line to get better view. but they had
NO more than stuck their noses across when
there was torpedo boat or revenue cutter on
hand. warning them back. and ordinarily to
their credit be 1t said. they went without a
whimper.
For ten miles now the rivals we're stored on
q different theory. Columbia stood straight
down the wind for the marx. mainsail ball
ancsd against spinnnaker.andb balloon lib hang
ing or Pickering as balloon ibis do when the
wind comes straight from behind and lightly.
Shamrock. on the other hand. bore slightly
tho eastward so that she made the wind play
caroms with her three great spreads OF can
vas. Coming over her starboard quarter It
bounded from mainsail to spinnaker and from
spinnaker to balloon. so that the headmost
OF the three swelled round and steady
and hard, like the others. This policy
took her somewhat of the true course.
but 1t took her ahead. and her skipper. being
content. held to 1t. Perhaps II the wind had
kept on as It began. the challenger might have
won the honor OF rounding for home tho first:
but this was not to be. Boreas. for 1t was his
veritable self that had been in action all this
time. began to show symptoms OF heart failure.
Soon it was a case OF It unmistakably. and 1t
developed too rapidly for him to provide the
yachts with enough driving force to finish.
From now on. the wind was puffy. change
able and everything unsatisfactory between
moderate gust and ayirtual calm. About hve
miles from the mark. tho wind checked
and baked. 1t backed around toward the
west and here Capt. Barr might enter
claim to better seamanship in trimming his
wings to suit. Capt. Hogarth might demur
and say that it was only a case OF the wester-
ing wind striking the Columbia FIRST; at any
rate the Columbia fi;st doused her spinnaker.
threw over her boom to port and with
her balloon lib following after. she jumped
from a dead run to broad reach. with all
pulling hard. Seeing how the land of-the-"ea
lay. Shamrock changed IKE her rival In ABOUT
equal time. with this difference: while both
boats were shockingly slow In getting their
balloons In snug and beautiful. the sham
rocks crew were less slow. On they new. Tor
By this time they were again nying. the sham-
rock coming back to the course and failing IN
behind the Columbia something under hait
mile astern
Then the sharps thought they saw a test in