The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-10-09

Then the white flyer gained steadily The
yachts were about mile and a half from
the outer mark. Steamers, tugs and
yachts hurried across the course and lined
up to leeward, waiting with eager interest
10 see which would run first. Calamity
the American came on. II was astonish.
ing how fast she gllde1 through the wa
ter She ate up the distance until, when
the mark was but a quarter of mile
away, less than a hundred yards separat>
ed them. Hope rose. The Shamrock was
10 windward They were coming like
, horses down abe stretch. a hundred feet
aawy and Columbia had closed ahe gap.
Her slender PROV just tapped the stern OF
the green hull Under the rules they must
pass the hoat with the red bah on the
starboard end As the balloon jibs ratified
down on both boats preparatory to the
aybe the watching thousands held their
breath
NEARLY A COLLISION.
1t did not seem possible that the white
ghost could squeeze in. To the onlookers
It seemed inevitable that unless the YAM
kee boat kept away under the stern OF tins
Shamrock. there would be a collision or
the Columbia would foul the fleet. But
- OllNtI lStllu mas htNltidAt NbuideN
I'm tight place. He played the limit.
The man who set a club topsail i'm n driv-
ing gale in the deciding race between
the Viglant and Valkryie Ill would stop
at nothing. on he came. forcing the
Shamrock TO go wide around. white tho
Columbia seemed To scrape the float az
she wore about wi tn her helm hard down.
Though the Shamrock rounded nrst by
nine seconds, she swept around so far on
the outside that as both boats came up
and their sails filled away on the star
board tack Columbia not only had the
weather guage, but was In the lead. No
more reckless piece Of courage was ever
seen In an international race. It was a
desperate game. but it won. Had the
Columbia so much as touched the fioat
she would have been disqualified then ana
there The patriots cheered wild and the
shippers of the excursion fleet let on
enough steam To carry their vessels back
to New York. The enthusiasm of the pat
| riots broke out again a few minutes later
when, after a few short tacks, Shamrock
| tried TO cross Columbla's 5 bows. but failed.
| The beat TO windward was by far the
| most interestisg part Of the race while
the breeze held. Close hauled, the two
| yachts s!ashed straight out 60 sea through
| the long heavy swell, heeliug 10 the breeze
! in stately fashion. with foam squirting
from their bows. and crews piled up OF
the weather rail of the slooping decks
Though no solid water came over theiI
glistening sides. 1t swirled down under tn
counters There was plenty OF spray an'
every man aboard was as wet as II n
had been under a shower bath. II wa
rather strange that the Columbia, the "a
nous light weather boat, should SArsel
less 10 the wind than her rival.
/ The Shamrock the famous heav
weather boat, leaned 10 It like queer
As the wind began 20 die out and tn
hope Of finishing the race began 10 van
Ism the two boats split tacks and did
not come tt gethe- again for a long TIME
4 Fteping everyone guessing which one wa
e ahead. During this fuky period every
D body agreed that the Shamrock was n
: better handled She never failed 90 tai
! advantag OF every new slant Of the VIM
At last twenty minutes before the ra'
II was declared on, Shamrock deci ted 10 u
e conclusions and she headece across co
q umbta's bow SO uncertain was the r
% suit that no one knew until the yach
were within one hundred feet Of one al
u other which would have 10 give way III
n Yankee shippers all had their hands
st their whistle cords. and when Shamro'
% put her helm up, unable TO make 81. fro
Al both sides OF the course came shrieks
he thousands OF whistles. the enthusiast
3 shouts OF the multtudes and the crash
et the bands. They sailed the last twen