New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-23
IN A FRIENDLY BRUSH.
THE COLUMBIA AND THE DEFENDER TRY
CONCLUSIONS AGAIN AT NEWPORT.
No ,r-ncr.s, ROAT AND NO TIME TAKEN-TITE
COLUMBIA SHOWED WELL IN
STIFF BREEZE.

Newport r. L. July 22-1n spite or CONNECT
Ing reports. the Columbll and the Defender had
q friendly brush for a couple of hours this al
ternoon beating of from Brenton's Reef Light
shin for four miles in light and bafiiing ar
and then running back again under a grahu
breeze from the southeast which sent them
along at ten knot gait
The Defender had more sail on than the 90
lumbia. and the latter towed a small Doat' yet
the aspirant for championship honors hau n'
difficulty in reaching the lightship f1rst' III 'i'
run in by a short eighth of a mile ana sho"eu
herself to be an able boat on VIDE reach !"
stiT breeze AS there was no Judges poa' III
attendance. and as the yachts did not come "
gether until half mile beyond the hsh'S"'p'
there was. Of course, no time TAKEN a''n'us"
tho Yachts were close together nearly all the
time
The early morning looked so thlcK ana threat
ening that Mr.. Iselin said decldedly that he
,orrd not race to-day, but at 10 o'clock, when
the weather cleared he yielded to Mr.. Duncans
earnest solicitation, and consented TO go out
eide for n short spin, but not for formal race
The repairs to the Defenders sheet tackle were
comnleted carly in the morning, so that her
manager was anxious for some sort OF trial
with the new boat and was therefore happy
Nh
THE DEFENDER RUNS AGROUND.
The Defender was first to get under way with
q light northwest breeze, and moved SLOWLY
down the harbor under mainsail two headsailS
and club topsas. When off the cemetery at
Fort Adams, while going very slowly, the De'
tenders keel touched bottom and for hlteeh
minutes she lay motonless. Captain Rhodes or
dered the lib topsa taken in, and soon the
naphtha launch Fayette came alongside ana sue
ceeded in getting the yacht into deep water
without apparent injury. The Columbia IN the
mean time had left her mornings, and the TWO
boats drifted down the bay and out toward the
lightship in the light air.
Just off Beaver Tail light the wind came IN
from the SOUTH and the Columbia, getting the
shift first. set her lib topsail and reached out
toward the lghtship. The Defender, however,
kept inshore, and with sheets we'll hattened
headed down toward Point Judith. The Column
bia came about and started after her, and the
two boats came together about haH a mile south
OF the lightship. The Defender had her jib top
sail again, but the Columbia carried her
working topsail and towed a small boat. Both
boats took a number Of tacks along the Nara
gansett shore the Defender being slightly in the
lead nearly all the time. The racers were sailed
evenly and easily, and in the light air there
seemed to be little difference between them.
About half way down Point Judith the wind
freshened and both boats set their large jb top
sails for the reach down to the Point Judith
whistling buoy, the wind having shifted slightly
to the eastward, which enabled the yachts to
sail with started sheets.
FOUR MILES UNDER TWENTY MINUTES
When about four miles from the lightship and
within three miles off Point Judith. the yachts
came round and headed back. 1t looked squally
and threatening to the eastward, and the wind
shifted further toward that quarter and began
to blow quite fresh. This made IT a close fetch
to the lghtship. and. the wind increasing all the
time the jibtopsails on both boats were taken In.
The run in Of four miles in the freshening
breeze was made in a little less than twenty
water well heeed down, and just before reach
ing the nghtshp the Columbia pulled out ahead
by a couple Of hundred yards.
The Columbia led the way up the harbor ana
reached her mornings about $3.50 O'Clock, the
Defender being a short distance behind
The Newport Yacht Racing Association an
nounced to-day that the next race under its
auspices for the two big boats would not be
held until Saturday, July %. 1t is not unlikely.
however, that the Columbia and Defender VIII
go outside for trying out spins during the week.
there will be no formal contest until they meet
again for the prizes offered by the association.
Both boats have permanent mornings in the
harbOr that of the Columbia being at the en-
trance OF the cove while the Defenders Is out
side OF Goat Island quite near where the North
Atlantic Squadron is lying The Columbias
crew are rapidly acquiring the knack of handling
the big sails quickly, although they are still
somewhat behind the men on the Defender