Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-11
WEATHER ORACLE BADLY OFF
Scientific Predictions Fail 10 Bring Wind for
Yacht Rsc,,
WILL NOT TRY AGAIN UNTIL THURSDAY
Many Sightsecrs who witnessed
Three Flukes mt an Average Cost
of 90 to s25 Per Fiuke Have
Lost Their Interest.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10.-Tard luck continues
to pursue the big single stickers On the
three days last week when the yachts made
attempts to sail, light fiuky winds left them
stranded on the course when the time limit
expired
Today a fog bank prevented them from
even leaving their mooring buoys inside the
spit of land which forms Sandy Hook almost
at the lower part of The bay. This was
the most dismal fiasco of all. City and bay
were done up in gray clothes of impenetra-
Bile mist when the yachtsmen tumbled out
of bed this morning to get look at the
weather and there were gloom and dismay
along the water front.
The weather bureau with its scientific
methods had predicted clearing weather with
freshening winds today. OF course the poor,
misguided public went like lambs to the
slaughter. They backed Uncle Samuel S
weather oracle and put out to sea. But not
in such numbers as last week. Many Of the
sightseers who witnessed the three fiukes
at an average cost per fiuke OF from IS to
S25 had lost their interest and it will take
a race to restore It,
The fog had let down it's blank gray cur
tains all around them. The circle of vision
was barely 200 yards in diameter. The
yachts were as completely shut off from the
rest of the world as if they had been in
side big circus tent. The gray water
matched the gray mist and blotted out sky
and sea line. The sun tried to bore into
the gloom once or twice; its dim outlines
looking like a shining silver dollar could
just be discerned through the haze. There
was no wind to lift the cloud of mist that
literally rested on the water. If anything
thn vail ,,xJ IN tho&
for the race approached. 1t was manifestly
impossible for the yachts to put to sea in
such weather.
Sir Thomas and Mr.. Iselin had agreed at
o'clock not to sail until the fog lifted and
there was suitable breeze. So the big
sloops lay idly at the moorings The crews
loafed about the deck with nothing to dc
but wait.
Race Called OFF.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the committee
boat, which had gone outside to take q
last look around, returned and reported nc
indications of a change in the weather, 81
the formal announcement was made thai
there would be no race today.
Shortly after l o'clock, after consulting
with Sir Thomas and Mr.. Iselin, it was
decided to abide by the decision cf yesterday
not to sail race tomorrow. The next at
tempt therefore will be made on THURSDAY
and thereafter daily until the series is com
pleted.
Half an hour after the excursion fleet had
started for home the sun struggled through
the gloom for few minutes, but the effort
seemed to have been too much for the old
boy, and he went back. Later in the day
however, 1T cleared up and though the
weather bureaus prediction of a fresh
breeze was not realized, there was enough
air stirring for the Columbia to hoist its
sails and make a fifteen minute spin tc
try its new cubtopsail and see how its
newly cut mainsail fit. Both were pro-
nounced perfect by the experts, and il
went back to its moorings, where all was
made snug for the night.
The steam yacht Erin left the Horseshoe
for the city with Sir Thomas Upton and
his guests at :35 and returned to its
anchorage at 5 p. m. Nothing was done on
board Shamrock today
There seems to be growing feeling O,
confidence on the challenger regarding its
spars gear and sails. Some members OF
the crew when asked if any alterations were
to be made in Shamrock's sails said with
a smile:
I'VE are always ready to go when the
other boat Is. Our sails are all right and
all we want now is good stiff breeze
If we can beat it in slight breeze we can
certainly do so in strong breeze and
we're going to do it,