Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-26
The Columbia Given Her
Trial Trip Yesterday
CUP NOW SEEMS SAFE
Only a Few Minor Changes are Neces-
Sary Before She Will Be Ready 10
Meet the Shamrock in the Chal-
lenge Race.

Newport, r. L., June 25.-The first trial
trip of the New American cup defender,
Columbia, which took place in Narragan-
sett bay today, was more successful than
either her builders or her owners had rea-
son to hope. MOI only did the new boat
show herself to be able in every particu-
lar, but she met the old race Defender
in a friendly brush of a mile to windward
and vanquished her with the greatest
ease. The race between the flyers, which
was over in five minutes, was sailed in
an elght-knot breeze under the same con-
dltiors, each beat carrying three lower
sails with sheet we'll flattened. 1t took
the Columbia about three minutes, sail
ing from the Defenders weather quarter,
to blanket her and in five minutes she was
100 yards ahead. going past the old cup
defender as if the latter was anchored.
Under these circumstances it would seem
as If the Columbia were from Is to 20
seconds a mile faster than the Defender
and If she can make the same gain in a
hard blow fears for the safety of the
Americas cup will be considerably al
layed.
The trip today was the builders trial
ana although the managing owner, G.
owe lselin. and a number Of his yacht
ing friends were on board. still the Col
u1nbia's designer, Nat Herleschoff, was
IN charge and after the sail down the bay
the boat was lowed back to Bristol for a
rev minor repairs. 1t is expected that the
BOAT will have another trial Thursday
and by the end of the week she will be
formally turned over to Mr.. Iselin. In
the meantime her interior fittings will be
and hpr hnNGsyIEt u,Iin1, o,,,,
emily started in the socket during today's
brush with Defender probably will need
some attention. Before the Columbia left
for Bristol this afternoon Mr.. Iselin ex-
pressed himself as being more than salts
ned with her and 1t was a happy lot of
yachtsmen that watched her for an hour
and went to Bristol with her.
The Columbia lay off the Herreschoff
wharf all last night, being nloored well
out IN the channel, in order to. avoid a
repetition of Yesterdays unfortunate
grounding. The crew was up early and
by 8 O'Clock this morning her decks
were washed down and the big No. 1
interval tor breakfast VI the tender st.
Mlchaels, the crew began the work of
up the mainsail. 1t was a pref
~ difficult task for % men to get the
great stretc.I of canvas well into the
air. Such a huge sail had never been
before and it was over an hour
before 1t was up to Capt. Barr's salts
Just before 8 O'clock Nat Herreschoff
pulled off from the shore and shorty
after the naptha launch brought M.
ana Mrs. 1selin and three yachtin!
trends from the tender. The weather at
thls uine was threatening and the
soutnWest breeze of the early morning |
mad fattened out to Il calm. At a quar-
past 8 the anchor broke ground and
the columbia was off on her initial
trial, beating slowly down the BAY with
Herreschoff at the wheel. As the
yacht stood off the jib was broken out
ana her staysail went up. but the wind
Sc llsht that, after standing over
ABOUT, the naptha launch had to be
ealled upon for assistance. The launch, |
after getting her around, toWed her we'll
over toward Hog island, at the entrance
10 the Iarbor and then the wind fresh
med a bit the tow line was cast off.
Inc poat rapidly gained headWay. as
ne wind increased and, after a number
# short tacks. stood out into the bav he-
s"eeh Hog island and Bristol point. The
ofeeze was scarcely over three knots an
lour, yet the Columbia slipped along
making hardly a ripple and with the ease
II a racing shell. Even in the light wind
Herfeschoff was able to throw her
oi w d"CIdSe Oh 80 seconds and
ater, when Captain Barr took the
vheel, he tackled IN 30, %, % and even in
u seconds, showing the new boat 70 he
,etWcen 10 and 10 seconds faster in STAYS
nan the Defender. In the f]reshenins
slnd the boat made very little fuss as she
'llded through the water and there was
o percept'ble wave on her quarter, but a
wake astern.
AS the wind caught the big mairsail
t 1lled out and set beautifully with
carcely a wrinkle within its entire sur
ace, or even a waver. On the other
and, the heal sails were a d%isappoint-
aent. The forestry sail seemed to he
ut very straight along the foot, while
he head of the sail. which was too full.
appel badly to the wind. Later the
l1t on this sail set much better, but the
10 kept spilling out wind so that if
hook nearly all day. The jib was fairly
teady but had a big bag along the huff
'hich shows that it could stand bur LITTLE
tretching.
Standing out of the harbor. the Col
1mbla was headed across the bay TO
ne shore of the island and lust
efore 10 o'clock a. m. she went
pout and with a constantly freshening
raeze from the southwest stood over to- I
ard Prudence island, on the west coast +,
[ the bay. AS she passed the Hog island {
ShtshlD the latter's crew saluted her {
'lth three strikes on her fog bell, which
alute was answered by the tender ST
llcHaelS. Steamiup alDup haIiv1 ,r;.x