The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-13

n.
over the course and the utter absence
Of wind caused the fifth successive fiz-
zle when another attempt was made to-
day TO sail the first OF the Columbia
Shamrock series for the international
trophy. The yachts win try again to-
morrow
The repeated failures have had
most discouraging effect on the general
public and there was a great falling
off in the number Of excursion boats
as well as the number of their passen-
gers when the feet gathered around
Sandy Hook lightship today at the
time set for the start. The heavy fog
made navigation not only exceedingly
difficult, but very dangerous. The ships
of the fleet that did brave the perils Of
The fog could only crawl out to their
destination, keeping double lookouts
forward, and their fog whistles inces-
sanity going TO avoid collision. At times
il was impossible to see fifty feet ahead,
and it was an unoanny spectacle to
have a big, ghost-like hull loom up
close aboard.
The mist lay thickest upon the sur
face of the water, and ON the way down
the bay the top royal yards of several
big clippers could be made out when
their hulls were invisible. The yards
seemed to be suspended in midair with
put support.
Hopes Once Raised.
Down in the lower bay the fog was
not quite so thick, and about 10 o'clock
a light land breeze from the west gave
a faint hope that it would send the fog
out to see and furnish racing condi-
lions later on. So the racing sloops let
so Of their mornings. and were towed
out To the starting line. There they got
their sails up and drifted about. rock
ing in the gentle ground-swell.
But the haze did not lift, and the
breeze, instead of increasing, died away
altogether. When the time came to
signal the course the weather vane at
the masthead of the committee boat,
which would respond to the breath of
a sleeping infant lay limp and life
tess against the staff. Shortly after -
o'clock. by mutual consent, the commit
tee boat hoisted the letter r. on the
triatic stay meaning race is off.
The sails were lowered and the tend
srs of the two yachts took them in tow
back to the horseshoe while the eX-
cursionists again sailed disconsolately
homeward.
Mr.. iselin's interview in this morn
ing's papers. protesting against the
savage criticism of the Columbia which
has been literally INDUCED in by some
of the newspapers, and appealing for
support for the Yankee and her crew
Until the series is completed, evidently
touched q patriotic chord, for on the
way back every excursion steamer in
the fleet sailed alongside and saluted.
while the passengers gave the white
beauty three rousing cheers and a
tiger.
The repeated flukes of Sandy Hook
have led to some agitation for a change
of the course TO Newport. where there
IS usually a breeze. or to Marblehead, /
-, ~,
difficulty would be experienced in get !
. ting plenty OF wind, but il is hardly |
likely that any change viii be made. I
The regatta committee argues that this f!
sort of weather cannot last at this 1
time of the year
The Yachts Were Ready.
The early morning hours at Sandy |
Hook bay gave little promise of a race. /
The weather was fairly clear for few
miles seaward at s o'clock, and there !
was a light breeze from a little south /
of west, but up 20 the northward. to- /
ward the NarrOws, the fog still hung /
thickly.
Mainsails were hoisted early on both |
yachts. and soon after 9 o'clock they |
cast off from their mornings and were |
towed out TO Sandy Hook lightship. !
Club topsails were mastheaded on the /
way out the Columbia setting smaller 1
ternoon. The Shamrock's was appar-
entity larger than any yet seen aloft.
1t was bent to two light aluminium /
spars, and its narrow cloth radiated |
from a center band ike jib.
The yachts arrived off the lightship at
EO:l0 a. m. Casting off their tow lines
and breaking out their headsails- they /
,ircled about the lightship for an hour
Or so in the light southwest breeze
waiting for the committee boat to ar !,
rive.
The Fog Fooled Them.
The fog showed disposition to clear
OF at this time, but there was hardly
wind enough TO give the yachts steer
age way. Fer an hour after the com
mittee boat arrived there was no wind
and TO prospect of. any, so at 1910
O'clock after a consultation between
those in charge of the yachts. both
agreed to call the race off, a gun was
fred and the code signal letter "R''
hois1ed. announcing that fact TO the
assembled fleet.
a few minutes later. as agreed on a
few days ago. another gun was fired
calling attention to the signal that the
race would be run next Friday. The
Manning and other revenue cutters the /,
torpedo boat Porter and all other YES
sells having the signal letters, hoisted
them so that all the fleet might know
OF the committees decision before going
back to the city.
The sails of both yachts were taken
IN as they were towed back to their
moorings in the horseshoe, where they
arrived at 100. The same persons were
on board the Columbia and Shamrock
as have been there on previous days.
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