The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-21

driving waves. Oceans OF spray came
over, and occasionally both shipped
solid crests OF green water, forward.
Their wakes was a smothcred foam.
Everything aboard was wet and Drip
ping. Seldom has there been such =
smashing sea under the bows Of cup
contestants. The water spurted twenty
feet into the mir. The green boat laboF-
ed more than the Yankee. Once or
twice she buried her bowsprIt in the
seas. wetting her head sails. It was a
grand sight.
The Columbia pointed almost a point
higher than her rival and footed just
as fast. The Columbia had housed her
working topBail before they turned the
mark, but the Shamrock held on until
In the constantly freshening wind she
decided that 1t was dangerous to carry
1t longer, and a sailor was sent alott 70
lower Il. II was delicate job with the
big nlnety-footer bucking Into the
jumping sea like n broncho, but after
1--WE minutes Of hard work II was sue
cessfully accomplished; On every tack
Of the thresh to wlndwaTd the YAM
kee Increased her lead, sailing 30 close
that the old salts said she could wipe
the eye Of the wind" AT .1:4b the Col
uHb!a was leading by q quarter Of a
mile. The situation rfthe Shamrock
was desperate, and reckless Of the con-
sequences the British skipper decided
to crowd on more canvas, Fearlessly
he sent up, and after deal Of trouble
succeeded In setting small club top.
sail. The Columbia had the race well
in hand and did not need to risk a
broken spar. She kept on under main
sail, stay and flb.
Desperate Tactics.
Fortunately the challepger's top mast
did not carry away, though she leaned
over under the press OF canvas Until!
her slippery decks were tilted at an
angle OF thirty degrees. Her speed was
undoubtedly increased, but her inabIl-
lty to point lost her almost as much as
she gained in footing. Then she re-
sorted to splitting tacks, once running
close inshore under the Navesink High
lands. A slight cant in the wind favored
her at this time, and she managed to
close up the gap until little more than
half q mile separated her from the Col
umbfa, The patriots began TO feel ner-
yous, but with the finishing line two
miles away there was little danger,
Soon after the wind sl0ckened little
and thereafter the Shamrock lost rather
than gained ground. All the excursion
boats at this time were bucNng Into
the head seas for home as fast as their
screws could churn, The tughoata were
flooded. But on the run down the pace
was too hot, and not half the feet was
in at the finish. The rush Of the yachts
through the seas on the final tack was
magnificent. Geysers apurted from the
bows and drenched the sailors lying
piled IN against the weather rail. AS
the gallant Yankee shot across the mn
lsh between the llghtship and the COM
mittee boat the shippers OF the fleet that
had gotten there in time almost torgot
to open their whistles so absorbed were
they in the stirring sDectacles. But
they made up for 1t later. The defeat
ed challenger raced across hve minutes
and seventeen seconds later. The much
touted rough weather boat had been
beaten over a thirty-mile course SIX
minutes and eighteen seconds actual
time, or with the allowance she was to
concede Columbia on account OF her
longer water line, SIX minutes and thir-
ty.four seconds. The Shamrock got
a nolsler reception than Columbia as
she finished, perhaps because the latter
lime Mt which She crossed gave oppor-
tunity for some Of the bellted vessels
to get up.
4 Grand Spectacle.
A grand spectacle followed. The vic
tor, after lowering her sails, set the
stars and Stripes at her topmast truck
at both ends Of her spreader and at the
taffrail. Soon the whole feet blOssomed
out in American flags. Patriotic skip
pers ransacked their lockers for them
and they flew from every stan and
mast. The COrsaIr, the flagship Of the
New York Yacht club, had six flags
tapping In the stIfG breeze as she went
alongside the Columbia and gave her
three shrieNng blasts. Then her crew
cheered and the hardy Deer islanders
aboard the Columbia responded with
barred heads. All the ships In the eS-
cursion fleet followed. turning loose
their whistles in a maddenlng chorus,
whose notes ranged from the deep paSe
of the Sound steamers to the shrill Ial-
setto Of the torpedo boats. Some OF the
excursion boats kept their whistles go
ing half way TO New York.
Later the Erin, which had remained
behind for few minutes with the
Shamrock, steamed up to the Columbia,
the Stars and Stripes nutterlng from
main and mIzGen. The Corsllr greeted
her with cannon, which Sir Thomas ac-
knowledged by dipping the English
Jack at the taffrall. Then by Sir
Thomas orders the crew Of the Erin
lined the rail and gnve three good An
Glo-Saxon cheers for the vIctors. They
were returned with interest by the
proud crew OF the Columbia. The
American boat was the first to reach
her Rfoorlng buoy inside the hook, and
when her late rival came up In tow
the sailors OF both seized the opportu-
nifty TO cheer each other Justify. Later
Sir Thomas went aboard the CorS2tr'
and there soon afterward Mr.. lselin'
managing owner Of the Columbia
Joined him. There were toasts to vic,
tor and VanQuished, to America ana
Great Britain, to gentlemen and ladies'
ana all sorts OF things, and 80, with
felIcltatlons all around, the cup series
for 1899 ended with the best OF good