The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-17
DRAGON CAPTURED THE CUP.
,roS THE CHALLENGE RACE AT
CHARLESTON By 10 MINUTES.

.,uia Came in Second on Time Al
,o,,ance-The savannah Yacht Seen
"a Her Best Advantage in High
viud-Her victory EnthusiasticaI-
~ Cheered by CharIestonians and
Savannahians AIike-Three Hum
dred Savannahians Saw the Race.
In beautiful race, under adverse con-
5,tons and with the weather dead against
her the Dragon ran away from the
rbarleston yachts yesterday and won in
walk. For a long time the race be-
tvraen the Dragon and the Katrinka was
,-srv close, but. in the final stretch the
savannah yacht showed her superiority
IN light winds, and the Charleston cup
5ofender was left far In the rear. BY
corrected time the Dragon beat the Ka-
fr,nka twenty minutes and thirty-nine
seconds. and the Titania nineteen min
MES and thirty-nine seconos.
A big crowd went over in the morning
70 see the race, and about as many had
gone over the night before. In all there
1y-re between 200 and 800 Savannah peo-
nile on The piazzas of the yacht club when
tbe race started, and they followed the
course on one or the other of the steam
ers that carried down the bay the mem
ne
friends. Among them were many ladies'
and none were more enthusi-
ash, or more anxious that the Dragon
should be the victor in the contest. With
trimming eyes and throoDing hearts they
watched the contest for supremacy and
cbeered each maneuver of the racers that
Showed a superiority of nautical construc-
lion or skill The steamers PLANTER and
S9prho, the steam yacht jackson and
many sailing vessels were the fleet that
followed the racers, and each of the boats
was thronged with a cheering and en-
The Charleston people were model hosts
and their efforts to show the visitors "a
good time and everything else that there
is in the harbor were earnest and contlnu-
Gus No annoyance was too great for
them to endure and they did everything
possible for the comfort, pleasure and
Convenience of their guests. They back
ed their boats, too when they could ger
bets they regarded as fair, but most of
them were assured before the race that
they would lose and that the superior
sailing qualities of the Dragon would
prove her a victor in the contest. For
long time the issue was in doubt, but at
lasl merit and good sailing exhibited Them
selves and the Savannah flyer crossed the
line an easy winner
Behind at the start.
The start was promptly at O'Clock, the
two Charleston boats getting off within
minute of the hour The Dragon played
with herself at the start and lost six sec
onds in crossing the line. The three
yachts started down the beautiful bay in
fine shape the Katrinka leading, the IT,
tana second and the Dragon not far be-
mind. Before long the Titania, that had
been rugged for rough weather and had
no flying sails set, was left in the lurcn
and not until the end Of the race did she
catch up with the others, The wind was
100 light to permit her to do much execu-
ton and the hopes of the Charlesto ton peo-
pie were pinned to the Katrinka.
The breeze treshened after a little and
the katripka increased her lead. The Ii
tania had already been left far behind
and could not regain the lost time. The
fleet yacht of the vice commodore kept
pluckily up and with such light sails
made a wonderful race. Still the Wind
increased and the Dragon and the Ka-
uinka, hanging on the heels of each 9TH
er. forged alternately anead. The advan-
tage of every tack and Of every current
the favoring impetus of every puff of
wind was sought and nothing was lost
that could in any manner help to Win
the race. In some of the stretches the
Katrinka had the advantage and the
hopes of her followers rose and brighten
ed. For three-quarters of the time she
kept her lead of the Dragon and nothing
that the Savannah yachtsmen could do
apparently, could much decrease the lead
or put her in the van. The two boats
were not twenty seconds apart and
prettier race was never seen in Charles
ton waters or any other. AS they came
in The neighborhood of one or the other
Of the steamers or the pleasure craft
that followed the race, there were cheers
and shouts of announcement, and the
crews of the racers were urged with
compliment and invective to put forth
every effort and win, if they could.
The course is tortuous one. rounding
marked several time, and all the
time the yachts were in easy
view of the crowds of Spectators that
thronged the shore. The fact that there
We're only three boats in the race made
il possible to pick out the leader and dis
tnguish her nearest follower and thus
element of the race. The Titania had
by this time been left far behind, but
kept pluckily in the rear and showed all
of the time that she was a competitor
10 be reckoned with and not yet out Of
the race. a, n
The Dragoon's Chance.
The wind slackened almost 70 dead
calm and the yachts were barely drifting
1t freshened again, and in rounding the
cove Beacon buoy the Dragon out-gen-
eraled her opponent and forged TO the
front, Her effort at this point was
tE of good seamanssh ship and won won
followed the rounding of The buoy she
ran easily ahead of the Katrinka and
secured a Lead that aItno time IN the rSee
could the Charleston boat make up. The
savannah men on the various craft cheer
ed their champion, and from this time on
the issue of the contest was never for
moment in doubt. The only question
was how much the Dragon would come
ih ahead OF her opponents, ana those VINO
were disposed 10 make BueSSSS on lHlS
feature increased them every 1--WE min
utes
The Dragon was beautifully sailed
throughout. On one or two occasions her
maneuvers appeared to be unfortunate
and to lose time, but as a general rule.
Capt. Schley estimated her chances OF
making a difficult point With nice exact
ness, and rounded just in time. In the
tack around the Cove Beacon buoy, in
which the Savannah boat secured her
Lead. il was admitted by the Charleston
people that the Katrinka had been out
generated and outsaied, and that the
buoy was rounded with a nice calculation
of tide and current that made 1t triumph
Of seamanship. The Charleston sailors
We're, Of course. familiar with every turn
and winding in the harbor and necessarily
got out of their boats everything that
was in them.
Long before the finish the result of the
race was a foregone conclusion, but the
interest never abaled and was just as close
al the end as il had been at the start. The
steamers reached the club house in adj
Vance Of the yachts ana their passengers
thronged The wharyos and piers and walled
-@r the gun that would announce to them
nat the winner had crossed the line. AT