The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08

| took in the Shamrock's Spinnaker when
the mark was sighted, ,gybed the Shaill'
| rn,,k and trimmed down the balloon 1.b
| tonsail with great rapidity and with ev-
| arything drawing splandidly. before the
Americans knew ii he WAS hitting TO-
ward Columbia. Captain Barr on Col
un,hia. followed suit. but the Shamrock
had passed him well to the windward.
lyantain Hogarth then set his splnn1ker
ia mort and increased the lead Captain
Barr seemed lnwillingat first to follow
tho lend of the Englishman and waited
almost IL minftes, while Shamrock
oyerhauled and passed him, before he
dad SO. Shamrock was n hundred yarIs
ahead before he had got his sails trlm-
med to the new conditions. The Patriots
did not nince words In their criticism
AT, Rarr's obstinacy. Soon afterwal%i, the
wind hauled around STA further, making
II n broad reach to the mark. Both
Yachts took in their spinnakerS anu
eosed their sheets. Them the white flyer
gained steadily. The yachts were nVY
about a mile and half from the outer
mark. All the interest conferred there,
and steamers hurried across the course
and lined mp To leeward, waiting with
eager interest to see which would round
first, Calamity the Americans came on.
1t was astonishing how fast SHE ghded
through the water. She ate up the dis
tanre between her and the green boat
until. when the mark was but a quarter
of n mile away less than hundred
wards separated them. Hope rose. The
Shamrock was to windward. They were
coming hike horses down the stretch.
hundred feet away, the Coumtla Ind
closed the gap. Her slender PROV just
Tapped the stern of the green hull Tn.
der the rules they must pass the float
with the red ball on the starboard end.
As the balloon ighs rallied down ON Doth
boats preparatory ITO the gy'be the watch
ing thousands held their breath. 1t did
not seem possible that the white ghost
could squeeze in between Shamrock and
the mark. To the ollookers it seemed
inevitable that unless the Yankee boat
kept away under the stern of the Sham
rock. there would be collision or the
Columbia would foul the float But I.
Oliver Iselin had desperate courage i'll
a tight place. He played the Emit. Inc
man who set club topsail in dr1v-
ing gale in the deciding race between
Nigilant and Nalkyrie II. would stop Al
nothing. On he came, forcing the Sham-
rock to go wide around, while the Coi-
umbia seemed to scrape the float as she
were about with her helm hard down.
Though the Shamrock rounded first by
nine seconds. she swept around so far ON
the outside that as both boats came up
and their sails filled AWAY on the star
board tack. Columbia not only had the
weather gauge, hut was IN the lead. No
more reckless piece of courage was ever
seen in an international race. 1T was
desperate game but it won. Had the
Columbia SO much as touched the float
she would have been disqualified then
and there The patriots oheered wildly
and the shippers of the excursion fieef
let off enough steam to carry their yes
sells back to New York.
The official time of the rounding the
outer mark was:
Shamrock, 1869.
Columbia, 136:34.
The enthusiasm of the patriots broke
out again few minutes later when,
after few short tacks Shamrock tried
to cross Columbia's bows, but failed.
The boat to the windward was by far
the most interesting portion OF the race
while the breeze held. Close hauled
the boats slashed straight out TO sea.
through the long heavy swell, heehng TO
the breeze in stately fashion, with
foam squirting from their graceful bows
and crews piled upon the weather rail
Of the sloping decks. Though no sohd
water came over their glistening sides,
it swirled along under their counters.
There was plenty of spray and every
man aboard was as wet If he had been
under shower bath. 1t was strange
that the Columbia, the famous light
weather boat, should careen less to the
wind than her rival from over the sea.
The old barnaces said her immense
ovcrhang, dipping down, supported her
and kept her up stiff as a church. The
Shamrock, the famous heavy weather
boat, leaned to it like a queen. As the
wind began to die'out and the hope Of
finishing the race began to vanish, the
two boats split lacks and did not come
together again for a long time, keeping
everyone guessing which was ahead.
During this tiuky period, everybody
agreed that the Shamrock was the bet
ter handled She never failed to take
advantage of every new slant of the
wind. At last, 20 minutes before the
race was declared off, Shamrock decided
to try conclusion and she headed across
Columbia's bow. So uncertain was the
result that no one knew until the yachts
were within a hundred feet of each
other, which would have to give way.
The Yankee shippers all had their hands
on their whistle cords, and when Sham
rock put her helm up, unable 10 make
ii, from both sides of the course came
the shrieks of thousands Of whistles, the
enthusiastic shouts of the multitude and
the crash Of bands. They sailed the
last 20 minutes neck and neck, but
with the Columbia to the windWard and
perhaps half length ahead.
Disappointed but oyerjoyed that when
the race was declared off the cup de-
fender was III the lead the excursion
fleet headed back for Sandy Hook as
fast as ateam and sail could carry
them.