Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-06
WIND SUPPLY FALLS SHORT
CONTINUED from First Page.)

CONTINUED from First Page)
on the surface OF the water, their frail
hulls slipping through the placid seas as
gently and placidly as II they had been in
a dreamless sleep.
For almost an hour the spectators on the
excursion boats watched the race drift like
Coleridges painted Ship Upon a Painted
Ocean"
The only cheering feature OF the situa-
ton was that the Columbia steadily gaineo
ground, as inch by inch 1t crept along. AT
the end of fifteen minutes several lengths
of clear water showed between it and it's
green rival The bands played and a few
whistles footed On. on, it moved until II
was fully 500 yards ahead. 1t was pic
turesuue, but not exciting. The immense
spread OF canvas. including the balloon jlo,
was drawing in the breeze. The whole crew
of each yacht was aft to act as ballast ana
keep the head Of the yachts up Only a
few OF them were busy easing sheets and
tightening halyards. Then the wind began
to die and the great balloon OF canvas for
ward collapsed like meal sacks.
Columbia Changes Tactics.
At the same time the wind canted a little
and the Columbia concluded to change its
tactics. 1t took in its spnnaker and tried
reaching, leaving the ballon jib set 1t was
a challenge to the Shamrock on it's best
point of sailing and Captain Hogarth eagerly
accepted the gage. They went heading over
| toward the Long Island shore and the CO.
| lumbia continued to increase its lead. The
| Shamrock chagrined, attempted to crowd
| on a little more canvas by setting its stay
sail, but it only kept the previous wind
! from its balloon and the sail itself hung
| from the stay as limp and listless as a we,
rag. In few minutes it took it down.
| AS the yachts approached nearer the Lone
Island shore the haze lifted for a moment
and Long Beach, with its big hotel and de.
| serted summer cottages, rose as II by en-.
chantment from the deep. Then it CLOSED
down and the lazy yachts drifted on. The
great ocean liner Auguste Victoria, Of tn,
Hamburg American line, outward bound t
Southampton, broke through the mystic cir
Gle where the yachts were battling for th
supremacy and slowed down for a momen
to let the passengers who lined the raj
catch glimpse of the contest, then it dippet
its flag and passed on like flying express
train in the gloom.
A few minutes later the Cunarder Servi
appeared, as If by magic, through the QUITE
edge OF the curtain and came foaming int
port In vain the patrol boats whistled thei
warning, but it swung slightly outward a
it came on straight through the course
dipped its flag as it got abeam of the racer
and disappeared like streak three-quarter
Of a mile to leeward.
Good Omen of Future.
The emigrants aboard crowded upon It
forecastle deck to see the sight, and wha
they saw pleased them Immensely. Their
was the representative of the new world l
which they had decided to cast their fol
tunes leaving the representative Of the oil
astern. 1t was good omen Of the futur
to each Of them.
The Columbia got most of the wash frol
the big transatlantic liner, bobbing on tn
huge swell as 1t went under 1t and spillin
, much precious wind out of the sails. Near
time the excursion fleet was pushing towar
the outer mark, where it waited for an hou
, but the champions did not come. Throug
the mist the racers just could be made ou
When the wind hauled around to the sout
southwest and the racers had taken in the
spinnakers to beat into it closehauled, tt
excursion boats all puffed back to see VIII
was being done at this point of sailn
But for the rest of the race the yach
were in the doldrums with sails flappiI
listlessly. When the streaks of wind wou
strike, the yachts would luff and tack al
split tacks, each vainly endeavoring to g
into the place where the light zephy
were crinkling the smoothe surface of Il
ocean. For two hours this was kept u
during which time no one seemed to be alb
to tell exactly how the Shamrock drew
with its adversary.
Call the Race on