The Portland daily press., 1899-10-06

rival. Ehe bands played and q few .whls-
ties footed. On, on, sne moved until she
was fully 800 yards ahead. The immense
spread Of canvas, including the balloon
lib was drawing In the gentle breszs
The whole crew of each yacht was aft to
nct as ballast and keep the head Of the
yacht up. Ihe wind began TO die and the
great balloons of canvas forward col
lapsed. At the same time the wind caDted
q little and Columbia took In her spin
maker and tried reaching, leaving the bal
loon jih set. IL was a challenge to the
shamrock on her best point of sailing and
Captain IIognrth accepted the gauge.
They went hei ding over toward the
Long Island shore and the Columbia con-
nued TO increase her ad.
1he Shamrock set her staysail but 10
only kept the wind from her balloon and
the sail itself hung limp from the stay.
In few minutes she took IL down,
The steamship Augusta Victoria out
ward bound to Southampton slowed
down to let her passengers catch q glimpss
OF the contest. Then she dipped her flag
and sped on. A few minutes later the
Cunard liner Servin, came foaminR into
port. In vain the patrol boats whistled
their warning but she swung slightly
outward as she came on straight through
the course, dipped her flag when absa 70
OF the racers and disappeared to leeward.
The emigrants aboard climbed up on her
forecastle desk to see the sight. The Co
lumbia got most Of the wash from the big
liner. bobblng ON the huge sgell and
spillfng much Of tie wind out Of her
sails. Meantime the excursion boa ts
pushed toward the outer mark. When
they get here they waited for an hour
but the champions did not come. Then,
when the wind hauled around to the
south southeast and the racers had taken
In their spiDnakers to beat into close
ha auled. the excursion boats puffed back
to see what the yachts we're doing. But
for the rest of the race, the yachts were
half the time in doldfums, with their
rails dap ag listlessly. When the streaks
Of wind would strike them they wou Id
luff and tack and split tacks, each yainly
endeav BRING to get into the place where
the z3phyrs were drinking the ocsan. For
two hours this was kept p,during which
no one seemed able to tell exactly how
the Shamrock drew up with her adver-
sary. At 3.43 when 1t was apparent to all
that the yachts could not maze the outer
mark, much less the finish, and when
both we're practically on even terms, the
committee decided to call the race off.
just before the regatta committee boat
hung ont the ball on the triatic stay
which declared the race of, the spectators
were watching the yachts with intense
interest. They had split tacks and now
the Colum bia was sailing toward the
Shamrock on tho port tack with the evil
dent intention OF crossing her bow The
water between them grew narrower and
narrower, until she was clpse enough
TO pass line aboard. Every body aboard
the excursion fleet expected her to orcss
the Shamrock s bow but Captain Barr
found 1t too risky and he put his helm
down and came over on the starboard
tack under the Shamrock lee. Although
the Columbia had her nose In froDt, the
challenger tapped her and held the
weather gauge. just at this instant the
signal went up declaring the race of and
both yachts turned about and headed for
home.
The sea was picture. All about the
horizon was q tanRle OF masts and stacks
and sails. Away of t. the eastward the
stea mship Gsrmanio was coming In from
the Atlantic with bone In her teeth.
A full rugged ship, with all royals set, as
sailing out to sea while OF! to the east
ward, In the track OF the excursion boats
as they headed home, the North Atlantic
squadron, bound for Hampton Roads,
was majesticaily benring down. In squad
ron formation line ahead. AS the exour-
sion feet moved toward them a stream of
signal flags tiuttered from the flagship
New York and the squadron changed for
mation, line abreas t,and came on as IL to
annihilAte the holiday hset But the
mob of vessels never faltered and went
racing homeward, surging between the
men of war, with whistles shrieking and
bands playing patriotic airs. One Of the
police patrol boats, Tying the nag of the
mayor of New York. barked out a salute
Of thirteen guns to Rear Admiral Samp.
son The Admiral roarod out his re-
sponse. gun Tor gun.
Under the rules the Columbia and
Shamrock viii race again on Saturday
next,