Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-13
GOSSIPFRO GOTHAM
Criticism Of MIR. Iselin's Handling Of
the Columbia.
INTERPRETERS WITH THE CAPTAIN
Belief That the Cup May Be Lost
Through Him.
VIEWS OF CAPT. SAMUELS


NEW YORK, October IL. 1899.
Another day of calm the America cup
| course, but ashore it was quite squally over
| the contest for tie cup. The cause Of the
! tempest may be summed up thus: c. Oliver
| Iselin, the managing owner of the Column
| bia, is not popular. In fact, a great many
red-blooded, dyed-in-the-wool Americans
! have been heard to wish that Columbia
would be defeated. If only to keep Iselin out
of the cup contests in future. That the
gentleman from New Rochelle is beginning
| to feel some of the criticisms is evidenced
by his statement to the press yesterday,
| which statement was prompted by the as
| sertion that the Columbia was sailed by a
| lot of amateur yachtsmen. a woman and
yellow dog. Whether this be true or not.
| the fact remains that many people are
| charging that the Columbia is improperly
handled.
Capt Samuel Samuels, Americas most
famous racing skipper. who commanded the
schooner yacht Henrietta in her ocean race
| with the Fleetwing and Vesta, and who for
years was the commander of America
champion clipper ship, the old Dread
| naught, has compared the Columbia and
Shamrock Captain Samuels witnessed the
three trial races last week between the
American and British racing yachts, and
he studied the lines of both boats while
they were in dry dock.
The Two Yachts Compared.
"In Shamrock" says Captain Samuels,
1.-The builders have adopted the shape of
our wide centerboard boat, with a fixed
centerboard, which is called a keel, to the
bottom of which is added their dead weight.
Shamrock's shape and the extreme depth of
her ballast under her extremely light upper
body account for her great stability Di-
vested of the extreme overhang forward
and aft, you would have an approximate of
orr old schooner Columbia If Won fonSid-
or our own yacht Invested of her overhang
fore and aft you would have nearly the
dead rise of the schooner yacht Sappho, to
which would be added the extra deep
weighted keel The two models are ap-
parently alike. If Columbia showed the
same stability, her lines being finer than
those of Shamrock in my opinion Columbia
would be the faster of the two boats. AS
far as | have watched their sailing in the
light weather they have had there is little
difference. if any, between the boats. 1
never saw boats better matched. considering
that L believe the race will be in favor of
the better handled boat
What do you think of the manner in
which both boats have been handled?'. was
asked.
Il consider both boats we'll handled From
a seamans point of view, l should say
that if Capt. Barr had as free hand in
the management of his boat as Capt Ho-
garth has in the handling of the Sham
rock, 1 would bet on the former boat"
What in your opinion, would be the
result should the race be attempted in a
heavy blow?" was asked.
81 do not think" said Capt. Samueis,
with emphasis, that either vessel would
come back with spar standing, If they
came back at all, as neither could be
classed as seagOing vessel"
With reference to Capt. SamueTs state
ment that 'if Barr had as free a hand"
etc, it may be said that Capt. Urah
Rhoades who sailed the Defender in the
tuning-up spins with Columbia. and who
Is better man than Barr, ranking with
Hank Half and Norman Terry, has within
the past few days declined a berth on
Columbia to assist Barr. 1t is stated that
Rhoades refused the offer owing to the
fact that he believed he would be ham,
pered by Mr. Iseln and his amateur yacht
ing friends who sail on the craft, and who,
in a measure, regulate the actions of the
nominal racing skipper.
Capt. Half Also Declines.
Capt. Hank Half. it is said has also been
asked to assist Capt. Barr, but he is said
to have declined for the same reason
Capt. Rhoades was offered the position of
associate skipper on the Columbia as a
result of strenuous efforts made by w
Butler Duncan, jr., who was in charge of
the Defender during the tuning-up of the
latest Herreshon production, and after con-
sidering the advisab!lity of accepting 1t
for patriotic reasons he finally declined the
honor and left the city for his Long
Island home last Sunday.
1t is obvious that with the boats. accord
ing to all expert testimony, evenly match
ed, il will not be difficult to find reason
for defeat if Columbia is defeated. 1t will
be her handling pure and simple.
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Is now speed
ing across the continent on a special train.
but until he reaches here the contents of
the will of his late father. Cornelius Van
derbilt. will not be made public. The sec
ond son of the dead millionaire was on the
first stages of journey around the world
hon he of ia 1a.lt n
ed him. He took the first steamship for
America. friend of the Vanderbilt fam
lily says:
II understand that the will closely fol-
lows the lines of that of his father Will
lam Fl. Vanderbilt. Mrs. Vanderbilt will
get the 9th avenue residence and The
Breakers at Newport for life. and an in
come of $500 900 a year to Keep Them up.
These houses and the income allotted to
Mrs. Vanderbilt will at her death pass to
the third son. Reginald. The five children
will receive Sl0,0Oo.000 apiece. and the resi-
due Of the estate will be divided into two
equal parts, one OF which will be given
to Cornelius and the other to Alfred
Gwynne Vanderbilt. The whole property
will be made trust estate for a term of
years. Mr.. Vanderbilt was, 1 think. far
richer than he popularity supposed 20
be, and l believe the shares of his two
older sons will be over s50,o00,0O0 apiece"
Bullets Hit in the Same Place Twice
From the New Orleans Times Democrat
1.-The old axiom that lightning never
strikes twice at the same spot is not borne
out by fact said a regular army sur
geon the other day, but it is firmly be-
lieved by most soldiers. You remember the
character in one of Capt. Maryatt's nov
els who used to stick his head in cannon
ball holes regarding them the only Sc
cure spots in battle-well, an almost sin
gular incident came under my observation
at Santiago. During the desultory fighting
on the Sd of July several soldiers were
lying near big stump on the east wing
of the firing line when along came a bull
let and knocked out chunk of bark as
big my two palms. One of the troopers
reached forward and stuck his finger in
the hole. That's the safest place on the
field he said laughingly. and the words
were hardly out Of his mouth before an
other bullet shattered his hand. 1t took
off two fingers and struck the stump with
In, h,lf ~ he ell