The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-21

on little more canvas, setting baby jib
tcpsall, and for ten minutes she seemed 10
hold the American even. Both were going
like frightened deer. A stern chase is
long one, but as the yachts approached the
outer marks the patrols. with high-bound-
ing pulses, saw that the Columbia was
again picking up on the enemy At 12lO
o'clock, half a mile from the outer mark,
the Bristol boat got alongside the chal-
lenger and, neck and neck, like a span of
race horses, they bowled along. Three min
utes later, when they took in their spin
makers, preparatory to gybbing, the Co
lumbia was length in the lead and foot
ing like mad. The yachts swept around the
mark, the Columbia II seconds ahead, but
so close that one chorus from the fleet
answered for botrh The Columbia had
gained a minute and seconds in the fifteen
mile run.
AS they leaned away on the starboard
tack for the beat home, the white flyer was
to windward and about length ahead
With their sheets trimmed fiat aft they
surged into the bold seas sending the brine
smoking as high as the spreaders. Oceans
of spray came over and occasionally both
shipped solid creSts of green water forward.
Their wales were smothered for a moment
and seldom has there been such a smash
ing sea under the bows of cup contestants.
The water spurted twenty feet into the
air. The green boat labored more than the
Yankee. Once or twice she buried her
bowsprit in the sea, wetting her headsails.
1t was grand sight.
Delicate job
The Columbia pointed almost point
higher than her rival and footed just as
fast. Columbia had housed her working
topsail before they turned the mark, but
Shamrock held on until in the constantly
freshening wind she decided that IL was
too dangerous to carry it longer and a
sailor was sent aloft to lower it. 1t was a
delicate job with the big 90-footer bucking
into the jumping sea like broncho, but
after five minutes of hard work 1t was
successfully accomplished. On every tack
of the thresh to windward the Yankee In
creased her lead, sailing close that the
old salts said she wipe "the eye of the
wind"
At 1:45 the Columbia was leading by a
qua rter of mile. The situation of the
Shamrock was desperate, and, reckless OF
the consequences, the British skipper de-
cided to crowd on more canvas. Fearlessly
he sent up, and after deal of trouble sue
ceeded in setting a small club topsall Inc
Columbia had the race we'll in hand, and
did not wish to risk a broken spar. She
kept on under mainsail, stay and jib. For
tunately the challenger's topmast did not
carry away, though she leaned over under
the pressure of canvass until her slippery
decks were tilted at an angle of thirty de-
grees. Her speed was undoubtedly IN
creased, but her inability to point lost her
almost as much as she gained in footing
Then she resorted to splitting tacks, once
running close in shore under the Nayes1nk
heights. A sighted cant in the WIND 1avor-
ed her at this time, and she managed 70
close up the gap until little more than half
mile separated her from the Columbia
The patriots began to feel nervous, but
with the finishing line two miles away there
was little danger. Soon after the Wind
slackened little and thereafter the sham
rock lost rather than gained ground. All
the excursion boats at this time were buck
ing into the head sees for home as fast as
their screws could churn. The tugboats
were flooded, but, on the run down, the
pace was too hot, and not half the meet
was in at the finish The rush Of the
yachts through the seas on the final tack
was magnificent. Geysers spurled from the
bows and drenched the sailors, lying piled