The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-06
Neither Boat Finished in The
Time Limit
DID NOT ROUND OUTER MARK
Wind Was Almost at a Dead
Calm During Entire Time.
MULTITUDE S0RELY DISAPPOINTED
Third Attempt Will Be Made on Satur-
day and May Prove the Charm
The Superiority of the Ri
walls Still Undecided
MULTITUDE soRELY DISAPPOINTED

New York, October 5.-Again today the
sea refused the Shamrock and Columbia
field of conflict; again today the multitude
which went out to watch the contestants
fight for the championship of the world re-
turned disappointed and not a little dis
gusted. The question of supremacy of the
two great yachts is still as much an open
question as before they first met, as the
contest today was in some respects more of
a f1uke that that of Tuesday. 1t was a
drifting match almost from start to finish.
The yachts crossed the line With a breeze
of five knots and the wind never blew more
than six knots, most off the time less than
three and part of the time not breath
of air was stirring. After sailing four
hours and forty-three minutes, the yachts
having covered only twelve miles of the
course to the outer mark, the regatta COM
mttee declared the race off, as it was
manifestly impossible, with the breeze then
blowing, for the boats to round the stake
before the time limit expired, much less to
get back home again. During the time on
which the yachts were at 1t the WIND,
which carried them dead before it over the
line, had had hauled around until at the
finish they were beating into its teeth.
While the wind held astern the Columbia
steadily outfooted her rival until she was
fully half mile ahead, but in the shifting,
battling winds that followed during the
last three hours, with the great single
stickers tacking and beating, then gibbing
to catch every streak of wind, with fortune
helping one about as much as the other
the Shamrock gradually worked her way
I'D until when the race was declared oil
the two boats were about on even terms,
the Shamrock perhaps half length ahead'
but so close was the Columbia that Cap
tain Barr could have thrown a biscuit to
the foreigner.
The only lesson learned by the nautical
sharps from today's trial of the abilities OF
the two boats is that in light weather con-
diions the Columbia is the superior IN
running and reaching and the Shamrock
slightly better in beating. There has yet
been no indication of what either boat can
do in piping, wholesale breeze.
Weather Prophecy Dismal Failure
The weather bureau had promised a good
strong wind for today, but the prophecy
was a most dismal failure. 1t was just an
ideal, lazy, hazy Indian summer day;
day for white duck and a novel under some
tree ashore rather than overcoat ana
yacht race afioat. A heavy haze hung over
sea and land. The opaque curtain shut OH
the view of the thousands waiting on the
highlands of the Navesink and the Long
Island shore. The sky was yelled by
gossamer of clouds through which the sun
sifted, turning the sea into molten lead.
So gentle were the pulsations of the sea
than any sort of harbor or river craft from
"a steamer to a rowboat could venture out
with impunity, and a vast colony of ex-
custom boats, ocean-going steamers, yachts,
tugs. side-wheelers and sailing vessels
gathered around the red hulk of the Sandy
Hook lightship, seven miles from the en-
trance to the lower bay, to watch the start.
The smoke from their stacks and the
steamers exhausts, mingled with the haze,
formed an impenetrable veil which trans
formed them in the distance into vast
fleet of phantom ships.
CAPTAIN Charlie Barr steered the yacht,
and the crew wore white working suits
with watch caps bearing the Iselin colors.
On board the shamrock, besides her skip
pers, Hogarth and Wiring, were Navigator
Hamilton, Sailmaker Ratzey, Messrs. Nc
Gildowney, Sherman Crawford and Henry
II. Lippitt the 1ast-named representing the
New York Yacht club. Her crew were
carrying Sir Thomas Lipton's colors in the
watch caps, and they wore white working
suits.
AS soon as the committee boat had hoist
ed the signal letters D. c. L., making the
course fifteen miles southeast by south
dead before the wind and return, putting
tug steamed straight out to sea to plant
the outer mark, which neither of the racers
was destined to round today. There was
some pretty maneuvering behind the line
before the start, each yacht bringing out
her balloon lib and lowering her spinnakel
boom as they jockeyed for position.
Columbia Has Better of Sturt
The Columbia had the better of the start
the official time of which was: Columbia
11.53: Shamrock, 11:01:05. Both got across
IN the smoke of the last gun, the white
beauty a length ahead and in the windwart
berth. The wind was blowing hardly five
knots AS she crossed, the green boat
brought out her spinnaker, which was ir
stops. 1t is an English fashion to hois
this sail from the boom and the Shamroci
= In her trials clung to the English way, but
since her arrival she has learned many
Yankee tricks and bringing out the spin
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