The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-19
SHAMROCK Is READY
NEW TOPMAST IN SHAPE AND
MEASUREMENTS FOR TODAY'S
RACE COMPLETED
SIR THOMAS Upton CHEERFUL

Laments the Absence of Mr.. Fife, the
Designer of the Chn1Ienger-Wiu
Do the Best Possible, but Sadly
Misses His Expert Coaching-CO-
Iumbia Crew Calmly Confident of
Final Result of Contest.
NEW YORK, Oct. 1S.-An hour before
sunset, today, the Shamrock lay inside
Sandy Hook gently tugging at her moor
| ing buoy. An eighth of mile away the
| Columbia idly rocked on the ripple with
| in the Horseshoe. On board the Sham
| rock there was activity. Her crew was
! completing the adjustment of shrouds
| and stays to secure the new topmast that
| had been sent up at noon, to replace the
| one carried away yesterday.
| On board the Columbia there was no
activity. All were at ease. The crew sat
on deck, where everything was ready for
tomorrow's event Capt. Barr leaned
against the side of the companion way
and smoked Meanwhile he gazed across
| the water, watching the progress of prep
aration upon the disabled opponent. Con-
ditions aboard the American craft indt-
Gated calm anticipation and serene con-
fidence. The stress Of preparation aboard
the British yacht we'll marked the natural
| anxiety as to the performance of the
| untried spar and the entire craft, in to-
morrow's weather.
Early in the day it had been the In
tention of the visitors to go outside with
| the Shamrock and test her new equip
ment, but though she came down the
| harbor from her commencement early
this afternoon the shortening daylight
| afforded toe little time after all had been
snuggeG.
SIR THOMAS CHEERFUL.
Meanwhile, iii the upper bay, the steam
| yacht Erin, with Sir Thomas Upton on
board, had been coaling ship He had
hoped repairs might be finished in time
to permit the Shamrock to try out some
what in a spin outside. At half past
o'clock the Erin steamed down to her
moorings within the Hook. Standing on
| the bridge Sir Thomas was peering
| through his glasses towards the Mar
rows, where he sighted the big liner
| Oceanic bearing down. outward bound.
81 shall go outside with the Oceanic -
said he, 'to BID goodbye to Lord Beres-
ford and other friends on board
A little later, while Sir Thomas chatted
and leaned on the quarter deck bulwarks,
a little sloop sailed by, within hailtng
distance. Three men thereon held aloft a
mug of beer, and shouted heartily:
Here's luck to you for tomorrow, Sir
| Thomas"
A half-amused smile overspread the
face of the Shamrock's owner as he
heard, and lifted his cap. .,.
do you know" he calculated, there
have come to me many evidences of
| good will. Here, for instance" added Sir
| Thomas, selecting one from the kilograms
| that had just been delivered from shore
Here is some friend who says: Don't
be dish aarteneG, Shamrock may lese, but
Sir Thomas wins the respect and good
will Of millions of Americans. And can
| say now, through the Associated Press,
to my own people and to the American
| people, that I Rave proven what believed
| to be true, that no man has met more
cordial greeting than I have here. No
man ever found more generous hearts,
more willing hands, or more honest men
than I have since I came to America
| have proven this, I say, to the people of
my own nation.
And the manner Of Sir Thomas was
! emphatic.
NEXT CHALLENGER
'And if the Shamrock shall lose now
how long before her owner may appear
here with another boat to lay siege to
tie trop1y?" vas asked.
"Ah, that brings me back said Sir
Thomas, ito the greatest difficulty have
confronted here. L must be sure of a
designer [ cannot design boat, and L
must be certain on that point, before /
can talk of another attempt should
Shamrock lose now. You see L am seri-
ously embarrassed because of Mr.. Flies
illness. I've not seen my designer In
over three weeks. We take in over three
tons Of ballast today, do you see? Well,
then we suffer because Mr.. Fife is I'M
able to be about and direct these mat
| ters that none of the others of our party
here is skilled in. Is she on her true
water line, the line she was designed to
sail on? We are not sure. Her designer
| would know, but he has not seen his boat
since she was first measured. He is sick,
and unable to leave his room We do not
know whether Shamrock in these waters
has ever sailed on the true water line.
| She is certainly not sailing on the same
water line as she sailed on in the Solent.
! The ballast put into the Shamrock today
was put in on Mr.. Flies advice Has
| 1t been placed so as to serve the exact
! Intention he intended? We do not know
| to certainty. He is sick. and we have
done the best We knew how to do It
is most serious handicap for us to be
deprived of his present direction and adj
| vice"
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