The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-20
COLUMBIA LED THE SHAMROCK
But THE WIND WAS TOO LIGHT TO
MAKE 1T RACE.


Only the GcntIeness of the BreeEe
saved the Third of the Series Be-
ing n Defeat for the English Boat.
Columbia showed Clean Pair of
Heels All the WhiIe-She Was Far
Better HandIed-AnOther Race To-
day.
New York, oct. 19.-IIad the wind held
to-day the Columbia Shamrock series for
Americas cup would have ended in three
straight wins for the defender, and the
| English cup hunter would have sailed
home without the trophy, beaten as de-
! clsively as any former candidates.
Only the failure of the wind saved the
Shamrock from defeat more singing
than on Monday. To-day she was beaten
on the run to the outer mark five minutes
and flfly-one seconds, elapsed time, and
on the leg home, which should have been
a beat, but which, owing to a shift of the
wind, was broad reach. Columbia sailed
away from her like a witch.
When the race was declared off. about
! ten minutes before the expiration of the
time limit, Columbia was leading by about
three miles. She was then four miles from
| the finish Had the race ended Shamrock
would have been beaten by at least twen-
ty minutes.
Shamrock Poorly Handled.
Sir Thomas hard luck continued to fol-
low. His boat was very badly handled to-
day, in spite of the aggregation of talent
aboard of her. The two English captains
and the captain OF Emperor Williams
yacht Meteor, failed to get Shamrock over
the line before the handicap gun was fired,
and she went into the race penalized by
two seconds on that account.
| The additional ballast which was put
| into her yesterday also seems to have been
| a blunder on the part of her managers
| What Shamrock may be able to do In
rough weather and a reenng wind is stlll
| problematical, but the experts are almost
| unanimous in the belief that the Colum-
! ha can take her measure In light airs or
a gale of wind.
The crew of the Shamrock are now con-
WINGED that America has the better boat.
| Before the race on Monday they had the
| most supreme confidence in their ability TO
win with the Shamrock. There was no
| living with them" said one of the Yankee
tars on the Shamrock tender Lawrence.
"They did not think their boat would win;
they absolutely knew IT. they would not
even hear arguments. After they return
cd from the race Monday they were so
sore that they would not speak to each
other. Now they are frank enough to
admit that the Columbia Is the better boat
by ten minutes over thlrty-mile course"
Entire Series May he Sailed.
The yachts will race again tomorrow,
and, even If the Columbia wins, there is a
possibility that two more races will be
| sailed A suggestion to this effect has
| been made, and Sir Thomas appears anx-
lous that il should be carried out. He
has been greatly disappointed In the show
| ing his boat has made but believes she
| might do better over a triangular course,
| In a heavier wind and has said that he
would be very pleased TO sail two more
| races.
This was a radiant day for those afloats
and a big holiday crowd went out to wilt
ness what all supposed would be the last
race of the cup series. The course was
laid fifteen miles before the wind, south
| east by south, straight out to sea-
After some pretty maneuvering behind
| the line, Capt Barr, on the Columbia, best
ed the talent aboard the challenger send-
| ing the Columbia flying across the line
| q seconds ahead of his adversary. So
| badly had the Shamrock miscalculated
that the handicap gun doomed two sec
onds before the green boat crossed, and
| she sailed away with that penalty in adj
dition to the sixteen seconds she allows
the white wonder under the new measures
| ment.
The race to the outer mark was not ex-
| citing. Both yachts crossed with bulgin9
| balloons, mainsails and their largest club
| topsnils drawing But as the wind had
| pulled a little 10 southwark after tho
course had been set, instead of keeping
away for the mark they made almost a
| triangular race oft.
Led From the start.
The Columbia showed her rival clean
pair of heels, gaining gradually from the
start. For almost an hour the luffing
| nGtch continued carrying the yachts four
miles off their course.
| The Shamrock having been badly beaten
in her attempt to get to windward, both
| squared away for the mark, breaking OUT
their big spinnakers to the wind. The
breeze gradually. died down 70 about five
knots or less, and the race was degenerate
ing into drifting match, as the big
yachts approached the mark.
| The challenger was directly astern of the
| Columbia, trying with her mountains OF
| canvas to blanket the towering sails of the
Yankee But the Columbia was wizard.
| Somehow she managed to get wind enough
from somewhere to keep her slipping
| through the water. and In vain the sham
| rock strained to overtake her.
The yachts were half an hour covering
the last half mile. Slowly Columbia wore
around the mark and flied away. Pass
ing Shamrock, stlu outward bound, close
| aboard on her weather, she robbed her OF
| the light breeze and left her with droop-
| ing wings utterly becalmed for full min
| Ute.
A brass-throated chorus had greeted The
| Columbia as she turned, and 1t was re-
| peated with added vigor when Shamrock
| went around six minutes and eighteen Sec
| onds later Columbia had gained five min-
| utes and ffty-one seconds in the fifteen
| miles to leeward. About three and a half
| hours had been consumed and there ap-
| peared no chance for eilher yacht to get
| home, but as the breeze continued to haul
| to the southwark It made fair wind for
the return journey, and as IL freshened 10
| ten knots soon afterward, a faint hope of
| finishing within the time limit arose.
| The Yankee sailed away from her rival
like a ghost ship leaving her far astern,
| Increasing the distance between them so
| rapidly that when the race was declared
| of al Ala she was leading by three miles.