Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-06
ANOTHER FAILURE
FOR The BIG YACHTS.
Old Ocean Again Refused Them Suf-
ficent Breeze to Make a Race.
NEITHER BOAT REACHED THE TURN

NEW YORK, October 5.-Again to-
day the sea refused the Shamrock and
Columbia field of conflict; again to-
day the multitude which went out to
watch the contestants for the yachting
championship of the world, returned
disappointed and no a little dis
gusted.
The question Of supremacy of the
two great yachts T. still az much an
open question as before they first met,
and the contest to-day was in some re-
spects more of a fuke than that OF
Tuesday 1t was a drifting match al
most from start to finish. The yachts
crossed the line with breeze Of five
knots and the wind never blew more
than six knots, most of the time less
than three, and part of the time not a
breath of air was stirring.
After sailing four hours and forty
three minutes, the yachts having COW
cred only twelve miles of the course to
the outer mark, the regatta committee
declared the race off, as it was mani
testify impossible with the breeze then
blowing for the boats to reach the
stake before the time limit expired,
much less to get back home again.
During the time in which the yachts
were at it, the wind, which carried
than daod before ~ ovor tho 1.-Two bod
hauled around until at the finish they
were beating into its teeth.
While the wind held astern the Co.
lumbia 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 lacking
and beating and gybing to catch every
streak of wind, with fortune helping
one about as much as the other, the
Shamrock gradually worked her way
up until, when the race was declared
of, the two boats were about on even
terms, the Shamrock perhaps half
length ahead, but so close with the Co
lumbia that Captain Barr could have
thrown biscuit to the foreigner.
The only lesson learned by
THE NAUTICAL SHARPS
from to-day's trial of the abilities of
the two boats is that in light weather
conditions the Columbia is the superior
in running and reaching and the Sham
rock slightly better in beating. There
has yet been no indication of what
either boat can do in piping whole
sail breeze.
The weather bureau had promised
good, strong wind for to-day, but the
prophecy was a most dismal failure. 1t
was just an ideal, lazy, hazy, Indian
summer day, a day for white duck and
a novel under some tree ashore rather
than an overcoat and a yacht race
afioat. A heavy haze hung over sea
and land. The Opaque curtain shut off
the view of the thousands waiting on the
highlands OF Navesink and the Long
Island shore. The sky was yelled by a
gossamer of clouds through which the
sun sifted, turning the sea into molten
gold. So gentle we're the crestless, pull
sating seas that any sort Of harbor or
river craft, from steamer to a row.
boat, could venture out with inpunity,
and vast colony of excursion boats,
ocean-going steamers, yachts, tugs,
side-wheelers and sailing vessels, gath
cred around the red hulk of the Sandy
Hook lightship, seven miles from the
entrance to the lower bay to watch the
start. The smoke from their stacks
and the steam from their exhausts min
gled with the haze and formed an i'm
penetrable veil which transformed
them, in the distance, into a vast fleet
Of phantom ships. Though the curtain
shut out the view of those ashore, ii
added to the pleasure of those afioat,
for it made each one feel himself per-
sonally part of the beautiful spectacle.
The torpedo boats, guarding the course,
threaded their way in and out through
the acres of boats like needles, their
wakes a thread of foam, warning the
excursion SHIPPERS to keep their dis
lance.
BUT LITTLE DIFFICULTY
was experienced to-day as Captain
Evans interviews. threatening dire
consequences to offending shippers, had
had wholesome effect. Already the
crowd was disappointed. Each one had
come down praying for a stiff breeze,
and had found instead that there was
hardly wind enough to keep the flags
fiuttering. What there was. was from
northwest by north from over the land.
Outside of the ruck of the steamers the
old cup defender vigilant made a
beautiful picture, leaning away through
the mist. and she old schooner America,
which had brought the blue ribbon
of the sea across the western ocean
fifty years ago, attracted universal at