The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-08

bfloic the Americans knew il. ne was
lufing toward Columbia. Captain Barr.
on Columbia, followed suit but the Sham
rock had passed him well to the wind
ward
NOW THE SHAMROCK.
Captain Hogarth then set his spinnaker
TO port and increased the lead. Captain
Barr seemed unwilling at first to follow
the lead Of the Enghshmen and waited
almost fifteen minutes while the Shamrock
overhauied and passed him before he did
so. The Shamrock was q hundred yards
ahead before he had got his sails trimmed
10 the new conditions. The patriots al
not mince words In their criticisms OF
Barrs ohstinacy.
Soon afterward. tho wind hauled around
sti.l further, making It a broad reach TO
the mark. Botn yachts took IN ln,T
spinnakers and e8sea their shcc's. Ihen
tho white flyer gained steadily lhe
yachts were now about mile ana , ndII
from the outer mark Al the interest 'tn-
tered there. Steamers. tugs ara iacats
hurried across the course ard lined Jp 10
lecward. waiting with eager interest 10 see
which would round first
Calamity the Americans came on. L
was astonishing how fast she elided
through the water She ate up the u.s.
tance between her and the green noat un-
a. when the mark was bat a dH3rter 1f
a mile away. less than a hunlfed yards
separated them. Hope rose. Tho sham
rock was 10 wiudWafd They were com
ing like horses down the stra-ch. \
hundred feet away the Columbia had
closed the gap Her slender PROV just
Tapped the stern OF the green hull. Under
the rules they must pass the float with
the red bail on the starboard end. IS
the balloon jibs ratified down on both b, ats
preparatory to the gybe the watching
thousands held their breath. II did not
seem possible that the white ghost could
squeeze in between the Shamrock and tns
mark. TO the oniookeds # seemed in
cvtablc that unless the Yankee boat kent
away under the stern Of the Shamrock.
there would be "a collision, or the Coium-
ba-would foul the float but 5. Oliver lsc-
Jim had separate courage IN tight place.
He played the limit. The man who set
club topsai i'm a driving gale in the de-
Gliding race between the Vigilant and
Nalkyrie r.. would stop at nothing. On
he came forcing the Shamrock 10 go VIDE
around. while the Columbia seemed 70
scrape the float as she wore about with
her helm hard down. Though the Shaln-
rock rounded first by nine SECONDS. she
swept around so far on the outside that as
both boats came up and their sails filled
away on the starboard tack the Columbia
not only had the weather gauge, but was
I'm the lead No more reckless piece of
courage was ever seen in an international
race. 10 was "a desperate game, but it
won. Had the Columbia so much as
touched the float she would have been dis
qualified tonight and the patriots cheered
frsafH.r f4f
off enough steam 10 carry their vesseis
back 90 New York The official time Of
rounding the outer mark was: Shamrocg,
1862. Columbia. 1864.
The enthusiasm of the patriots broke
out again a few minutes later when
after a few short tacks Shamrock tried
TO cross Columbia S bows but failed
The beat TO the windwarG was by far
the most interesting portion OF the race.
while the breeze held. Close hauled the
two boats slashed straight out 10 sea
through the long. heavy swell, heeling to
the breeze I'm stately fashion with foam
squirting from their graceful bows and
crews piled upon the weather rail Of the
sloping decks. Though no solid water
came over their glistenirg sides. it swirl
ed along under their counters. There
was plenty of spray. and every man
aboard was as wet as If ne had been
under shower bath.
10 was strange that the Columbia. the
famous light weather boat should careen
less TO the wind than her rival from over
the sea. The old barnacles said her inn
mense overhang dipping down supported
her and kept her up stiff as church.
The Shamrock. the famous heavy weather
boat leaned like a queen. 4.
KEPT GUESSING
As the wind began to die out and the
hope of finishing tn race began to vanish
the two boats split tacks and did not
come together again for q long time,
keeping every one guessing which was
ahead During this huky period every
body agreed that the Shamrock was the
better handled. she never failed 20 take
advantage of every new slant Of the
wind. AT last. twenty minutes before the
race was declared off. Shamrock decided
10 try conclusions and she hcaoed across
Coumbia's bow. So uncertain was the
result that mo- one knew until the yachts
were within a hundred feet Of each
other. which would have to give way.