Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-05
Ahead of the Shamrock at Last
Report From Race.
YACHTS had FAIR WIND BOTH WAYS
Course Was Fifteen Miles South
east From Lightship.
DETAILS OF THE RACE

| York awoke this morning there was hardly
| a breath of air stirring and blanket of
| mist hovered over the roofs. but IS the sun
| rose the misty mantle began to fi.t. the sky
| showed up clear and blue, while the wind
| began to veer to the westward and freshen.
At the yacht anchorages off the bay,
| Long Island. Bay Ridge and Tompkins-
| Vile were pretty fleets of steam yachts,
| intermingled here and there with stately
sailing yachts, on board of which there
was scrubbing and furnishing. polishing
| and vanishing, preparatory to taking part
| in the gay parade.
| The old cup defender, Vigiant off Tomp-
| kinsville the first sailing vessel to
| head seaward. She got under way at about
| $50 m and, with just enough of the
| morning air to keep her sails bellying out,
| Rugged the Staten Island shore for the
avenue puffs,' as she glided toward the
| narrows.
| OFF the battery a fleet of about forty
| newspaper tugs and steam yachts had as
| sembled.
Sir Thomas LiptOn's Guests.
Sir Thomas Lipton's chartered tug, the
| Volunteer, flying the Shamrock's flag, left
| the battery at 40 a M. with hundred
| and fifty of Sir Thomas guests who were
| afterward transferred to the steam yacht
| Erin. which then proceeded to the race
| course.
! Among the guests were Prince Ranjit-
| sinhji Prince Leopold de Croy. Prince Reg
| inald de Croy Lord Chief Byron Falles.
| Sir Horace Tozel, Lord Charles Beresford,
| Lady Beresford, Hon. Butler Elphnstone
| Henry Siegei. Frank Tilford. Thomas Wan
| amaker, Rev. DR.. Storrs, Col. and Mrs
| Butler Ames, Rt. Hon. Arnold Morley Hon.
| Charles Russell. Rt. Hon. W. ]. Pirrie Rt
| U. S. N; Rear Admiral Philip L. S. N;
| Capt. and Chadwick Of the New York.
Mr.. and Mrs. Potter Palmer Mr.. and Mrs
Ferdinand w. Peck, Mr.. and Mrs. Alex
ander H. Revell, Mr. Clagett. H R. C.
| Ward, Stewart Fraser, William Gibson and
| party, Charles Dewey. the admirals broth.
| er, and Mrs. Dewey, Michael Cudahy
| Bourke Cochran, II. j. King, Arthur Hill
and Mrs. Hill, Mr.. and Mrs. w p Bur
| bright, W. H. Kendall, Hon Cecil Barring.
| R. NJ. Little, Q. c., c. M; Barclay War
burton. Lord Mimic, governor general Of
i Canada; E. P. Benjamin and other WELL
| known people.
| A great crowd of people gathered at the
! FOOT of West Both street at o'clock to 20
aboard the waiting yachts for the race.
| The crowd was large enough to show that
| the interest in the contest between the two
| >NsAA
tie close run of Tuesday.
Commodore ]. Pierpont Morgan's Corsair
had party of a hundred. She left at ten
| minutes after o'clock George Gould's
| Atalanta had a party of sixty and his
| brothers Niagara carried seventy guests.
| The Josephine, with P. A. B. Widener
George B. and j. E. Widener of Philadel-
| phia and forty guests, also left this point
| otner boats starting from there We're the
| Enterprise. A. ]. Cassatt: the Vamoose, the
fastest Of the fleet. Frank B. Morrill,, and
the Avenel and j. T. Spalding of Boston.
| Mist Begins to Lift.
BY o'clock the mist had almost dsap-
| peared, only II pleasant haze remaining
| over the blue waters. Quite a nice little
! ripple swept over the waters of the upper
| bay as the early birds of the craft began
| to move toward the scene of the contest
| for the much-coveted Americas cup. All
| afloat and ashore breathed fervent hopes
| for a spanking breeze and rafting race,
| and may the best boat win Then the
| big excursion boats began to toot impa-
| tiently for belated passengers. and, with
| prospects of good days racing, the yacht
| ing dotila began moving toward the ocean
| in real earnest
The first report from the highlands OF
| Navesnk, at 7:35 am, said the wind was
| about west, blowing eight knots, and show
| ing signs of increasing. The range Of OBJ
servaton from the Highlands to the south
| and east was about ten miles; to the north
| and west it was not more than four miles.
| The haze which obscured the Long Island
| shore showed signs Of disappearing as the
| sun came out. 1t looked as If the course
would be toward the Long Island shore.
Weather-wise people predicted that be-
fore ~ thnra ha nd tnf1
| to start the yachts and more before finish
| ing. They would have all the wind they
| desired. The weather was pleasant at the
| Hook, and a light was running
DOings on the Racers.
Before $50 am. the crew on the Column
! bia had her jib and stay sail up in stops.
| and the cover was taken off the main sail.
| The Shamrocks people had by that time
| uncovered her main sail and hoisted her jib
in stops Then the crews went to breakfast
| and waited for further orders.
The sea off Sandy Hook shore was quite
smooth, there being scarcely any surf on
the beach. One or two pilot boats sailing
around their station two three miles off
shore seemed to have scarcely any motion.
At o'clock, while the Scotland light
ship. four miles away, could be seen from
the Highlands, the Sandy Hook lightship,
eight miles away. was hidden from view.
The fleet of yachts at the Hook was
somewhat larger than on Tuesday.
The early morning conditions at the
Highlands today indicated that the yachts
would be sent away either from the Sandy
Hook or the Scotland nghtships before the
wind. as was the case on Tuesday.
At S:45 the wind had dropped to about
five knots at the Highlands. A few light
streaks could be seen on the water of the
beach. The Shamrock, in tow Of TUG
James A. Lawrence, was preparing to hoist |
mainsail at $50.
At 8:45 the Shamrock's tug Lawrence /
came alongside and took a line from the |
big green racer. The mooring was cast of
and the Shamrock started for the lightshlr.
Just before she left her moorings the crew
began hosting the big mainsail.
Columbia Follows Her Out.
Five minutes after the Shamrock started
the Columbia was also taken in tow by q
tug and followed her rival out by the Hook.
The Shamrock's mainsail was well up by
the time she had got past the point. and