Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-08
NEWPORT NEWS, SUNDAY, OCTOBER s. 1899

ward Columbia Capt. Barr. on CO.
lumbin. followed suit, but the Shamrock
had passed him we'll to the windwartl.
Capt. HOgarth then set his spinnaker
to port and increased the lead. Capt.
Carr seemed unwilling at first to follow
the lead Of the Englshman and waited
almost fifteen minutes, while Shamrock
ovcrhauled and passed him. before he
did SO. Shamrock was a hundred
yards ahead before he had got his sails
trimmed to the new conditions.
w.. CRITICISED BARR. .. .
The patriots did not mince words in
their criticism of Bars obstinacy.
soon afterward. the Wind hauled
around still further, making it a broad
III their spinnakers and eased their
sheets. ...
Then the White flyer gained steadily
The yachts were now about Il mile ant.
a half from the outer mark. All the in
tcrest centered there. The steamers
tugs. and yachts hurried across the
course and lined up to leeward, wait
ing with eager interest to see Which
would round first. Calamity the Amer
lean came on. 1t WAS astonishing how
fast she glilcd through the water. She
ate UP the distance between her and the
green boat until When the mark was
but Il quarter of a mile away. less
than Il hundred yards separated them.
Hope rose. The Shamrock was to
windward. They were coming like
horses down the stretch. a 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 lass the float with the
red ball on the starboard end. AS the
balloon ibis ratified down on both boats
preparatory to the gybe. the watching
thousands held their breath.
DID NOT SEEM POSSIBLE.
1t did not seem possible that the
white ghost could squeeze in between
the Shamrock and the mark. To the
onlookers it seemed inevitable that I'M
less the Yankee boat kept away under
the stern of the Shamrock. there would
be a collision, or the Columbia would
foul the float. But c. Oliver Isein had
desperate courage in a tight place. He
played the limit. The man who set a
club topsail in a driving gale in the de-
Gliding race between Nigi!ant and Walk
yrie II. would stop at nothing. On he
came. forcing the shamrock to go wide
around. While the Columbia seemed to
scraPe the float as she wore about with
her helm hard down. Though the
Shamrock rounded first by nine sec
onds. she swept around SO far on the
outside that as both boats came up
and their sails filled away on the star
board tack. Columbia not only had the
weather gauge, but was in the lead. No
seen in an international race. It was
desperate game. but it Won. Had Co
lumbia SO much as touched the float
she would have been disqualified then
and there. The patriots cheered Wild
II and the shippers ol excursion boats
let off enough steam to carry their yes
sells back to New York
The n!ficia! time OF rounding the out
er mark was: Shamrock. 1856 :25: Co
umbia, 1856 "a.
FAILED TO CROSS. .
The enthusiasm of the patriots broke
out again Il few minutes later when
after a Few short tacks Shamrock
Cd. TIL" beat Windward was by far the
GoSt interesting portion OF the race
While tho breeze held Close hauled. the
two boats slaShed straight out to sea
through the long, heavy swell, heeling
70 The breeze in stately fashion. With
foam squirting from their graceful bows
and crews piled upon the weather rail
oi the sloping decks. Though no solid
water came over their GiiStening sides
it sWirled along under their counters
There was plenty of spray and every
man aboard was as wet if he had
been under n shower bath. II was
strange that the Columbia. the famous
light weather boat. should careen less
than her rival from over the sea. Old
Barnaclc said her immense over hang
her UP stiff as a church = The Sham
:ock. the famous heavy weather boat
leaned to like a queen. AS the wind
began to die out and the hope IF fin
iShing the race began to vanish the two
boats split tackS ana did not come to-
gether again for {; long time keeping
everyone guessing which was ahead
During this fluky period. everybody
agreed that the Shamrock was the bet
ter handled. She never failed to take
advantage Of every new slant of the
wind -
DECLARED OFF
At last. 20 minutes before the race
was declared off. Shamrock decided to
ny conclusions and she headed across
tolumblaS bow. SO uncertain was the
result that no one knew until the yachts
We're within a hundred feet of each
other. which would have to give way.
Inc Yankee shippers all had their
hands IN the their whistle cords and
When shamrock put her helm up. from
both sides of the couse came the
snrlekS of thousands of whistles. the
enthusiastic shouts of the multitude
and the crash of bands They sailed
the last 20 minutes neck and neck, but
with the Columbia to the windward and
perhaps half Il length ahead.
Disappointed. but overlooked that
Whe1n the race was declared off the cI1n
defender was in the lead, the excursion
Meet headed back for Sandy Hook as
iast as steam and sail could carry
them
IT Y ON