The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-06

last little breeze flled the shamrock's sails
and she quickly picked up some lost ground
At 1:19 the CoumbIa people thought they
would try the spinnaker 30 they ran II up In
stops and broke II out. But the American
boat looked like a bunch OF rags. not
q spoonful OF wind filling her Sails
and while che lay there becam cd the Sham
rock cut down her half mile lead to less than
half that distance. What wind there was stayed
near the Shamrock. and foot by foot she closed
on the helpless Cup defender. The excursion
fleets slept There was plenty OF time for din
ner az nothing was doing on the ocean. When
she got TO within hailing distance OF her rival
tho wind failed the Shamrock. At l 35 she
hauled her spinnaker to the deck and minute
later Colum bia did the same. Both yachts kept
their spinnaker booms out. however. not know
ing In what humor the next minute would find
old Boreas. At / AS the challenger set her spin
maker again as an experiment, and to pass away
the time Columbia set hers up In stops. break
ing II out soon after.
SHAMROCK CLOSES THE GAP.
While all this was going on the green boat
had pulled up until there was n OF any difference
between the boats to brag about. Not more
than half the distance Of the first leg had been
covered and dead calm prevailed. Tho water
was CLASSY and the air was so quiet that one
could hear the bands on half a dozen excur-
sion boats playing at the same time. At 80
the wind knocked the shamrock of her course
until she was heading two points below the
mark. The Columbia kept her bowsprit two
points to the eastward Of it so that there were
four points OF the compass between the way
they were heading.
1t 10 doubtful II the Columbia could have
changed her course had she. wanted to. as she
was rolling helplsssly in a calm and had not
even steerage way. The Shamrock was soon
Knocked back to the same course that Column
bia was making. Not knowing what else to do
the Yankee took in tho spinnaker. and the
Shamrock. as a advertisement followed suit.
On the hour Of two the challenger gy bed and
two minutes later the Columbia's boom swung
over. The boats were now practically on even
terms. They lay within 100 yards OF each
other. though Columbia's head pointed east
and Shamrock's southeast.
Thus they loafed for twenty minutes. Then
the wind came from the southeast and the
Shamrock standing on the starboard tack
forced the Columbia to gybe. The green boat
hauled UP in the zephyr.like breeze and sue
ceeded in getting on the Columbia's weather
quarter The wind was almost nothing. but
such as It was 1t called for a beat to the mark.
The Columbia began to eat out OF the Sham
rocks lead. Both kept UP their balloon jib top
sails as each was afraid to be the first to take IL
down. fearing tho wind would shift 40 that
the big sails would come in handy apain
Finally at 2:32 staysails were broken ont on
| both boats as though they were worked by the
same string Then down came the ballooners
and up went the ibis.
THE YANKEE BOATS MISTAKE.
At 2:35 the Columbia sont up a medium or
No. 2 lib tonsail in stops and broke It out The
Sha m rock sent up q small sail flying II was
,n I'll d,,wi,n s.v i. 80
American got hers sheeted home. Tho latest
addition TO the American boats sail Ara,
proved a mistake. The topseil was foo large
1t kept tho boat from pointing nm 10 the
wind and until she took IL down sbe was
not in IL with her rival. Al o.37
the Shamrock came about on the mort tock
and Columbia followed before abe was fnll
| Both were heading south by w.stnov or tn
windward tho water became ruO1ed and M
last II appeared as though the lonr-look ed. for
wind had arrived. When il struck tn. Yacht.
It was blowing from the south southeast. and
continually gaining in strenptb
The western division Of excursion hoats war.
punched directly in line OF the nppro,cbInq
sloors who wore however. moro than bnlf a
mile away The flagship and the torpedo boats
set their whistles going to clear nwav the
course and after a time the big excursion
steamers turned tail and scattered Their, was
one moor little tug, the Neptune. who refu.ed
to obey orders. She steamed right ahead d.
reetly Mt the sloops and would NOT turn about
for all the whistles in the world FINALLY ora
OF the torpedo boat, rushsd nm at mil amazed
md cjrced around her like n hawk orouna .
chicken. The naval ofr,cer in CHARGE veIl.d out
an order to get back into line and Altar soms
hesitation The N.ntpne's stinn.r onallv do
clded to back down.