Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-05

the crew Immediately began sending the big
club topsafI aloft. This sail also set
In quick time
The Columbia's mainsail took longer to
set and ii was not until she was two miles
off the point of the Hook that the crew
began the work of sending aloft her club
topsail The Columbia was about half a
mile astern of the Shamrock as they pro-
ceeded out to the lightship.
At 9:15 I'm. the wind still light from
the west-southwest, although frequent
puffs could be felt scurrying out to sea.
The haze had cleared sufficiently to enable
the observer at the Highlands to fairly dis
Germ the Sandy Hook lightship. eight miles
distant.
Half an hour after the two big contest
ants for the Americas cup passed out for
the days contest the yacht that originally
brought this trophy to these shores also
left her anchorage inside the Hook. The
America in her white dress cut but little
figure beside the majestic proportion of the
two latest rivals for the cup The old cup
defender Vigilant ran out ahead of the two
newer boats with her working topsai set
to enable the shippers on both boats to
judge as to the direction and velocity of
the wind.
Apparently owing TO the uncertainty to
the starting point and of the course. both
the yachts were towed out to the lghtship
with the club topsails set over mainsails,
the Shamrock arriving there first about
900 with the Columbia about a mile be-
hind.
The two big racers were accompanied out
to the Hghtship by a number of newspaper
tugs and the Associated Press yacht,
Wanda.
Erin Starts Seward.
About 10 o'clock the Erin, with large
party board. left her anchorage inside
the Hook and started after the two yachts.
The wind at go was blowing off the
Jersey shore with velocity of about seven
knots, but showed little indications of in
creasing materially. II still held to the
west of southwest. q most unfavorable
quarter for starting the yachts, either 70
the windward or leeward of Sandy Hook
lightship. and at 10 o'clock it seemed prob
able that the starting line would have to
be changed.
The sky was comparatively clear, al
though to the south there appeared to he
heavy bank of clouds. which seemed to
forbode a storm in that direction.
After the Shamrock had cast off her tow
line she started on a long to the south
east. going off in that direction from the
the purpose of stretching her sails.
The Columbia. on the other hand hung
around near the lightship, and at 10 o clock
took down her clubtopsail. The big sail
was on the deck about five minutes when
1T was again hoisted. the crew sending 1t
up on the starboard side of the mansail.
At 1915 the first of the excursion fleet
had reached the lightship. and the rest of
these vessels were strung out behind, max
ing procession ten miles in length and
including every conceivable kind of a sea
craft In the lead were number of reve-
nue. cutters. The torpedo boats did not ar
rive at the lightship until after 1879 a.
The weather half an hour before the start
began to cloud up, but gave no indication
of rain.
Waiting for the start.
At 1920 the Columbia was again sailing
about TO the southeast of the lightshp,
waiting for the start, but she appeared to
be jogging slow, while the Shamrock was
scurrying about like a scared dog.
over toward Rockaway there seemed to
be very little wind, while farther out to
sea it also appeared quite calm.
The wind at the lightship, however, ap-
peared to be strong enough to give the
Shamrock a good move.