The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-17
YANKEE YACHT FLIES AWAY
I'M PROM JOHN BULLS SHAMROCK
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sliced her way up into the wind Within
hfteen minutes she had lead OF hVe
lengths and from that time on the race was
hers. The patrols were jubilant, and the
5ands, which began playing, never stopped
1 Until the race was over. The Columbia
Seemed more tender than the foreigner,
show wing yards of her bronze underbody as
she leaned away with her lee rail almost
awash Steadily she continued to draw
ahead until, within half an hour, having
unequlvocaly demonstrated her superiority
In windward work, it became only ques-
tiol. 6f how far the white flyer would beat
her to the outer mark AS the yacnts got
farther out the seas grew more turpuient
and the spray spurted higher from theiI
bows Many excursionists came to Sriei
Ind tho tug boats, plungfng through Ihe
Iekaaf seas sent the spray aloft to their plot
fiAuses The work of the patrol fleet was
|itlsrfect The revenue cutters line ahead TO
lfeeward and the torpedo boats line abreast
astern held the yachts in the hollow OF
right angle, which changed directioh win
each tack and kept the yachts as free from
interference as if they had been sailing IN
the middle of the Atlantic ,.,.
THE Shamrock footed valiantly but neleh-
err in speed nor in pointing could she CUM
pare with her rival Then the skippers vi,
the Shamrock put their heads togeuner anu
tried new tactics The Shamrock made
dozen short boards Evidently her skip
pers were under the impression unat sac
was quicker on her heel and better at
forereaching than the Yankee but the 70
iumba proved as nimble as the Snahroch.
The top watch on both boats showed uhs
advantage in the Columbias favor ana
they tell their friends that the White peau-
ty was fully as clever as the challenger
at fore reaching. When the Shamrock got
through with this line of tactics, the Co
lurnbia had increased her lead until she
was half a mile ahead. AT the end OF an
other half hour, the wind continued to
freshen. THE Shamrock took in ner baby
jib top sails, figuring without this light
head sail she might be able to hug the
wind closer The Columbia he'd onto hers
and as the Shamrock did not improve her
position at the end of tie nminutes, her
shippers again set the sail. By O'CLOCK
the Shamrock was fully mile and half
astern and the Columbia was a winner all
over. As the Associted Press boat, on her
way to THE outer mark, passed the Man.
ming. Captain Evans, who was on the
bridge, shouted: "Aint She peach?"
The Columbia Turns First
Nothing could have been prettier than
the way the Columbia swept around the
outer mark, gracefully as a swan. Both
boats had edged far to the southwark of
their course and as the rules required that
the mark should be passed on the starboad
hand, the Columbia tackled down to port
and came over on the starboard tack as
she approached the float. AS She neared it
her Spinnaker pole was like a knight s
lance at rest. AS she swung around she
eased off her main boom, let her splnnaker
pole drop Ito port and breaking out the
cloud of canvass fled homeward like a
scared deer. He big balloon jib blossomed
out As seconds later. The few ships Of the
excursion fleet at tn coulter mark gave her
a rousing reception. The Shamrock was
already hopeless beaten. A quarter of a
mile from the home run the Columbia
crossed the path of the Shamrock still
beating to windward and robbed her of the
wind for a minute as she went past. 1t
was minutes and 40 seconds later when
the Shamrock swung round THE mark and
squared away for the finish. The excursion
boats however, hung on until she had
rounded and gave her an ovation
The Columbia was already two miles
away and in the thickening mist could
hardly be discerned. The bells in the en-
CINE rooms of the excursion boats jngled
for full speed and they went blowing down
? on either side of the course to be in at the
finish. Sir Thomas steam yacht Erin, how
ever, remained abeam of the challenger Civ
ing what moral support he could to his
beaten boat. Sir Thomas and his friends
aboard looked fully as disconsolate as they
felt. Some of them seemed to have lost
interest and were hanging over the rail
looking down at the water. Sir Thomas,
however, remained on the bridge with his
eyes glued on the boat in which his hope
had so lately centered and a group of sail
ors forward seemed to be trying to make
out the outlines of the vanishing Yankee in
the thick gloom.
There was a souls trring scene as the
Columbia approached the finish. The ex-
cursion boats had gathered there in a
semi-circle to give her welcome and as she
swept across the finish, Bedlam broke loose
The steam whistles shreked; sirens walled
the Corsair, the flagship of the New York
Yacht club and several yachts flung their
powder into smoke and the multitudes pn
the recks of the side wheelers cheered The
and set old glory at each masthead and
bia gathered aft, hurrahed with barred
and took the tow line from her tender, the
Shamrock had crossed and the fleet had
will. Then they turned on their heels and
about her and cheering her again and
lumbia," Yankee Doodle" and other pa
ttrotic airs. They escorted her all the way
down to the anchorage inside the hook
The betting tonight is about 10 to 6 on
the Columbia for the series and some
money is being offered at to l, but little
money is being wagered. u