Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-07

oA lAEANQlOL AM
ROCK MUST BE A CRACK
YACHT TO STAND ANY CHANCE
IN THE GREAT RACES IN THE
FALL
NEW YORK, July 6.-Over a TRAN
gular course of thirty miles, in com
paratively light winds, the new Iselin-
Morgan yacht Columbia to-day van
pushed the Vanderbilt yacht Defender
and convinced the yachtsmen who saw
the royal struggle that she is worthy
of defending the precious trophy which
Sir Thomas Upton and his merry tars
hope to take back with them in the
Shamrock next fall. The Columbia's
forestry sail and club top sail are
anything but perfect, and cracked in
the wind to-day like a transfers whip,
demonstrating that in a general way
she will need a good deal OF tuning up.
Yet, based upon the showing she made
as a better BOAT than the Defender I'M
der adverse conditions, the nautical
sharps are strongly convinced that Sir
Thomas will sail home without the sill
yer mug, the possession of which has
given us the yachting supremacy of the
world since 1851.
But to-day's race was an unsatisfac-
tory one. Shifting, battling winds and
a bad. lumpy sea, with dirty rain
squalls, made the conditions anything
but ideal for yacht racing. The bill
lows of mist which enshrouded the
Jersey shore prevented the crowd On
the highlands OF Navesink and Sandy
Hook from seeing the race, but the en-
ness to the contest for those who went
outside in fancy craft to see it. For
them the world was blotted out, and
over the dim, gray sea under the dull
sky, the yachts raced with nothing but
themselves and the attendant train of
following boats to witness the contest.
In windward work the Columbia,
with sails drawing badly. demonstrated
her superiority, and in a long reach
with sheets eased, she outfooted the
Vanderbilt boat. The sudden shifting
of the wind prevented a trial at run
ming with spinnakers. In light wealth
er, close hauled, therefore, it al be
said that she is undoubtedly the De-
tenders superior, but what she can do
in a piping breeze remains to be seen.
A thick haze hung over the harbor
this morning when the two superb
yachts left their anchorages off Tomp-
kinsville astern of two proudly putting
tugs for the arena of to-day's battle. AS
the Columbia passed out she was salut-
ed by every steam craft in the lower
bay. So gentle were the pnlsations OF
the waves in the harbor that many
craft of many kinds ventured out to
witness the race. The large feet in
cluded side wheelers, swift steam
pleasure yachts, snug nosed tug boats
and sailing crafts of all descriptions.
They led, followed and accompanied
the racers. Small stiokers, sloops and
%schooners there were in profusion.
Fortunately most of them kept their
distance and few of them bothered the
racers with wash or swell.
There was considerable delay at the
start. The breeze had freshened as
the yachts got outside and what the
old salts term a lumpy sea was rum
ming. After Commodore Morgan's
flagship, the Corsair, with Commodore
Morgan, Chester Griswold, ex-Commo-
dore Nicholson Kane, Rear Admiral
Francis Higginson, Irving Grinnell and
a large party Of guests aboard, had sig
nailed the course and the racers had
cast off their lines, a sharp rain squall
killed the breeze. Blu the squall was
brief and a half hour later a steady
twelve-knot breeze was blowing from
the southwest. The Corsair signalled
the first log TO windward down the Jer-
sey coast and the yachts began to jock
ey for positions. Captain Barr had the
tiller OF the Columbia and aboard with
him were G.. Oliver Iselin, Mrs. Iselin,
Newburry ThoTne, VIM. +. Iselin. Her.
bert w. Leads and Woodbury. Kama.
The crew wore the Iselin colors. Cap
tain Rhodes had the helm of the De-
fender. William Butler Duncan and
Mrs. Duncan, clad in a becoming yacht
ing costume. and John G. Beresford
were aboard Of her. The white clad
sailors wore caps of red and black
stripes. An industrious bard aboard
the Dolphin kept busily at work DUR
ing the preliminaries.
After the preparatory gun was fired.
the Columbia, without waiting for the
starting gun, rounded Sandy Hook
lightship and headed across the line.
/ Either 1t was a bad blunder on the part
of Captain Barr, or it was designedly
done to give the Defender a start equal
to her time allowance, which Is figured
at about two minutes. Just as the
starting gun doomed, the Defender
crossed on the. port tack. Meantime
the Columbia jibbed and, returning.
came about and headed for the Inns.
crossing it exactly two minutes after
the Defender. Both yachts carried four
stay sails. jibs, baby jib top sails, and
club top sails.
The beat TO windward made a beau
tiful race. The interest was intense
for the first few minutes as the big
racers with everything close hauled
wr%nrcd 14por THAR xaet Cf 0Nocd Tho