The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-10-17
COLUMBIA
A WINNER
American Yacht Defeats Sham.
rock in First Test Of Speed.
LED BY A MILE AND A HALF.
British Yacht Crossed the Line Over
Ten Minutes Later
LED BY A MILE AND A HALF.
A SPLENDID CONTEST THROUGHOUT

Lead, Gaining Twenty-Five Seconds More
in the Run Before the Wind-Sir Thomas
Upton Lauds the Winning Boat.
New York. Oct. 17.-The cup which |
the old schooner America won so COM |
mandingly against all comers over the |
course around the Isle of Wight in |
1851, and brought back across the seas, |
will probably remain here another |
year. In a glorious breeze, over a |
windward and leeward course of 30
miles, the Columbia scored against |
Shamrock yesterday in the first race OF |
the 1899 series. She bounded across |
the finish line fully a mile and a half |
ahead of the challenger, defeating her (
by 10 minutes and Ia seconds actual
time, or 10 minutes and seconds cor
rected time. Columbia covered tho
course In All, 5Sm.. 53s.; Shamrock,
Oh, 5ml. los.
Although the preponderence of ex-
pert opinion never wavered in its 10y
atty to the wonderful speed and abil-
ity of the white flyer, no nautical
sharp expected that the Shamrock
would be so overwhelmingly vanquish-
ed as she was in yesterdays royal
oNAhBBANs At ahhNO DOtiL OhN5tAtld dA-
ed her at the start, beat her hopelessly
in windward work to the outer mark
and gained % seconds in the run home
before the wind. There was a good
strong 10 to 12 knot breeze, and it held
throughout the race.
Bitter Blow to Britons.
II is undoubtedly bitter blow, be-
cause the English hopes of lifting the
cup have never been higher since the
Thistle and Volunteer met in 1887.
Like the Shamrock, she was decisiyely
defeated in the first hours sailing. The
regatta committee. as a result of the
showing made by the Columbia yester-
day, are convinced that the cup is safe.
Blow high or low. Columbia, it is be-
lieved by her manager, Mr.. Iselin, can
beat Shamrock. Sir Thomas, like the
true sportsman that he is, confessed
after the race that he had been fairly
beaten. He had no apologies to make.
The race was a magnificent duel and
made up for the repeated disappoint-
ments the sightseers have suffered. Ii
was anything but a comfortable day
on the water. The prospect was not al
Turing. Still, the mist wreaths were
carried along by good ten knot
breeze right in from the east, and the
old shellbacks said there was more
wind where that came from. But the
excursionists who went down the bay
were not very hopeful until they got
outside, where the wind was fresher
and whipped some form out of the
waves. Mrs. Iselin was not to be de-
tered by the bad weather, and was
conspicuous figure on the Columbia,
wrapped up like an old salt in yell
low oilskin.
The Columbia's crew had on their
working suits of white and wore
watch caps of black and red, Iselin's
private colors. Several of the crew of
the Shamrock had on sou'westers.
From the truck of the Shamrock's top
mast hoated Lipton's flag, a green
shamrock in a yellow field. The wind
kept freshening all the way out to the
lightship, and the seas split more Of
their froth. No large assemblAge was
on hand to witness the start, the re-
peatsd fiukes having made the public
very chary about coming out. A few
side wheelers, the regular feet of ocean
! going tugs and score or two Of steam
| yachts were all.
Columbia Got the Best Start.
Promptly at 10 o'clock the committee
boat signaled the course, 15 miles dead
into the eye of the wind, to the east
ward, and return. Both yachts set No.
club topsails, their shippers evidently
agreeing that it would not be wise to
carry their largest sky scrapers in such
a breeze. There was some lively
joekeying behind the line before the
start, and Columbia got the better of
1t. She clearly outmaneuvered her
rival, eventually forcing her over the
line first by half length, but leaving
Columbia in the weather position.
Close hauled on the starboard tack the
yachts lunged seaward, heeling to the
IL knot breeze.
The first few minutes of the race
were the most interesting. They made
beautiful picture as they raced away
like hounds. Their sails, to the nau-
teal eye, were perfection in ft They
looked as if they might have been
carved out of alabaster, so firm and
faultless were the lines. It was soon
apparent that the white flyer was forg-
ing ahead The clear water began to
show between them. The Columbia
not only seemed to outfoot the chal-
Ienger, but the experts saw that she
pointed higher. 1t was astonishing
how she sliced her way up into the
wind. Within Is minutes she had a
lead of five lengths, and from that time
on the race was hers. The patriots
were jubilant and the bands, which be,
gan playing, never stopped until the
race was over.
The Columbia seemed more tender
than the foreigner, showing yards OF
her bronze underbody as she leaned
away with her leerail almost awash
Steadily she continued to draw ahead
until within half an hour, having un,
equlvOcally demonstrated her super
: iority in windward work, it becam,
only question of how far the white
flyer would beat her to the outel
mark. AS the yachts got farther ou
the seas grew more turbulent and tn,
spray spurted higher from their bows
Many excursionists came 10 grief, AM
: the tug boats, plunging through tn
head seas, sent the spray aloft to thei
pilot houses. and some of them wer
Hooded from stem to stern. The worI
of the patrol feet was perfect, keepin
the yachts as free from Interference a
II they had been sailing in the middl
OF the Atlantic.
Columbia outpointed Shamrock.
The Shamrock footed Yaliantly, bu