The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-04
THE TECHNICAL STORY
OF the First Days Contest Between
the Shamrock and the Columbia.
Are Very Evenly Matched Boats.

~
the Shamrock and the Columbia
Are Very Evenly Matched Boats.
NEW YORK, Oct. 3.-The Shamrock,
towed by the tug Lawrence, was the
first OF the yachts to leave Sandy Hook
bay. She arrived at the whlstllng buoy
on the east end OF Gedney's channel at
g:45. The crew began at once to hoist
the main sail. They put two battens in
the leach as 1t went up, and at 1905
a. m. the yacht filled away on the star
board tack under Ilb and maInsaIl.
ON board the Shamrock, beside her
captains, Hogarth and wringe. were
Vice Commodore sharman Crawford
and Hugh McGin Downey, OF the Royal
Ulster Yacht Club; Sallmaker Ratsey,
Navigator Hamilton and Henry F. LIP
petit, the last named representing the
New York Yacht Club.
The Columbia, meanwhile, under jib
and main sail, on the port tack, came
reaching out for the llghtshlp at ten
knot clip. She passed close under the
stern OF the Shamrock at 10 O'Clock, anu
stood on to the eastward.
on board the Columbia. besides Q.
oliver Isclin and Mrs. Iselin. were Cap
tain. Herreschoff. William Butler Dun
can. ir, Captain woodbury. Kane, Her
ber, Leeds, NewbuTy Thorne and Hugh
Kelly secretary OF the Royal Ulster
Yacht Club. representing that club on
board the Columbia.
The wind at this time was northeast
by north, blowing about twelve miles an
hour. Both yachts set their club top
sails at 1880, the COlumbia's men hand
ling their sail smarter than the Others,
Al l0:4j the committee boat. Walter
Iuckenbach, In charge OF s. Nicholson
Kane. came to anchor cable length
east Of Sandy Hook llghtship. and I'M
mediateiy huiRted the compass signal
giEnIfyIng that the course would be
s. S. ". Two minutes later the Sham
rocks crew riggeL their spinnaker boom
CUT to port. all ready to set that sail.
Promptly at II o'clock the prepara-
tory SiRnli-zA blue peter--was set on
board the committee boat and two req
balls hoisteG on the triatic stay. At the
same time tug started to log on the
course OF fifteen miles To leeward DUR
ing the Interval Of fifteen minutes be-
tween the preparatory and the starting
signals. the shippers OF both yachts ma
HeeWvered TO the northward u the start
Ing line. Both stuck close 10 the light
ship. and five minutes before the start
ing signal the balloon jib tOpSoil was
set up In stops on the COlumbia's stay.
The Shamrock sent up u No. ttb top-
sail about the same time.
AT one minute before the start the
Shamrock was approaching the line
from the eastward, and the Columbia
from the westward. When thirty sec
onds were left the Shamrock, which had
been coming for the line with boom to
port. gybed to starboard Just as the Co
lumbIG. with boom to port, rounded the
west end Of the line and began easing
sheets Captain HOEarth. however, had
his boat several lengths In the lead, ana
lust as the signal was given he gybed
the Shamrock again, crossing the line
81 seconds after the signal.
Shamrock Has Best OfStnrt.
The Official time of the start was:
Shamrock, 1lI5:37; Columbia, llI6:2O.
The Shamrock had the best OF the start
by 40 seconds
As the Columbia crossed the line she
broke out her No 2 jib tOpsail. At 1llI
the Columbia's spinnRker blOssomed
out to port. and she began at once to
overhaul the Shamrock. For some rea-
son Captain HoBRrth did not see ut to
set the ShnmrOck's splnnaker until four
minutes after the Columbia had set
hers. but as soon as II was set, the eHi-
erald- hued boat began 10 hold her own
with the Columbia, the yachts being
then not more than three lengths apart,
At 1l:35 the Columbia's bowsprit was
lust overlapping the Shamrock's star
board bow, the latter having the on
shore berth, but she was unable to hold
that position long. In eight minutes the
Shamrock. which seemed to hold the
h.ttnF h0 Ttul1eH fIli1v UEp
lengths ahead Of the Columbia. and
seemed to be gaining every minute.
Both yachts were heading considera-
bly, TO the westward OF their course,
and at Il O'Clock the Shamrock. which
had been steadily gaining, was quite an
eighth Of n mile ahead OF the Bristol
boat.
Al l2a5 the wind shifted to the north
west. The Columbia, being inshore,
caught II first, and in Just ave minutas
the Columbia had walked past the
Shamrock and was the leading boat
The outer mark was obscured by n
haze so that Il was not visible from the
yachts until y. m That ala not mat
Ter mueh TO either Captains HoEarth or
Barr. for they We're indulEinE In n luf-
nng match. closing In on the Jersey
beach for more than half an hour
Finally Captain Barr having the Co
mmin wolf ahead. NHSNh sheets AMI ktpt
on the mark, at '05 crossing the Sham
rocks bow onP-rlGhth NJ mile ahead,
Approaching the outer mark the
Coumblu's crew douscd the balloon iib
topsnr smartly and ns they rounded
the mark. float beHrlng a red han with
a white stripe which had to be left on
the stnrbunrd hand. the big main boom
swung over tn port, all sheets were
trimmed nat on the stnrbOard tack and
the Columbia thus began her fifteen
miles Of wIndward work
The time taken at the outer mark ns
cach yacht lurtel around II was; col
umblH la7.i7: Shamrock l.3a'5S So II
VIII be seen by the official figures that
IN the run ~ fifteen miles from the
start To the outer mark. the Columbia
oafsailpd Hfr Shamrock two minutes
and fortv-fuur seconds Her elapsed
time to this pnlnt was 232i:3I: sham
rocks g.2i:2l
Cantaln Barr kent the Columbia on
the tnshorc tack for two minutes for
ty-Gvc seconds after rounding the
mark when he let her come about To
tho port tack, setting tho baby iib top
sail rs she nllcd away. In twenty sec
OrlH he swunE hrv about again. The
shamrock meRnwhlc stood on on tho
NJ rI fuFlf tam fnIVuf41 nVNt1 fusnlNs1