The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-07-29
wARSHIPs IN A RACE.
An Exciting Tilt Between Some q
Uncle Sans Great Ocean
Fighters.

When the American fleet left Mar.
have presented curious sight to those
on shore. For it was here that the
swiftest ships of the feet gathered for
their great handicap race to Dominica,
an event officially designated as a mere
speed trial. The engines of each ship
were subjected to four hours trial at
full speed, the first two hours to be on
natural draft and the last two on forced
draft. The starting-point was on line
seven miles off the lighthouse of ST.
Pierre, and was crossed by each ship
going at full speed ahead. The better
to curb all attempts at racing" the
slowest vessels crossed the line with a
good start in their favor, thus evening
up matters, after the manner of regu-
lar handicap race.
For days and weeks before, the sail
ors and stokers aboard the different
ships had staked the better part of
their pay on the outcome of this speed
trial. Greatest was the rivalry between
the men of the New York and Brooklyn,
since the relative speed merits of these
two vessels have been an open question
ever since the day when the New York
strove to overhaul the Brooklyn in her
chase after the fleeing Cristobal Colon.
For several hours, while the ships
were getting up steam, they circled
about each other like huge white birds
of the sea lowering over the brine. To
those aboard the Brooklyn ari New
York 1T almost seemed as if tie two
swift cruisers were cycling each other.
and measuring points in anticipation
of the coming race.
The Indiana got under way first, and
crossed the line at a 12-knot clip. with
a trail of dense black smoke marking
her course northward to Dominica. As
the slowest of the five entries in the
race, she was allowed to take a long
start. and her smokestacks had nearly
under the horizon before
the Massachusetts slipped her leash.
Of all the five ships, the Massachusetts
was best prepared for the race, having
been overhauled but lately, SO that her
engineers declared her to be all Stacked
md primed for just such race and laid
heir wagers accordingly. After the
was well on her way
after the Indiana, Capt. Sigsbee started |
n pursuit of both with a fine burst of |
speed from the Texas. On the strength
4 the little Texas performance on |
July of last year, when she managed |
o maintain the killing pace set by the
oregon in the great record run after
he Cristobal Colon, Capt. Sigsbee's
men had high hopes of winning back
ome of the money they lost on the day
u the recent regatta in Havana harbor.
With this pack in full cry ahead, the
Brooklyn and New York got under way.
within 20 minutes of each other. the
lagship starting at scratch.
The race became most exciting dur
ng the last two hours of the speed trial.
7hen all the ships were going under
orced draught. Then it was that the
Jew York overhauled one ship after
mother, finally crossing the finish line
II Dominica barely a ships length
head OF Indiana, and nearly even with
ne Massachusetts. Close behind her
anne the painting Brooklyn, and far be-
ind, her bulk rising above the horizon
ne came the vanquished Texas. Cant.
gsbee's long protracted stay in the
'ui waters of Havana had proved her
ndoing-Edwin Emerson, Jr., in Col
er's Weekly. i
A Modern MalaurOu