The record-union., 1899-10-12
There is No Premise of a Breeze
Off Sandy Hook To-Day.
Little Probability Of the Fate Of the Cup
Beng Decided This Week.
Both the Vessels in Readiness for
the Sail To-Day, if Weather
Conditions Are Such as Insure q
Race-The Columbia the Favor
ite in the Betting.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1.-THE outlook
for a race between the Shamrock and
Columbia tomorrow is none of the
best. Even the hitherto optimistic
Weather Bureau will not promise a
breeze. The revised agreement calls
for a start every week day from this
time on, but there is little probability
of the fate of the cup being decided
this week.
Looking as fine as two fiddles tuned
up to concert pitch, the Columbia and
Shamrock lay quietly at their moorings
all day, with their tenders close at
hand and tugs standing by for a call.
During the early morning hours the
fog was even thicker than on Tues
day, but when the sun came UP toward
noon the fog cleared away under the
influence of a light breeze from the
south-southwest.
The cover was taken off the Colum-
bias mainsail just before noon, and
it was given a thorough overhauling
and drying. The new club topsail was
also looked after, and the running gear
inspected fore and aft.
Speaking of the new topsail made
for the Columbia since the last race,
and set on Tuesday for the first time,
Mr.. Iselin said:
Yes, it is a larger sail than any Of
the others, and / am pleased with the
way it sets. Whether it is larger than
any of the Shamrock's / am not pre-
pared to say. You see, the boats un-
der sail from the distance ought to be
able to tell that, for l have not seen
the sails of either boat from dis
tance"
The utmost confidence in the Ameri-
can yacht prevails among her crew.
Many of them have wagered a months s
wages on her, and all agree that she
cannot be beaten.
Weather conditions at the Horseshoe,
where the fleet of yachts and tenders
is lying, were nearly as depressing to-
day as yesterday The morning brought
a fog like that of the day before, al
though less dense, which lifted slowly
as the day advanced. Not a breath of
air was stirring, and there was 70 sign
of a breeze until the early afternoon,
which was the dreariest part of the
day.
On board the defender and challenger
a close watch was kept through the
mist for vessels, but aside from this
and the ordinary routine there was
little for the crew to do except wait
for the morrow Id hope for a wind.
AS the day advanced the fog lifted,
until at noon it was hardly more than
a haze on the horizon.
About ] o'clock the first breeze of
the day came up from the south, light
and hardly more than enough to make
a ripple on the water. In the after
noon this increased, although it was
never more than enough to move the
smallest boats.
The sail covers on the big yachts,
taken off at midday, were replaced
about mid-afternoon, the Columbia
men being the first to do this. No
work on sails or rigging was dcne on
the American boat On the Shamrock
none had been attempted on other
days -"
c. Oliver Iselin said the new club
topsail and the mainsaiI were both sat
isfactory, so far as he could tell, and
no more change had been made in
either. He said further that practically
no changes had been made on the Col
umbia. He denied that any trouble
had been experienced with the bobstay
and stated that the work on that had
been merely painting. This one is not
galvanized, he said, and we have 70
paint it frequently. That is the reason
for the work of the sailors on it,
In response to a question, Mr. Iselin
said Designer Herreshoff would sail on
the Columbia on all of our cup races,
as he had sailed on the trials already
held, and would add his experience and
knowledge of the boat to that of Cap
tain Barr.
At the New York Stock Exchange
to-day offers of 10 to : on the Column
bia found no takers. There was no
money backing the Shamrock in the
hands of commission brokers' Money
at the New York Yacht Club and other
clubs has found no Shamrock takers,
and the Columbia seems to be the IA
vorite yacht with American bettors.
Betting has been 10 to and 10 to q
to-day in Columbia circles, but no