The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-20

course had been set instead of keeping
away for the mark, they made almost a
triangular race of it. Without setting their
spinnakers they luffed sharply to starboard,
each striving for the weather gauge The
Columbia showed her rival fleet pair Of
heels, gaining ground gradually from the
start. For almost an hour the lufing match
continued, and carried the yachts four
miles out of their course. The Shamrock
having been badly beaten in her attempt to
get to the windward both squared away
for the mark. breaking out their big spin
makers to the wind.
After watching the yachts run before the
wind for an hour, during which the breeze
gradually died down to about five knots or
less, the excursion fleet turned ahead and
gathered about the float to witness the
turn. BY the time they had lined up the
big yachts could just be seen. Through
the haze across the water they looked like
phantom pyramids. The wind kept falling,
and there was "a long wait. The excursion
beats became impatient they lay wallow-
ing in tine swell and they shifted their po-
sitions uneasily, starting and stopping their
engines. The balloons of the big sloops
collapsed. and the race was degenerating
into a drifting match as they approached
the mark. The challenger was directly
astern of the Columbia, trying with her
mountains of canvass to blanket the tower
ing sails of the Yankee. But the Columbia
get wind enough from somewhere to keep
her slipping through the water, and in vain
the Shamrock strained to overtake her.
The yachts were half an hour covering the
last half mile Slowly, but stately as a
queen, the white aevfatihans were around
the mark and filed away. Passing the
Shamrock, still outward bound close aboard
on her weather. she robbed her of the slight
breeze and left her with dropping wings,
utterly becalmed for a full minute. 1t must
have been minute of intense chagrin
aboard the challenger, and all concerned
were filled with pity for the green racer
The Columbia had gained five minutes
and .ffty-one seconds on the fifteen miles to
leeward About three half hours had been
consumed and there appeared no chance for
either yacht to get home, but as the breeze
continued to hau Ito the southwark it mada
a fair wind for the return journey and as it
freshened to ten knots soon afterward, a
faint hope of finishing within the time
limit arose.
The Yankee sailed away from her rival
like a ghost ship, leaving her far astern
increasing the distance between them so
rapidly that when the race was declared
off at 4:19 she was leading by three miles.
New York, October 19.--The following is
the accident agreement signed by Sir
Thomas Upton and C. Oliver Isein which
enabled the Columbia to take tine second
race when the shamrock's mast broke:
Inasmuch we are OF the opinion that
the Americas cup races are no less a test
of the strength of construction of the COM
peting vessels than of their sailing quail
ties, and 1t is deemed advisable to avoid
the embarrassment in which vessel finds
herself when called upon to decide whether
to Withdraw from a race upon the occur
renee of an accident disabling her competi-
tor, 1t Is agreed that in the races between
the Shamrock and the Columbia each yacht
Shall stand by the consequences of any ac-
cident happening to her, and that the un-
injured vessel shall sail out the race.
THOMAS j. Upton,
C. OLIVER ISELIN.