The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-17
TECHNICALLY TOLD.
Nautical Narrative Of the Defeat OF
Shamrock by Columbia.


Nautical Narrative Of the Defeat of
Shamrock by Columbia.
NEW YORK, Oct 1.-THE crews OF
both yachts had breakfast early, and
when they turned to-" soon after s, 1t
was with a will. for, in spite of the rather
hazy weather. there was good breeze
from the eastward, which promised to in
crease and give the yachts good race at
last. Jibs and staySails were sent up In
stops on the stays racing matches put
on, boats dashed, and everything made
snug before O'clock. At 9:15 the Col
umbia cast off from her mornings, and
was taken In tow by tug. The Sham
rock started in tow few minutes later.
Covers were on the mainsails and club
topsails to keep them dry until the last
moment, as there was just enough fine
rain TO dampen them.
Al 10 o'clock both yachts had reached
the east end of Gedney's channel, and at
1919 the Columbia's crew began hosting
the mainsail 1t was set in five minutes.
The Shamrock's mainsail began to go
up at the same time but it was fully
fifteen minutes before the sail was set,
AT 1925 both yachts cast off their tow
lines. broke out their jibs and mastheaded
their No. club topsails. The Columbia
also sent up her baby jib topsaiI on the
stay. At the same time the committee
boat Walter Luckenbach anchored due
south of the Sandy Hook lightship, and
sent up the course signal. 1t was east,
making it a beat dead to Windward of
fifteen miles, and run back, if the wind
held from the same quarter.
The regatta committee members meant
business this morning, for a few minutes
later they started the tug to log off the
IN +l,r ,.,I
was made. Both yachts then began man
euvering for position, and at 1O:55 when
the warning signal was given, they were
playing for a weather berth to the north
ward of the line, the Shamrock breaking
out her staysailS al this time.
When two minutes We're left before the
starting signal both yachts were heading,
a couple of lengths apart, to the west
ward, with booms to port, the Columbia,
to windWard. At one minute the Sham
rock began to ketch off for the committee
boat, which was lying at the south end
of the line, Capt. Hogarth's intention ap
parently being to stop the Columbia, then
a length or so astern, from getting the
weather berth When the starting gun
was fired the Shamrock had run parallel
with the line to nearly the center of it.
She still held her course until nearly over
to the lightship before she began to huff
to cross the line
COLUMBIA WE'LL IN HAND.
Capt. Barr, on the Columbia, held his
yacht well in hand, being at this time a
good length astern, with sheets fat aft.
lie began to huff the moment Hogarth
dill, and shooting the Columbia across
the Shamrock's wake he sent her across
the line more than fifty yards to wind
ward of the challenger, and with such a
good overlap on her that, according to
the official time, she was only three Sec
onds astern. The official time of the
start was: Shamrock, u:01:03; Columbia,
11:01 :06.
Both yachts We're now close hauled on
the Starboard tack, and were carrying
exactly the same sail-mainsail, club top
sail, jib, foresail and baby jib topsail.
AS soon as sheets were trimmed all
hands, except the men stationed at the
head Sheets jumped for the weather side
and huddled close down to the starboard
rail, while the shippers watched each
other like hawks. --..-
There We're not many excursion boats
out in time to see the start Those on
board the small fleet had a. splendid view
Of the start, and the first few minutes
were anxious ones for both yachts
friends After that all was over. The
Columbia had widened the distance to
windward between herself and Shamrock
fully length. She heeled more than the
latter boat, but her sails were all full,
and she was pointing higher from the
moment she started
Capt Hogarth thinking his boat would
be able to outfoot the Columbia sufficient
~ to tack across her bow, little later
gave her a good rap full Tile green boat
responded nobly, and to some it appeared
that size was passing he Columbia very
fast So she was, but she was losing OUT
ward ground every minute. When the
Shamrock tackled, thirty seconds later, it
was seen that Barr had so far placed his
boat on the weather berth of the Sham
rock as to spill the back wind in the
ShamrGck's sails Hogarth was obliged
to keep broad off for about thirty seconds
to get out from under the Columbia
lee.
Ply 11:20 the Bristol boat was quite an
eighth of a mile to windward, outfooting
and outpointing her rival all the time
Capt. Hogarth, finding that the Sham
rock would not point as high as the CO.
lumb:a, flattened down his sheets as hard
as he dared, and had to be ccntented with
giving her a good full and letting her 90
at that
The Sha mrock went about to starhcard
at II % 80 and the Columbia five seconds
later. At 11:45:30 when the Shamroolr
es-NNAi- Ne'N'@AOo " port, the Columbia was
fully a quarter of a mile to windward of
her. The latter tackled five seconds later
HOGARTH DESPERATE.
Capt. Hogarth was getting desperate
now, ana he resorted to his short tacEing
tactics in the hope that his beat would
1ore-reach sufficiently to make a material
gam to Windward At the conclusion of
the marine duel between the two Yachts
H0garth found himself further to lea
ward than ever, the Columbia having
been, If nythfng, quicker in STAYS and a
better fOre-reacher.
At l2:a9:15, when the Shamrock settled
down again to business on the port tack
ana the Columbia, after standing on two
minutes longer, came about on the Same
tack, 1t was found that the Bristol boat
was halt a mile dead to windward of her
rival
In few more tacks the Columbia still
Increased her lead to windward. The
Shamrock people at 1:15 took in her baby
1ib topsail, hoping that she might point
higher. but 1t was in vain, for in ten min
ules they set the sail again. It was taken
In twenty minutes later for a few min
utes
Each yacht made twenty-five lacks IN
lie windward work. and in all these the
shamrock took the initiative Capt Barr
waited Tor Hogarth to tack, and. with but
one or two exceptions, he put the Colum-
pia about within thirty seconds of the
othef boat. The last half dozen tac1s
made were longer than the others.
Inc outward mark, which had been oh