The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-06

ship. There she anchored at right angles with
the course.
EXCURSION STEAMERS LOOM UP.
Everybody knew that the preparatory signal
would be given within Ave minutes. but q
glance around the horizon showed that only
ono excursion boat and two or three private
yachts were on hand to see the fun. But at
that moment. however. they began to loom up
through the haze in punches OF tens and
twenties. and by the time the yachts crossed
the line there was just as big feet on hand
as there was on Tuesday. The excursionlsts
had arrived in the nick OF time. for the Regatta
| Committee was very prompt In getting the
| contest under way.
| just as the Luck enback anchored near the
Lightship the Colum biaset up her balloon lib
topsail in stops. The Shamrock quickly du-
plicated this move. which 10 contrary to Eng
lish custom. On tho other eide they usually
set their big forward sails running. While
| this was being done the flagship Corsair. with
| Com odore J. Pierpont Morgan on board. ap-
| pearod. and there was now no reason why the
| start should be delayed. At AS sharp gun
doomed from the deck OF the Luckenbsok. a
big red ball went up on the triatlc stay and o
| blue peter floated from hor Flagstaff on the
bow
At that moment the contendsrs for the Cup
were quite close together about 200 yards to
the leeward OF the Lightship Tho Shamrock
Rybed and started in toward the line. passing
close under the stern OF tho Columbia. who
headed away on the port tack. Since coming
out from the Horseshoe both had set their
fore staysails. but before the preparatory sig
nal sounded they had hauled them to the deck
again. They were under malnsail. club top
sail and lib. Within thirty seconds OF the re-
port OF tho gun both had their staysais up In
stops again.
At 10:40 the Column bia slowly tackled around
and headed after the Shamrock which was now
fifty yards in the Ice OF the Lightship. The
course was absolutely clear In front. unless an
old dumping scow a mile to the eastward could
be taken into confederation. 1t was all right
behind tho limo. too. considering the light
breeze; but had brisk wind been blowing the
yachts would not have had enough room in
which to mannuvre. The flagship In that case
would have been in tho way. for she was not
more than q furlong to the windward OF the
| Lightship.
The revenue cutters and torpedo boats were
divided into two squads and they lined up on
the sides OF the course. The excursion boats
| banked themselves in behind the Government
| vessels and after tho race was fairly under way
| they stretched themselves into two long lanes.
| Three quarters OF the eXcursionists. however.
| decided to travel with the Eastern division.
FLYERS JocKEYINo FOR THE START.
After six minutes OF the preparatory tim
| had sped by the Shamrock and Coumb ia were
found still close together. standing on the star
board tack and pointing toward Sandy Hook.
| The challenger was in the lead by fifty yards.
| Both swept through the imaginary startinR
| line indicated by the committee boat and the
| old Sandy Hook Lightshp and thon the Sham
| rock went OF from the wind and Gybsd. The
| Colum ba spun around right In her weather.
| and both were now side by side. a few yards o
| the windward OF tho line Tho Columb Ia
headed out to tho east. in the direction OF the
| excursion feet. and this time she was leading
| the challenger.
When the warning gun boomcd at 1855
O'Clock both were crossing the starting line
| midway between the Lightship and tho COM
| mittee boat. Capt. Hogarth whipped the
Shamrock out on the Columbia's weather
! tackled stood to the north'ard OF the LghtshIp
ands broke out a balloon fore staysail. The
Columbia went down to the south OF the Light
ship before she tackled. when she came about
she broke out her fore staysail. The Shamrock
lowered her spinnaker pole to port. creased the
Columbas bows. hung for moment in order
to keep her rival under her thumb and stood
for the committee boat end OF the limo.
Tho Yankee gybed right astern OF the cha-
lenger and came up on her weather. Then as
| she Strengthened out she broke out her balloon
lib topsail. Hardly had the immense fold been
given to the wind before the green boat broke
out her mammoth head sail. There was now
only a half a minute before the starting gun
would be fired. The cannon cracked at IL
O'Clock to the second and both yachts straight
| ened out for tho line. The Columbia was
| slightly in the lead. and as she neayed the line
she pulled her spipnaker out OF its stops. the
sail being set to port.
OVER THE LINE THEY GO.
As the cloud OF canvas felt the influence OF
| tho wind the chalenger's huge pyramid arose
| from the deck. Columbia was the first to
cross. her mainmast passing the imaginary
| line at IL :00:53. Tho Shamrock. Tapped on
her. followed at sol: 05. There was dlf-
ference OF twelve seconds. and including the
| time allowance OF six seconds and fraction
the white boat would have to finish nearly
nineteen seconds ahead Of tho green hulled
| foreigner in order to win the race.
For time the Colum bias balloon lib topsail
hung as limp as a dishrag. as 1t did on Tuesday.
while the Shamrock's big headsail began to
draw Immediately They crept along. and for
hvo minutes or SO there was no gain by
| either boat. But the crews were tamperng
| with the sheets all the time with the idea OF
| striking a happy com bination which would
allow their boat to forge ahead. Finally
| tho Columbia hauled her splnnaker boom
aft tribe. and Immediately began to draw
| away from tho cup hunter. The spinnaker
boom was at that happy angle where it enabled
the wind to spill into tho balloon lib topsail and
| keep both important pieces OF canvas full
As they drew away from the Lightship they
| looked like two big white cornuoopias with
| their immense pyramids Of canvas rising from
| the deck.
The Columbia continued to pull away slowly
INSANE MAJOR.