Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-21
Telephones G94-GlS.

he patriots, with high bounding pulses,
aw Columbia again picking up on the en-
,my At 1910 o'clock, huif mile from the
mark, the Bristol boat got alongside the
challenger and. neck and neck, like a span
OF race horses, they bowled down for the
float. Three minutes later, when they took
in their spinnakers, Columbia was length
in the lead and footing like mad. The yachts
swept around the mark, Columbia seventeen
seconds ahead Columbia had gained min
ute and eighteen seconds in the fifteen mile
run.
As they leaned away on the starboard
tack for the run home the white craft was
on the windward and about minute ahead,
the head seas sending the brine as high as
the spreaders. They careened until their
leerais were awash in the green spray
and occasionally solid chunks of the green
water came aboard. Everything aboard was
wet and dripping. Seldom has there been
such a smashing sea under the bown of
cup contestants. The water spurted twenty
feet into the air. The green boat labored
more than the Yankee. Once or twice it
buried its bowsprit in the seas, wettlng us
headsals. 1t was a grand sight.
Columbia pointed almost a point higher
than its rival and footed just as fast. CO.
lutnDla Ddll uOuStu us NOl hlh6 tobS'''ii ~
fore it turned the mark. but Shamrock hung
on until in the constantly freshening wind
Il decided it was dangerous to wear 1t
longer 1t was a delicate job, but after
FIVE minutes or hard work it was success
fully accomplished. On every tack OF the
thresh to windward the Yankee increased
its lead, sailing so close that the old salts
said 1t would wipe tho eye OF the wind.
Britisher Becomes Desperate.
The situation for Shamrock was desper-
ate. and reckless of the consequence, the
British skipper decided to put on more can
vas. He put up and succeeded in setting a
small clubtopsail
Columbia had the race well in hand and
did not offer to risk a broken spar. For
tunately the ehailehger's topmast did not
carry away, though 1t t'leancd over under the
press ,Iof canvass until its slippery decks
weres tfltedS to AN tanSleAssf, thirty degrees
Its ssperd was undoubtedly Increased, but
its Inability to point tiost it considerable. A
slight cant in the wind favored Shamrock
at this time and it managed to close up the
gap until little smore than a half mile
separated it from Columbia. The patrets
got nervous but with the fnish line two
miles away there was little danger.
Soon after the wind slackened little
and thereafter Shamrock lost rather than
gained ground.
All the excursion boats at this time were
bucking into the head seas for home as fast
as their screws could churn. The tugs were
flooded. But as on the run down, the pace
was too hot and not half of the fleet was
in at the finish. The rush of the yachts
through the seas on the final tack was mag
nhCent.
The gallant Yankee snot across the finisi
between the lightshp and the committed
boat like a flash. The shippers of the flee
that had gotten there in time almost forgo
to open their whistles so absorbed were the!
in the stirring spectacle But they male VI
for 1t later. The defeated challenger race,
across five minutes and seventeen seconds
later. The much touted rough weather boa
had been beaten over a thirty mile cours
six minutes and eighteen seconds actua
time, or with the allowance 1t was to con
cede Columbia on account of the larger waite
line. six minutes and thirty-four seconds.
Shamrock get a noiser reception thar
Columbia it finished perhaps because b!
the later time 1t crossed gave opportunit!
for some of the belated vessels to get up
A grand spectacle followed
The victor, after lowering its sails, Sc
the stars and stripes at i;s topmast trucl