The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-07
aGFR OF THE OCEAN'
Is Columbia, the Yacht which IS to
Defend the Cup In The Race With

Defend the Cup in the Race with
tho Shamrock.
NEW YORK, July 6.-over a trian-
gular course Of thirty miles, in COM
pdratively light winds. the new Iselin-
Morgan yacht Columbia to-day van
pushed the Vanderbilt yacht Defender.
and convinced the yachtamen who saw
the royal struggle that she is worthy Of
defending the precious trophy which
Sir Thomas Upton and his merry tars
hope to take back with them in the
Shamrock next fall.
The Columbia's fore-stay sail and
club top sail are anything but perfect,
and cracked to-day In the wind like a
teamsters' whip, demonstrating that In
general way she viii need a good
deal OF tuning up. Yet, based upon
the showing she made as better boat
than the Defender under adverse con-
ditions, the nautical shGrps are strong
ly convinced that Sir Thomas Upton
will sail home without the silver mug,
the possession Of which has given US
the yachting supremacy Of the world
since 1851.
After the preparatory gun was hred.
the Columbia, without waiting for the
starting gun, rounded Sandy Hook
ightShjp and headed across the line.
Either IL was a bad blunder on the part
Of CAPTAIN Barr, or II was designedly
done 70 give the Defender a Btnft equal
at about two minutes. Just as the
starting .Eun doomed, the Defender
crossed on the port tack. Meantime
the Columbia iIbed and, returning came
about And headed for the line, crossing
It exactly two minutes after the De-
fender. Both yachts four stay sails.
jlbs, baby lib top sails and club top
sails.
The beat to wlndward made a beau.
tiful race. The interest was intense for
the first few minutes, as the big racers
with everything close hauled. entered
upon their test OF speed. The Defend
er had the weather gauge by one hun
bred yards, and was several lengths In
the lead. The crowds Of yachts were
crowded along the lee rails like sacks
Of oats their feet to leeward. their
heads pillowed on the rails At first
the Columbia seenid to putfoot her re-
va, and there seemed to be no perceptl-
Bile ,..tterence In their ability to hug
the wind. Nautical experts were tu-
bllant. Then both yachts went over
on the starboard tack for a long leg.
They heeled unit, yards OF their bronze
bodies were exposed. The Columbia
seemed more tender than tho Defender
more tender but perhaps more state
ly as she lay down to ner work. She
heeld enough to let the seas swirl and
bubble along her lee rail. and sometimes
when she smashed big wave into tat
tiers she shipped somewhat forward
Miniature cataracts poured from her
gllsteninS decks when tao water squirt
ed twenty feet high from her bows, but
as she lifted beautifully she looked like
a huge gull rising from the water Then
the talent began to sc; nervous. Grad
ually but surely the Defender was
draping ahead, and II was also 1ppar-
emit thae she was pointing higher than
the Columbia. 1t did not take the
yachtsmen long to discover the cause.
The Defenders sails 1T to perfection.
and every inch Of canvas drew. The
club top sail Of the Columbia, on the
other hand. was loose, and cracked
in the wind. The forestry sail did
not draw. and might as we'll have been
tossed In the locker below. AT this
time the breeze was blowing but ten
knots an hour. and while 1t continued
at that clip the Defender continued to
gain very slowly, but also surely. Half
an hour later the wind sank to about
! FIVE knots, and Immediately the sails
OF the Columbia began to draw. and
she began to gain upon her adversary.
Both shippers were now straininB for
the mastery. The Columbia continued
to gain on every tack, and few min
utes before the first mark was reached
she crossed the Defenders bow on the
PtaFboard tack. Then the nautical
sharpa breathed easier She rounded
the stake exactly one minute ahead of
the Defender. AS she eased her
sheets and turned thu mark all the
steam craft screamed their congratula-
But here also the trouble with her
head sails was conspicuous. Both
yachts had slowed their baby ibis and
had sent up their big jib top sails In
stops as they approached the stake,
but the Defender, although the last
round, broke out her big lib fully a
minute before the Columbia locsed hers.
And then the latter's head had to be
taken down and reset. On the long
reach for the second mark, with the
wind abenm, the Columbia gained IS
seconds. About half way dowE black
suualI. which had been threatening to
the southwark. broke sharply, and
| completely swallowed up their big
yachts and their trains. 1t was a
question of how much the Columbia
| would beat the Defender, and many OF
the steamers and tugs headed back for
the finish.
When the rainfall ceased the wind
hauled to the west and instead Of COM
ing home before the wind. with spinna-
kers set. the yachts made the last leg
with the wind on the port bow Grace
fully and nolselessly the Columbia
swept over the invisible line between
them and as she crossed she received
royal salute.
The race to-day was an Informal
trial for cup offered by the New York
Yacht Club The official trials will oc-
| ciir In SantambpF