The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-06

to Base q Conjecture as to Prob.
able Result of the Series of Races
DAY Was Ideal for Anything
Save Yacht Race-Dramatfc
Scenes During the Struggle.
NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-Again today the
sea refused the Shamrock and Columbia
field of conflict; again today the multi
tude which went out to watch the con-
testants for the yachting championship
Oh the world returned disappointed, and
not little disgusted. The question of
supremacy of the two great yachts is
stlll as much an open question as before
they first met. The contest today was.
in some respects, more Of a fluke than on
tuesday. 1t was drifting match almost
from the start to the finish The Yachts
crossed the line with breeze of five
Knots. and the wind never blew more
than six knots, most Of the time less
thah three, and part of the time not a
breath of air was stirring. After sailing
Iour hours and forty-three minutes, the
yachts having covered only twelve miles
OF the course to the outer mark, the re-
gatta committee declared the race off
as 1t was manifestly impossible with the
breeze that was then blowing, for the
boats to round the stake before the time
limit expired, much less to get back
home again.
During the time in which the yachts
were at it the wind which carried them
dead before 1t over the line, had hauled
around until al the finish they were beat
Ing into its teeth. While the wind held
estern the Columbia steadily outfooted
her rival until she was fully half mile
ahead, but III the shifting, battling winds
that followed during the last three hours,
with the great single-stickers tacking and
beating and jibing to catch every streak
of wind. with fortune helping one about
as much as the other, the Shamrock grad
ually worked her way up until, when the
race was declared off, the two boats were
about on even terms, the Shamrock per-
haps half a length ahead, but so close
was the Columbia that Capt Barr could
have thrown a biscuit to the foreigner.
LESSON OF THE DAY.
The only lesson learned by the nautical
of the two boats is that in light weather
conditions the Columbia is the superior
in running and reaching. and the Sham
rock slightly better in beating. There
has yet been no indication of what either
beat can do in a piping, wholesale breeze.
The weather bureau had promised
good strong wind for today, but the
prophecy was a most dismal failure. 1t
was just an ideal lazy, hazy, Indian sum
mer day, a day for white duck and a
novel under some tree ashore rather than
an over coat and yacht race afoat. A
heavy haze hung over sea and land. The
opaque curtain shut off the view of the
thousands waiting on the highlands of
Nav esink and the Long Island shore. The
sky was yelled by a gossamer of clouds,
through which the sun sifted, turning the
sea into molten gold. So gentle were the
pulsations of the sea that any
harbor or river craft in the shape of a
steamboat could venture out with impuni-
ty, and vast concourse of excursion
beats, ocean steamers, yachts, steam and
sailing vessels gathered around the red
hulk of the Sandy Hook ughtship seven
miles from the entrance to the lower
bay, to watch the start. The smoke from
the steamers and the steam from the ex-
hausts mingled with the haze and made
a scarcely penetrable veil, which trans
formed them in the distaace into a fleet
of phantom ships.
The torpedo boats guarding the course
threaded their way in and out through
the exclusion boats like needles. in their
wakes a mass of foam, warning the ex-
cursion boats to keep their distance. But
little difficulty was experienced today, as
Capt Evans interviews, threatening dire
consequences to offending shippers. had
a wholesome effect. Already the crowd
was disappointed. Each one had come
down praying for a stiff breeze, and had
found instead that there was hardly wind
enough to keep the flags f1uttering. What
there was was from northwest by north
from over the land. Outside of the ruck
of the steamers the old cup defender
Vigiyant made beautiful picture, leaning
away through the mist, and the old
schooner America, which had brought
the blue ribbon of the sea across the
Western ocean fifty years ago, attracted
universal attention as she sailed about
to see how her latest champion would
defend it.
70 CATCH A ZEPHYR.
Preparations were made aboard both
yachts for the lightest airs before the
start. The Columbia discarded her heavy
steel topsail yard for lighter and longer
pine one. and the Irish boat sent aloft
the largest club topsail ever seen on her,
larger by yards than any used in her
trials on this side.
Mrs. Iselin, wife of the managing own
er of the Yankee boat, and who never
fails to be aboard during a race, was
snugly ensconced in the companion way
of the Columbia, attired In a jaunty fan
mel yachting costume, with red stream
er around her hat.
AS soon as the committee boat had q
hoisted the signal letters I'D. c. L."
making the course fifteen miles southeast
by south dead before the wind, and re-
turn, putting tug steamed straight out
to sea to plant the outer mark, which
neither of the racers was destined to
round today.
There was some pretty maneuvertng be-
hind the line before the start, each break
ing out her balloon jib and lowering her
spinnaker boom as they jockeyed for po"
sition Both got across into the smoke
of the last gun, the white beauty a length
ahead. and In the windward berth. The
wind was blowing hardly five knots.
AS she crossed the green boat broke out
her spinnaker, which was in stops. 1t Is
nm English fashion to hoist this sail
Il lNrar1 nnl In hnr