The age-herald., 1899-10-10
THEY ONLY LACK
 A STIFF BREEZE Columbia and Shamrock Will Sail
 Again Today. DECISIVE RESULT HOPED FOR The Yachts Are in Excellent Fighting
 Trim.
DECISIVE RESULT HOPED FOR
WEATHER MANS PREDICTIONS
The Regatta Committee Decides to Make the Contest Daily After To- morrow Until Series Com
 pleted-Both Confident

New York, October 9.-There was buoy ant feeling of expectancy and excitement
 among the yachtsmen tonight, not that they feed sure of a race tomorrow, but
 that they know every day will be a race day from now on to the finish, with the
 exception of Wednesday. This agreement
 of the ragatta committee and the Sham rock people has proved popular It is fair proposition and every one likes the manner in which it is made.
 This has been a foggy day down around the Horseshoe and everything has been quiet in the fleet there, except the three decks of Columbia, where the crews have been cutting and refitting sails. This is taken in yachting circles to indicate nerv- ousness. There is nothing to be gained in trying to put aside facts They are worry
 ing some and are calm and confident to some extent. The sum of all this is that
 the English did better work on the three
 days f1ukes. Look at 1t from whatever
 standpoint you will these plain facts stare
 you in the face. On two of the days, at the
 moment the signal "Race off, was set the
 Shamrock was in the lead. On the third
 day she was no worse than on even terms
 
 was ahead, considering her position and the fact that she started some seconds behind
 the Columbia. Add to this her time allow ance of six seconds and the chances are 1 still more in her favor. There is good req | son for nervousness among the Americans, and nothing has occurred today to diminish 1 1t. It Is an unpleasant truth, but it is just as well to admit it. The weather is the I'M l fiuking have changed the character of the I speculation. It is now quite as much twill 1 there be racer" as which will win?'' l Weather Man Makes Promises The wea ther man at Washington prom
 ises a southerly increasing breeze. If it comes 1t will be a welcome wind to thou l sands of yachtsmen who have come many 1 miles to witness the contest. If this pre- | dfction is fulfilled the racers will be sent 1 over the line to windward down the Jersey 1 coast, the course being the same Sat l urday's, but the order will be reversed, and l the first leg to windward will be the run l home. This will be more satisfactory, 1 1t gives better chance for skill in maneu- | vering for the weather berth at the start. | The fog siren at Sandy Hook emitted it's 1 1oleful warning all day through the | layers of heavy air. Dreary as the day was, it broke at least the rule of a good l wind on off days and calms on racing days, l and on all sides there was hope that for l once the wind would be good and true on l the last days. The weather observers for | once kept their hands for a time off the
 business of storm-sighting. Both Mir. Ise- l lin and Sir Thomas Lipton appreciate all l that they have done for them, but that hur I ricane bulletin which the men rushed in on Sunday caused much worry on both sides. l The hurricane turned out to be a stretch i of fog which settled down over the sea. 1 As soon as Hathaway's sailmakers got
 through with the alterations on the Colum-
 bias mainsail this morning the yacht was | hauled up and the sail bent to the mast and hoisted. After inspection by Managing l Owner Oliver Iselin and Captain Barr, it was decided that the sail was not yet fit 1 to do battle tomorrow, and it was lowered, and after some minor alterations it was 1 hoisted again at p. m., when 1t set almost l as flat as a board. except for few wrin- 1 kles up near the bead under the gaff. A new club topsail was also bent to the l mast but not hosted. It was made upon | the yacht and covered, to keep it dry, for
 the air was full of what old salts call
 Scotch mist.''
 | The mainsail was lowered soon after l o'clock, slowed on the boom and covered for the night c. Oliver Isein arrived from l the city on tug just before noon. When seen on board the yacht soon after he | said:
 Hope for a Breeze
 | "We are all hoping for breeze tomorrow I so that we may finish at least one race.
 should like to get through before Christ I mas"
 | Asked if the arrangement to race every l day after Thursday was satisfactory to | him, he said: "Yes, indeed; we are only
 too glad to be able to race every day and l finish up the series."
 l MT. Iselin did not make any comment
 upon the last race. further than to say
 that some of the newspaper reports criticis- 1 ing the Columbias tactics were very unfair l and uncalled for The Columbias crew, he | said, were all well and eager for the next race. "If we have good steady breeze"
 said he. "I have every confidence in the | yacht"
 The docking of the yachts between races, which was originally the intention, if they showed signs of becoming foul, will have to be abandoned, on account of the new arrangements. It would be as fair for one as for the other, as it now stands, say the owners, who feel that what little growth may have accumulated can make very little difference in the sailing of the two yachts.
 Sir Thomas Lipton remained on board the yacht Erin all day. He did not deny tzIf bad all |. .fr