The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-04
showed the Way Three Times i'm Yes
terday's Race, While Columbia
Was In Advancc but Twice.
LATTER WAS HANDLED WELL
YANKEE SAILORS FAR SUPERIOR TO
LIPTON's CREW OF SCOTS.
hamreck Better Than Columbia in q
Lfght Bree.e-No interference
by Excursion Steamers.

NEW YORK. Oct. s.-As the sunset-a
great ball Of fire behind the Navesink hills.
and the sparkling stars came out into the
iawless heavens. the biggest crowd of sight
seers and yachtsmen that ever sailed down
TO Sandy Hook TO witness the attempt Of a
foreign mug hunter to wrest from America
the yachting supremacy of the world, re-
turned to New York crestfalien and disap-
pointed. The winds from the caves of old
ocean had proved too light and shifty, and
the first OF the International series of 1893 be-
tween the two greatest racing machines ever
produced by England and America degener-
ated into a drifting match, and had to be
declared of because neither could reach the
finish line in the time allotted by the rules.
To avoid just such winds as occurred to-
day. In which luck and not THE crew and
yachts win. the rules provide that IL one of
the boats does not nish within five and a
half hours. the race Is declared of, so at
the end OF the time this evening, when the
yachts were still four miles from home.
with the Shamrock leading by something
more than a quarter OF a mile, the COM
mittee officially declared that there had been
no race. The yachts were taken in tow by
their respective tugs and brought back to
their anchorage inside Sandy Hook. The
clean limbed racers had sailed out this
morning fresh for battle. but the sea had re-
fused them a field Of conflict. Under the
rules the first race is now postponed for
two days, or until Thursday.
The day romised well at first. They sky
was smirched with a few dirty clouds, but
clear enough to permit the thousands of
spectators who lined the Jersey shore TO see
almost every foot Of the course. The waves
were crested with whitecaps here and there
and a fairly fresh breeze blew out OF the
north, northeast. but after the Columbia
and Shamrock had crossed the line the wind
turned fiuky and variable and the race was
a fxzle almost from the start But the fiuke
to-day gave the yachting sharps and the
spectators much TO think about-and some
surprises.
THE BOATS COMPARED.
The Columbia is undoubtedly the prettier
boat. She Is tall. stately. with graceful
lines and towering masts. Tbs Irish boat,
with her broader beam and longer base
line. looked slower and heavier. Perhaps
her green color makes her look clumsier,
as II she were forced through the water,
while the slim Columbia pierces it like a
napier.
Though indecisive In every respect as to
the abilities Of the great rival single-stick-
crs. to-day's race indicates that the Irish
boat. with her English skipper and her
Scotch crew. is the ablest sloop ever sent
across the Atlantic in the hope of lifting
the 100 guinea cup which the America
brought back forty-eight years ago. and
which has since been successfully defended
against the world.
During the nve and a half hours sail the
Shamrock was thrice ahead. and twice the
Yankee boat showed the way. For the first
ten minutes the Shamrock led; then for five
the Columbia's graceful bow showed ahead
OF the green boat; for forty-ive minutes
following the Shamrock: then for three
hours the Columbia, and for the last hour
and q half II was the Shamrock that led the
way. The breeze blew as high as twelve
knots an hour and as low as three and
shifted about through eight points of the
compass.
Each in. turn beat the other running be-
fore the wind and was In turn beaten. beat
Ing against the wind at various stages of
the race. 50 that many OF the experts who
saw the two boats sail to-day are disin-
clined TO believe that there Is a pin to
choose between them. but when the race is
closely analysed II Is absolutely proven that
the Columbia showed her superiority at ev-
every point Of sailing. running. reaching and
beating whenever the wind freshened. and
that 1t was only in the lightest air that
the shamrock could make any Roadway
against her.
Both had their share Of good and bad
luck The Columbia bad the better of the
shifting wind on the run down TO the mark
and beat the Shamrock two minutes and
forty-four seconds. while on the beat home,
after Increasing her lead to over a mile at
ore time. the Shamrock overhauled the
Yankee and was a quarter OF a mile ahead
when the time allowance expired.
NO INTERFERENCE
The feature OF the race which pleased
everybody most was the perfectly clear field
which was maintained. For the first time.
this year. the government took a hand TO
prevent . repetition of the unfortunate oc-
curance which marred the race when the
accompanying excursion boats, I'm their
frensted eassrness 10 let none OF the beau
THU spectacle escape. crowded down upon
- racers until their back wash impeded
tneff preorsss Through the water and