The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-06

contest today was in some respects
more Of a tiuke than that of Thursday
1t was a drifting match almost from
the start to finish.
The yachts crossed the line with a
breeze of five knots and the wind never
z blew more than six knots, most Of the
4 time less than three, and part of the
time not breath of air was stirring.
After sailing four hours and forty-two
4 minutes, the yachts having covered
only twelve miles of the course to the
outer mark, the regatta committee de-
clared the race off, as it was manifestly
impossible, with the breeze then blow
ing, 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 in the dead before it before the
line, had hauled around until at the
i finish they were beating into it's teeth.
Were Close Together.
While the wind held astern the Co
lumbia steadily outfooted her rival I'M
I til she was fully half mile ahead, but
in the shifting, battling winds that fol-
/ lowed during the last three hours, with
! the great single stickers lacking and
beating and gybing to catch every
! streak Of wind, with fortune helping
/ one about as much as the other, the
! Shamrock gradually worked her way
up until when the race was declared off
| the two boats were about on even
terms, the Shamrock perhaps half a
length ahead, but so close was the Co
| lumbia that Captain, Barr could have
/ thrown a biscuit to the foreigner.
The only lesson learned by the nau-
teal sharps from today's trials of the
abilities of the two boats is that in
7 I H. L.
is The superior in running and reaching
and the Shamrock is slightly better in
beating. There has yet been no indica-
ton of what either boat can do in a
piping whole sail breeze.
Weather Bureau Was Off.
The weather bureau had predicted
good, strong wind for today but the
prophecy was most dismal failure. 1t
| was just an ideal, lazy, hazy, Indian
summer day, a day for white duck and
novel under some tree ashore, rather
than an overcoat and yacht racing
af1oat A heavy haze hung over sea
and land. The Opaque curtain shut off
the view of the thousands waiting on
the highlands of Navesink 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 crestless, pulsating
seas that any sort of harbor or river
craft, from a steamer to a row boat,
could venture out with impunity, and
vast colony of excursion boats, ocean
going steamers, yachts, tugs, side
wheelers and sailing vessels gathered
around the red hulk of the Sandy Hook
light ship. seven miles from the en-
trance to the lower bay, to watch the
start The smoke from their stacks
and the steam from their exhausts
mingled with the haze and formed an
impenetrable veil, which transformed
them in the distance into vast fleet of
phantom ships. Though the curtain
shut out the view of those ashore, it
added to the pleasure of those afloat,
for it made each one feel himself per-
sonally a part of the beautiful spec
tacie.
Kept the Course Clear.
The torpedo boats guarding the
course threaded their way in and out
through the boats like needles, their
wakes a thread of foam, warning the
excursion shippers to keep their dis
lance. But little difficulty was exper-
fenced today, as Captain Evans inter-
views, threatening dire consequences to
offending shippers, had a wholesome
effect.
Already the crowd was disappointed
Each one had come down praying for
stiff breeze, and had found instead that
there was hardly wind enough to keep
the flags fluttering. What there was
was from northwest by north from over
the land Outside of the ruck of the
steamers the old cup defender Vigilant
made a 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 unlver-
sal attention as she sailed about to see
how her latest champion would de-
fend it.
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.
Get Ready For Race.
Mrs. Iselin. wife of the managing
owner of the Yankee boat, and who
never fails to be aboard during a race,
was snugly ensconsed in the compan-
ionway of the Columbia attired in a
jaunty white flannel yachting costume
with red streamer around her hat.
AS soon as the committee boat had
hoisted the signal letters I'D. L. c."
making the course fifteen miles SOUTH
east by south dead before the wind and
return, a putting tug steamed straight
out to the sea to plant-the outer mark,
which neither of the racers was des-
tined to round today. There was some
pretty maneuvering behind the line be-
fore the start, each breaking out her
balloon jib and lowering her spinnaker
boom as they jockeyed for position.
Both got across in the smoke of the
last gun. the white beauty 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 an English fashion to hoist this
sail from the boom, and the Shamrock
in her trials chung to the English way,
but since her arrival she has learned
many Yankee tricks, and breaking out
her spinnaker is one of them.
The Columbia Little Slow.
The cupe defender was little slow
in getting her big beilying sail out,
and this somewhat dampened the ar
dor of the patriotic throng of Ameri-