The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-11
.PLAY|NG IN HARD LUCK
Gray Banks of Heavy Fogs Pre-
vented a Race.
NEXT ATTEMPT THURSDAY
New Sails for the Columbia Pronounced
Perfect by the Experts-Sham-
rock Is Still Confident
of Winning.

- New York, Oct. 10.--Hard luck con-
tinues to pursue the big single-stick-
ers. On the three days last week when
the yachts made attempts to sail light
fuky winds left them on the course
when the time limit expired. To-day
fog bank prevented them from even
leaving their mooring buoys inside the
spit of land which forms Sandy Hook
at the entrance of the lower bay. This
was by far the most dismal fiasco of
ALL City and bay We're done up in gray
swathing clothes of impenetrabe mists
when the yachtsmen jumped out of bed
this morning to get a look at the
weather, and there was great dismay
along the water front. The old salts
shifted, saw the mist wreaths and
shook their heads.
Nothing doing in the ocean to-day
was their verdict. But the weather bu-
reau, with its scientific meteorological
methods. had predicted fair weather
with freshening winds for to-day, and
few chung vainly to the hope that
the weather bureau representations
would turn out true for once. OF
course, the poor, misguided public went
Alike lambs to the slaughter. They
backed Uncle Sans weather oracle and
put to sea. but not in such numbers
dS ldSI Weeh- MANY Oh lHS SlS Hl-seGTS
who witnessed the three t1ukes at an
average cost of from SIS to SIS for each
fluke had lost their interest and it will
take a race to restore it.
Meantime the racers lay at their
buoys inside the horseshoe. The fog
had let down its gray curtains all
around them. The circle of vision vas
barely 200 yards in diameter The
yachts were as completely shut off
from the rest of the world as if they
had been inside big circus tent. The
Egray water matched the gray mist and
lblotted out sky and sea line. The sun
tried to bore into the gloom, and once
or twice it's dim outline, looking like
a shining silver dollar, could just he
.discerned through the haze. Th2:e
was no wind to lift the cloud of mist
that literally rested on the water. II
anything the curtain seemed 10 grow
denser as the time for the yachts to
put to sea approached. 1t was nahi-
testify impossible for the yachts TO :jut
t. sea in such weather. Sir Ihom2F
Upton and Mr.. Iselin had agEeei at ,
O'Clock not to sail until the fog lifted
and there was a suitable breeze. So
THE big sloops lay idly at their moor
:ngs Their crews loafed about the
decks with nothing to 90 but wait. he
prospect of a race WdS never IL any
F time good enough to even justify them
in removing their covers About thsm
Law the little tiotilla Of bottle holders
who attend on the fighters of the deep
and launches.
Sir Thomas and his guests aboard
the Erin and the flagship of the New
York Yacht club, the Corsalr, with
Commodore Morgan and his guests,
were within hailing distance of the
yachts. The great bell at the Hook
tolled its warning to mariners while
from the distance f1oated in the deep
wall Of the foghorns of the excursion
steamers as they felt their way 'out
toward the starting line.
Shortly before II o'clock the commit
tee boat, which had gone out to take
a last look around, returned and re-
ported no indications of a change in
the weather so the formal announce
n,ent was made that there would be no
race to-day. Soon afterWard the ships
of the excursion fleet, which had been
drifting about in the vicinity of the
lghtship got wind of the decision OF
the committee and one by one they
began to appear in the circle where
the racers lay, looking like ghost SHIPS
as they struggled through the mist in
Indian file. BY 1870 a perfect mob OF
vessels were milling around the yachts.
Big steamers like the Grand Duchess.
the Jefferson, the Plymouth City ana
Monmouth plowed their way through
the smaller craft in the most reckless
fashion, saluting the yachts and keep
deavor to make their passengers be-
lieve they We're getting something for
their money.
Aboard the Erin the Englishmen We're
in their dumps. A f1uke or two they
could stand, but such beastly luck
crushed them. Some of them have en-
gagged passage on the Oceanic, which
will sail tomorrow, and consequently
they will go home without seeing
race Sir Thomas, disappointed, as he
was. maintained an outward show of
good humor.
Il thought you clever Yankees could
DO anything" he shouted over the rail
TO some of his newspaper acqua1nt-
ances, but you don't seem able to
propitiate old Boreas When you come
over on the other side next year to
bring the cup back | will guarantee
you at least two races a week and
more if you want them
Shortly after ] o'clock, after consult
ing with Sir Thomas and Mr.. Iselin, it
was decided to abide by the decision
of yesterday not to sail race to-mor
row The next attempt therefore will
be made on Thursday and thereafter
daily until the series is completed.
Half an hour after the excursion
fleet had started for home the sun
struggled through the gloom for few
minutes, but the effect seemed to have
been too much for the old boy. and he
went back. Later IN the DAY, however,
1t cleared up. and though the weather
bureaus prediction of fresh breeze
was not realized, there was enough air
for the Columbia to hoist her sails and
make a 15-minute spin to try her new
club topsail and see how her newly cut
mainsaii fitted. Both were pronounced
perfect by the experts and she went
back to her moorings, where all was
made snug for the night.
The steam yacht Erin left the horse
shoe for the city with Sir Thomas Lip
ton and his guests at $3.50 o'clock. She
returned to her anchorage at p. m.
Nothing was done on board the Sham
rock to-day. Her sail cover was not
even taken off and the crew remained
on board the tender Plymouth until
between and o'clock, when Sailmak-
er Ratsey with his l2 sailmakers, J.
Connell and some of the Shamrock s
n,a,,. ,rarnt Atlantic Hiphlc q