The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-17
AND A MAGNIFICENT rae,
But Experts Did not Expect the
Shamrock Would be so Over
whelmingly vanquished.
CUP IS CONSIDERED SAFE.
Challenger Defeated by Yankee
Boat by 10 Minutes and
s Seconds.

NEW YORK, oct. ls.-The cup
which the old schooner America won
80 coramandingly against all comers
over the course around the Isle OF
wight in 1851. and brought back
ncross the seas, win probably remain
here another year, defiance to the
world. In glorious breeze, over
wlndward and leeward course Of thirty
miles. the Columbia scored against
Shamrock to-day in the first race Of the
1899 series for the trophy. She bound
ed across the finish line fully mile
and half ahead of the challenger de-
featlng her by ten minutes and fourteen
seconds, actual time. or ten minutes
and eight seconds corrected time, at-
ter allowing six seconds handicap,
which Columbia must concede to the
challenger, on account Of her longer
water line.
It was a decisive contest, a magnln-
cent race, magnlfcently sailed and
magnIhcently won. Opinion as to the
merits of the two boats had been
somewhat divided as a result Of the
Aukes during the past two weeks. Al
though the prepondernnee of expert
opinion never wavered in its loyalty to
the wonderful speed and ability of the
White flyer. no nautical sharp expected
that the Shamrock would be so over
whelmIngly vanquished as she was In
to-day's royal struggle. The Yankee
boat outgeneraled her at the start, beat
her hopeiessly in windward work to the
outer mark and gained twenty-five sec
onds in the run home before the wind.
There was good. strong. ten to twelve
knot breeze, and 1t held throughout the
race. It is undoubtedly a bitter blow.
because the English hopes Of hitting ms
cup have been higher since the Thistle
met the Volunteer IN 1881. Like the
Shamrock. she was decIsively defeated
in the first hours sailing. The regattn
committee, as result of the showing
made by Columbia to-day are convinced
that the cup Is safe. Blow high or
blow low, Columbia. 1t is believed by
her manager, Mr.. Iselin, can beat the
Shamrock. Sir Thomas Upton, like
the true sportsman that ne is, confess
ed after the race that he had been
fairly beaten. He had no apologies
to make.
Magnificent Nautical Ducl.
To-day's race was u magnificent duel.
md made up for the repeated dlsap-
polntments the slghtseers have suffer-
ed. 1t was anything but comforta-
BILE day on the quarter. The pros
psct was not alluring. Still the mist
wreaths were carried along by good
ten knot breeze right in from the east.
and the old she'll backs said there was
more wind where that came from. But
the excursIonIsts who went down the
bay were not very hopeful until they
got outside. The low clouds overhead
shut out the sky. and the streaked wa
ter watched them. The mlsts made
everything look ghost-like and indls-
tInct. The shores were uncertain and
shadowy. The sails of the oyster
fleet were simply grey dots in the haze.
The torpedo boats, gliding swiftly out
to the lIghtship. were like black shad-
ows filttlng across the water.
The only color in the dull landscape
were the ensIgns, and brilliant streams
Of checkered flags which adorned the
excursion feet and the cash OF red
from the big hun Of the llghtship. Out
side the wind was fresher. and whipped
some foam out OF the waves. Both
yachts were towed out from the an-
Chorages, and raised main sail before
casting of. Mrs. Iselln was not to
be deferred by the bad weather, and
was a conspicuous figure on the CO.
lumbln, wrapped up like an old salt in
n yellow oIlslxln.
The crew had on their working suits
Of white, and wore watch caps OF black
and red, IselIn's private colors. Sew
eral Of the crew Of the Shamrock had
on Hou'westers. From the truck OF
the shamrock's top mast floated Lip
toms nag, green shamrock in n yellow
field. The wind kept freshenIng up all
the way out to the llghtshlp. and tho
seas split more OF their froth.
Not Many slght.scers.
No large assemblage was on hand to
witness tho start, the repeated iiukes
having made the public very chary
about coming out. a few side wheelerH.
the regular fleet OF ocean-goIng tugs
and score or two OF steam yachts
were all. Promptly at 10 o'clock the
committee boat slgnalled tho course.
fifteen miles dead into the eye of tho
wind to the eastward and return. Both
yachts set No, club topsnlls, their
skippers evidently agreeing that II
would not be wise to carry their larg-
est sky Horapers In such breeze, Just
as the warning gun doomed. n driving
mist swept In from the east, beating In
10 the faces Of tho patriots, and add
ing 70 thslF dlueomhturU, There was