Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-17

to the faces of the patriots and adding to
their discomfort.
There was some lively jockeying behind
the line before the start and Columbia got
the better Of it. She clearly out-manoeu-
vercd her rival, eventually forcing her over
the line first by half length. but leaving
Columbia in the weather position.
Close hauled on the starboard tack the
yachts plunged seaward. heeling TO the
tuelye-knot breeze. The first few min
u,es Of the race were the most interesting
They made a beautiful picture as they
raced away like hounds. Their sails TO the
nautical eve were perfection in fit. They
looked as If they might have been carved
out "f alabaster, so firm and faultless were
the lines
1t was soon apparent that the white flyer
was forging ahead. The clear water he
gan TO show between them. The Columbia
not only seemed to ouifoot the challenger,
but the experts saw that she pointed
higher II was astonishing how she sliced
her way up into the wind Within fifteen
minutes. she had lead of five lengths and
from that time on the race was hers
The patriots were iubilant and the bands
which began playing, never stopped until
the race was over.
The Columbia seemed more tender than
the foreigner. showing yards of her bronze
underboGy she leaned away, with her
lee rail almost awash. Steadily she con-
tinued TO draw ahead until, within half an
hour, having unequvocally demonstrated
her superiority il windward work, it be
came only question of how far the white
flyer would beat her to the outer mark. As
the yachts got farther out. the seas grew
more turbulent and the spray spurted high
er from their bows. Many eXcursionists
came 10 grief, and the tug boats, plunSinS
through the head seas, sent the spray aloft
to their pilot houses and some Of them
were flooded from stem TO stern.
The work of the patrol feet was perfect
The revenue cutters line ahead TO lee
ward and the torpedo boats. line abreast,
astern. held the yachts in the hollow of a
moving right angle. which changed direc-
tion with each tack and kept the yachts as
free from interference as If they had
been sailing in the middle of the Atlantic.
The Shamrock footed valiantly, but
neither in speed nor in pointing could she
compare with Columbia. Then the three
shippers on the challenger put their heads
together and tried new tactics. The Sham
rock made q dozen short boards Evidently
her shippers were under the impression
that she was quicker on her heel and bet
ter ar fore-reaching than the Yankee boat,
but the Columbia proved quite as nimhle
as the Shamrock. Timed by a stOpwatch
both boats We're fifteen seconds in stays
and when the Britishers write home they
viii tell their friends that the white beauty
was fully as clever as the challenger at
fOre-reaChing. When the Shamrock got
through with this lire of tactics the Co
lumbia had increased her lead until she
was half a mile ahead. At the end Of an
b1r hal no ind pr0- fr71ai IA
freshen, the Shamrock took in her baby jib
t0psail. figuring that without this light
headsail she might be able to hug the wind
little closer. The Columbia held on 10
hers. As Shamrock did not improve her
position Al the end OF ten minutes, her
shippers again set the sail.
BY ! o'clock Shamrock fully mile
and a half astern and Columbia was win
ner all over. As the Associated Press
boat. On her way to the outer mark, passed
the Manning. Captain Evans, who was on
the bridge, shouted: "Aint she a peach?'
Nothing could have been prettier than
the way Columbia swept around the outer
mark. gracefully as Il swan. Both boats
had edged far to the southwark of theiI
course. and the rules required that the
mark should be passed on the starboari
hand. Columbia tackled down TO port and
came over to the Starboard tack as she
Hilfli bsl'li'-l l.4f' iEfdA ~ -ile l4t.iith -
her spinnaker pole was like a knight
Iauee in rest. As she swung around she
eased of her main boom. l.; her spinnakeI
pole drop TO port and. breaking out the
cloud Of canvas. He'd homeward like a
scared deer. Her big balloon jib bios
scmed out forty-eight seconds later. The
few ships Of the excursion fleet at tbs
outer mark gave her a rousing reception
The Shamrock was already hopelesSIy
beaten. A quarter OF 4 mile from IN
home run the Columbia crossed the patti
of the Shamrock still beating 10 wind.
ward and robbed her OF tlre wind for Z
minute as she went past. II WAS nine
minutes and forty-nine seconds later wher
the Shamrock SWUNG around the marx
and squared away for the finish.
The Columbia was already almost two
miles away and in the thickening mist
could hardly be dISceTned. The bells in the
engin. rooms of the excursion boats jingled
for fun speed and they went plowing down
on either side of the course 10 be in at the
death. Sir Thomas Liptons steam yacht
Erin. however. remained abeam of the
challenger. giving what moral support he
could 10 ms beaten boat SIR Ihonas and
his friends aboard looked fully as discon-
sulate as they felt. Some of them seemed
10 have lost all interest in the Landscape
and We're hanging over the rail, looking
down AT the water. Sir Thomas. however
remained the bridge with his eyes glued
the boat in which his hopes had so late
" centered and a group of sailors forward
seemed to be irving to make out the out
lines OF the vanishing Yankee in the thicE
gloom.
From that time it was simply a pro,
CeSSion. There n soul stirring scene
the Columbia approached the finish. The
excursion boats had gathered there in 6
semi-circle to give her welcome and she
she swept across the finish, bedlam broke
loose The steam whistles shricked. tht
sirens walled. the Consair. the flagship OF
the New York Yacht Club. and severa
other yachts. flung their powder into smok,
and the multitud"S on the decks of the
side-wheelerS chcersd The Corsair haulet
down all her private signals and set ole
Glory at each masthead and gaf aHL
Iafrail.
The crew of the Columbia gathered aft
hurrahed with barred heads: then as sh
lowered her head sails and took the tow
line from her tender. the crowd waited owe
ton minutes until Shamrock had crosse,
and the fleet had given her stentori4n cN
prcSsiou of good will Then they turned Ol
their heels and scampered after Columbia
Crowdiug about her and cheering her agair
and again. while the bands played Hal
Columbia Yankee Doodle" and othe
patriotic airs They escorted her all tn
way to her anchorage inside the Hook
The race tomorrow Will he over the ri
angular course. ten miles 10 the log and tn
Shamrock viii haze an opportunity to shov
what she can do at her fayoTite point O
sailing.
RACE In DETAIL.