The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
BARp TO TEN 'EM APART.
But Here Are Some Points for Spectators
About Columbia aud Defender.

| About Columbia aud Defender.
Tho points of difference between the Colum-
| bia, the new cup boat and the Defender. tho
! champion of 1895. nre not many, but yachtsmcn
| are Joyful that In the new steel mast Just
| placed in the Columbia they will have ono
more item to help them distinguish one boat
from the other at a distance. " vas not Il very
difficult matter during the trial races Of lS0,
when the Defender had the Nigilant for con-
sort. to tell which was which. although to the
average man there was no difference at ali in
the big sloops. But to the yachtsmen there
was n shape to the Defenders bow which was
easily discerncd from that Of the Nigilant.
Then again. the Defenders maineail was cut
on the bias" as II were: that is. the seams OF
the cloth ran nearly parallel with the boom
and gan. whereas Nigilant's chief piece OF can
vas was sewed in the regulation way. up and
down. There were other small details which
made It oasy to tell ono boat from another
either with the naked eye or with the aid OF
But in the case Of the Columbia and De-
fender 1t has not been SO easy to pick them
Gn W C9TTsS Ss G%sS enough nl th' r ,as
ton to read the name on the, stern any one
could tell from the looks Of the crew which
Maine who handle he toumbias sails. and
which are the Scandnnvan tars. who obey
the orders Of the Defender skipper But with
the boats half mile away it Is another matter.
and there are many experts who are not yet
nhinH , TO- swear which Is which B.th boats yer"
as everybody knows. and. although their birth
uavs are four years nr2rt. they are more niikS
above the water line. except ths Columbia
Is bit wider Of beam than tho Deltnder { is
under the water, where ewes cannot follow.
that the wharf hand Of Capt Nat lIcrreshofr
has PERFORMED his wonders.
When tho two boats raced of Sandy Hook a
few weeks ago hot it'll" money changed
hands among the thronE - "Ncursionists VINO
witnessed the contest on the question which
is which q There was no way Of deciding tho
wagerunless you had rend in the .ncwspapers
that the Defender had two wheels to her steer
ing apparatus while the Columbia had only one.
This Is n sure way of answering tn" question
II YOU HAPPIER TO hC near enough To 80" the
wheels or if half dozen sailors are not stand
Sandy Hook. however. even the yachting re-
porters who had ,fo!loTci III" Columbia since
the day she was launched W. re- not positive
about the identity Of either boat when they
were mill or 81 away.
titv established. 50 thos" most concerned in
tn" movements of the Yachts began to look
over their sails and .spnrs il the "nd"a.vor 10
1t was discovered that there was n long dirk
streak on the Colum bias mninsaiI. a. though
strip Of the canvas was badly mildCwrd. The
about ten feet below it, extending from the
lrcch of Tho sail in toward the mast for about
twenty feet. II was nearly "a foot in thickness.
and could easily hr seen Mt an angle Of 20
degrees from The stretch of the sail, hut. of
line with the boom and Ea!T.
Ipto date this has hren the simplest way TO
tell one yacht from tn" other bcralIs" tn" mark
j. high M from the deck and can be- seen with
the naked eye for mile or more With glasses
N" dark streak is discernlblc at II distance Of
four or ilv" miles.
The new steel mast Of the Columbia will.
however. make things all the easier The top
mast that goes with this spar is arranged ny
an ingenious device OF Designer HorrrShOT to
telescope into he mainmast This does away
with tn" cumbersome Oli-timc method OF
h"ndiug H." tupmnst on to the ma inmast with
the aid of steel bands. making II double thick
ness Of wood where th"two Npnrs are fastened.
The new mast OF the Columbia now shows
clean pole without II break from deck to- top
mast head. and it will be en- easy matter to
lender. no matter IN what direction sh" is
heading. There win l." 10 trouhi" in distin
gushing the Columbia from tho shamrock
during tn" Gun contests. hut if thoN" who rN-
poet to see Columbia aud Defender race again
there will he Ittlo difficulty ia following the
yachts inteliigcntly.