The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-27

% oeher sport Or spofting event
II con even compare with tho fntef-
nattonai yscht races. Ihey repre-
oent IDEAS that nut appeal even % sne
much 20 the man who has never eeen =
sailboat = 70 the enthusiast who talks
yachting I'll winter and Sails al summer.
With these races It h not simply . test
a. skill and speed between two sised
yachts II y battle Of the world against
America. livery man who loves Ms
cosntry's supremacy Will watch the con-
test with the keenest interest. for the
success Or failure OF the yacht Columbia
will mean the SUCCESS OF failure o.
Anertcan skill over the skill Of The world.
Ihe Shamrock. the chal1engtng yacht.
comes not alone ~ the representative 81
Great Britain and Ireland The trophy
che oails Tor the Americas cup. b opeo %
tha competition Of the whole world. The
German, Russian. French. Dutch and
othef yacltsmen are about A. keenly con-
eorned In the outcome as are the Britain
Evidence Of thus 10 furnished by the news
cab1ed recently from the other side 70 the
e1Cect that Emperor william Of Germany
has detailed the skipper Of his racing
yacht. the Meteor. to aid the skipper Of
III Shamrock on the occasion Of the In
transitional races.
Almost ~ strong m attraction ~ the
patriotism that the yacht races smbody
h the fact that In those contests there In
absolutely no faint Of commercialiam.
There II NO idea Of gain. no gAmblinG.
what the 1aee Win Cooe.
The races will cost the promoters over
half a million dollars. For this enormous
outlay there II absolutely no return ex-
great sport. Il IL all outlay and no IN
come There h no gate" no purse. no
''side bet" no anything: Il II just sport
for sports sake. On the American side
the cost Of the contest II borne principal-
~ by J. Pierpont Morgan. the great
banker and the commodore Of the New
Fork Yacht Club. Associated with him
ere C. Oliver Iseiln and william Butlsr
Duncan. Mr.. 1selin y . member OF the
millionaire family and has spent hum
dreds Of thousands Of dollars for yacht
ing. He ranks AZ the managing owner Of
the Columbia. and has full charge Of her
operations. Mr.. Duncan inherited his for
tuna from the estate OF A. +. Stewart,
ana has spent his income lavishly In the
pursuit OF yacht racing honors. He II
the managing owner Of the Defender.
which defended the international cup
against the valkyrie III. The Defender
has been moderpized and fitted up to
serve as o pacemaker In the preliminary
bias speed.
70 remodel the Defender. put her in
conmission and handle her will cost MI
Morgan and Mr.. Duncan and the other
fentlemen who are interested in the ven
f,sfe sometii.ng In the neighhorhood OF
$sD,0oo. q pretty fair item for trial boat"
Al matter Of fact the Defender In al
most a. fast az the Columbia herself, and.
according 10 the record made on the other
side by the Shamrock. the .paceroaker
might safely be trusted TO hold on to the
cup on her own account.
The cost Of the Columbia and her MAIN
tenance until after the last race has been
sailed will. in round numbers. be about
o10.000. according to experts on the sub
scct. To begin with. the boat cost to huiid
about $4,000 She carries q crew az thirty
ren. oil high -pr.ced. picked experts. from
Ire captain down. These men must be
chartered outside Of the vessel herself.
f8r. like all racers. the Columbia has ab-
rslutety no accommodation below deck.
fhe b simply a huge shell I'D feet long
And about eighteen feet deep. Standing
On the platform which serves for her deck
ne can rec through the hatchway right
down to her bottom. inside there IL moth
ing except q series OF steel Orders and
braces. When the races ara over. ana IL
her owners choose, the Columbia may be
fitted up with cabins. But even II this 10
the case. all such cabin work flooring, etc.
wuuld be ripped out again a. soon as she
WAS ready to enter another race.
Unable TO ind room on the yacht. her
crew are. therefore. quarfered aboard q
steem tender which accompanies the CO.
luntbia wherever she goes. To maintain
this tender and 70 feed the crew alone
costs somewhere IN the neighbcrhood OF
snt0o. The Defender likewise Is equipped
with tender for her crew. the cost Of
- III ~fS IL yxsnu 49,
b.a herself All these items mus. be In
tiEded In making up the cost of the race
After the race has been sailed the Column
bla, II thrown on the market would prob
ably not fetch over $1,000 or $ls.ooo. as she
u practically worthless for cruising pur-
poses. having been designed entirely far
speed all idea Of comfort being sacrificed.
some OF the other items Of expense con-
nected with the American side OF the race
VIII be the cost Of maintaining . fleet OF
rugs 10 patrol the course. - serve as stake
boats. etc. This will foot up well In the
thousands, a. the demand for tugs and
oil other craft will be enormous.
On the British side the cost viii be even
greater. II anything. than Il Ii on the
american side. Sir Thomas Upton. who
built the Shamrock. must do all that Mr.
Morgan and his associates have done, be-
SIDES standing the expense OF sending the
challenger across under her own sail
Some Idea OF tho coat Of fitting up the
racers may be obtained from the fact that
enc suit OF sails cost in the nesghhorhosd
OF t20p. These sails arc specially woven
from Egyptian and Sea island cotton mix
ed with silk. They cost 81 q yard. In ad-
d'tion. the yachts carry sp.nnaker and
other Hight sails OF pure silk. which cost
al the way from 8 10 81 per yard.
Measured by the amount of money that
has been spent I'm the contests for the
Americas cup. Il is without exception the
most valuable thing IN the world. The
crown Of the GEAR OF Russla the richest
ornament on earth. with its marvellous d,s-
monds and ruhies and other priceless gems
becomes almost . hanble In comparsson
with this battered old silver cup The
trophy has been fought for ten time In Isl
lsso. ISL. is!6 1881. 1855. iSss. isss. isas ana
1875. In the past. while the cost OF prep
afat.on and the money spent for nil items
has not been IS great a. vii, be the case
this year. the average cost for the ten racer
wils easily foot up &sao.a0 for each, or a
total Of &s.nooon
Her Great Sail Ares.
The total sail spread OF the Columbia IL
anou, No0 square feet, Cut IN strips foo;