The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-08

the defender of the cup drew away, despite
the Shamuock's repeated and tireless efforts
TO blanket her. Once clear. the white
beauty forged ahead rapidly, her three
great balloons drawing. the wind caroming
from mainsail TO spinnaker' and from spin
r.aker to balloon jib. She had established
a comfortable lead when the breath light
ened and hauled more 10 the northward.
Wrinkles began to trickle down the sides
of the white yachts balloons, and several
times all three sails collapsed.
THE SHAMROCK CRAwLED UP.
The Shamrock. as in the two former
days. profited by the seemingly light air.
and began to crawl up. But she did more.
Captain Hogarth took in the Shamrock's
spinnaker when the mark was sighted,
gybed the Shamrock. and trimmed down
the balloon jib topsail with great rapidity,
and with everything drawing splendidly, be-
fore the Americans knew it he was luffing
Up towards the Columbia. Captain Barr,
of the Columbia, then followed suit. but the
Shamrock had passed him well to wind
ward. Captain Hogarth then set his spin
raker to port. and increased the lead. Cap
tain Barr seemed unwilling al first TO fol-
low the lead of the Englishman. and waited
almost fifteen minutes, while the Shamrock
overhauled and passed him before he fol-
lowed suit. The Shamrock was a hundred
yards ahead before he had got his sails
trimmed to the new conditions. The patri-
OTIS did not mince words in their criticism
of Barr's obstinancy-
Soon afterward the wind hauled around
still further, making 1t broad reach to the
mark. Both took in their spinnakers, and
eesed their sheets. Then the white flyer
gained steadily. The yachts were now
about a mile and a half from the outer
mark. All the interest centered there
Steamers. tugs and yachts hurried across
the course and lined up to leeward, waiting
with eager interest to see which would
round first. Calamity the American came
on. 1t was astonishing how fast she glided
through the water She ate UP the distance
between her and the green boat until, when
the mark was not a quarter of mile away,
less than a hundred yards separated them.
Hope rose. The Shamrock was to wind
ward. They were coming like horses down
the stretch. A hundred feet away the CO.
lumbia had closed the gap. Her slender
PROV just Tapped the stern of the green
hull. Under the rules they must pass the
float with the red ball on the starboard end
As the balloon jibs ratified down on both
boats preparatory to the gybe the watching
seem possible that the white ghost could
squeeze in between Shamrock and the
mark. To the onlookers it seemed in
evitable that unless the Yankee boat. kept
away under the stern of the Shamrock there
would be collision or the Columbia would
foul the float. But c. Oliver Iselin has
desperate courage in a tight place. He
played the limit. The man who set a club
topsail In driving gale In the deciding race
between the Vigilant and Vaikyrie would
stop at nothing. On he came, forcing the
Shamrock to go wide around, while the
Columbia seemed to scrape the float as she
wore about with her helm hard down.
Though the Shamrock rounded first by nine
seconds, she swept around so far on the
outside that as both boats came up and
| their sails filed away on the starboard
tack Columbia not only had the weather
gauge, but was in the lead.
RECKLESS COURAGE
No more reckless piece of courage was
ever seen in an international race 1t was a
| desperate game but 1t wor Had the Co
| lumbia so much as touche~ the float she
would have been disqualified then and there.
| The patriots cheered wildly and the shippers
| of the excursion fleet let off enough steam
| to carry their vessels back to New York
The enthusiasm of the patriots broke out
again few minutes later when, after a
| few short tacks. Shamrock tried to cross
| Columbias bows but failed.
The beat TO windward was by far the most
interesting portion of the race while the
| breeze held. Close hauled the two yachts
slashed straight out to sea through the lone
heavy swell, heeling to the breeze in state
| ly fashion, with foam squirting from their
| graceful bows and crews piled up on the
weather rail of the sloping decks. Though
no solid water came over their glistening
sides. 1t swirled along under their counters
| There was plenty of spray and every man
| aboard was as wet as il he had been under
a shower bath. 1t was rather strange that
the Columbia, the famous light-weather
boat, should careen less to the wind tina Al
her rival from over the sea. The Old bar
| nacles said her immense overhang, dipping
down, supported her and kept her up "stin
as a church" The Shamrock, the famous
heavyweight boat, leaned to it like a queen.
AS the wind began to die out and the hope
! of finishing the race began to vanish the
| two boats split tacks and did not come
together again for long time, keeping
every one guessing which one was ahead.
During this fiuky period everybody agreed
| that the Shamrock was the better handled.
| She never failed 10 take advantage Of every
| new slant of the wind. At least twenty
| minutes before the race was declared on
| Shamrock decided to try conclusions and
| she headed across Columbias bow. So un-
| certain was the result that no one knew
| until the yachts were within a hundred
| feet OF each other which would have to
| give way. The Yankee shippers all had
| their hands on their whistle cords, and
when Shamrock put her helm up, unable
| to make 1t, from both sides of the course
| came the shrieks Of thousands Of whistles,
| the enthusiastic shouts of the multitudes
| and the crash of bands. They sailed the
| last twenty minutes neck and neck, but
| with the Columbia to windward and per-
| haps half length ahead.
Disappointed. but overjoyed that when the
| race was declared off the cup defender was
| In the lead. the excursion boats headed back
| for Sandy Hook as fast as steam and sail
| could carry them. The sun was setting be-
| hind bank Of crimson clouds as the head
| OF the procession surged into the NarroYs,
and the crescent of the new moon, with
| its hope Of better things. hung a narrow
| thread Of silver In the sky.
Throughout the race the handling OF both
| boats was excellent, but the balance was
! in favor Of Shamrock's skipper and crew.
| In view of the closeness of the yachts when
| the race was called or II is fair to suppose
| that IL the finish had been there. the CO.