The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-07
NET CUP OFFENDER
WINNER Of THE RICE.
Continued From Page One.

she was saiuted By every steam craft In
the lover bay. SO gentle was the puisa-
tons OF the waves in the harbor that
many craft Of many kinds ventured out to
witness the race The large feet included
sldewheeIers, swift steam pleasure craft.
snubnosed tugboats and sailing craft OF all
descriptions. They led. followed and ac-
companied the racers.
Mueh Delay ~ the start.
There was considerable delay at the
start. The breeze had freshened as the
yachts got outside. and what the old salts
term q ''iumpy sea" was running. After
Commodore Aorgan's fagship. the Cor
sair. with Commodore Morgan, Chester
Griswold. ex-Commodore Nichols Kane
Rear Admiral Francis Higginson. Irving
Grinnell and q large party Of guests
aboard. had sfgnaied the course and the
racers had cast OF their lines, sharp
rain sQuail killed the breeze. But the
squat was brief, and half hour later a
steady twelve-knot breeze was blowing
from the southwest. The corsair signaIed
the first leg to windward down the Jersey
coast. and the yachts began to jockey TOR
position. Capt. Barr had the tilier Of the
Columbia. and aboard with him we're c.
Oliver Iselin Mrs. Iseiin. Newberry
Thorpe. William +. Iselin, Herbert w.
Leeds and Woodbury. Kane. Capt. Rhodes
had the helm Of the Defender william
Il. Duncan, Mrs. Duncan and John G..
Beresford were aboard Of her.
Columbia Makes . Had Break.
AS the warning gun was fred, the Co
iumbia without waiting for the starting
gun, rounded Sandy Hook lightship and
headed across the line. Either Ii was a
bad biunder on the part Of Capt Barr or
1t was designedly done to give the De-
fender a start equal to her time allowance,
which il figured a. about two minutes.
Just az the starting gun doomed the De-
fender crossed on the port tack. Mean
time the Columbia jibed and. returning.
came about and headed for the line. cross
ing at exactly two minutes after the De-
fender.
Beautiful Beat to Windwara.
Both yachts carried forestaysails. lib.
baby jib. topsai.s and club topsails. The
beat 10 windward made a beautiful race.
The interest was intense for the first few
minutes. as the big racers. with everything
close hauled. entered upon their test OF
speed The Defender had the weather
gauge by hundred yards and was several
lengths ahead At first the Columbia seem.
ed TO ou;foot her rival and there seemed
to be no perceptible difference in their abil-
ity 10 hug the wind. Nautical experts
were jubilant
Then both yachts went over on the star
board tack for a long leg. They heeled
until yards Of their bronze bodies were
snvy
der than the Defender--more tender. but
perhaps more stately as she lay down t.
her work She heeled enough to let the
seas swirl and bubble along her lee raj
and sometimes when she smashed a big
wave into tatters. she shipped some water
forward.
offender Draws Ahead.
Then the talent began to get nervous.
Gradually but surely the Defender was
drawing ahead and II was also apparent
that she was pointed higher than the CO.
lun1bia II did not take the yachtsmen
long to discover the cause. The Defend
er's sails II; 10 perfection and every inch
of canvas drew. The club topsaii Of the
Columbia, on the other hand, was loose
and cracked In the wind. The fores,aysail
slowed In the locker below.
BY this time the breeze was blowing
about ten knots an hour. and while i, con-
tinueei al that clip the Defender continued
70 gain very slowly. bu, also very surely.
Hail an hour later the wind sank To about
five knots an hour. and Immediately the
sails OF the Columbia !illed and she began
TO gain on her adversary. Both shippers
were now stra.ning for the mastery. Both
punched UNI their head sails tremb.ed.
They strovc for the weather gauge.
Columbia Leads tho First Leg.
The Columbia continued 10 gain on every
tack and few minutes before the frst
mark was reached she crossed the De-
tenders bow Oh the starboard tack. Then
The nautical sharps breathed easier. She
rounded the stake exactly on minute
ahead 81 the Defender. As she eased her
sheets ana turned the mark. ali the steam
craft gignalsd the.r congratulations. But
here. also. trouble with her head sails was
conspicuous. Both yachts had slowed Their
baby jihs and had sent up their big tib
,epsa;is In steps as they approached the
stake, VA, the Defender. although last
around. broke out her big tihs fully a
=,
and then the latter had 10 be taken down
: and reset.
Gained on the Reach.
on the long reach for the second mark.
with the wind shesm. the Columbia gained
eighteen seconds. About halfway down a
black sauali. which had been threatened 20
the southwark. hreke sharply and completes
iy swallowed up The big yachts.
/ 1t was now only a question Of how
) much the Columbia would defeat the De-
fender. and many OF the steamers and tugs
were headed back Tor ,he finish When the
rainfall ceaset.the wind hauled to the west.
and instead of running home before the
wind. with xnlnnakers set. the yachts made
the I3x; leg with the wind on The por, bow.
T~li< was a gres; disappointment TO the
spectators
Wind IL ijGht NJ the Finish
The ~fna gradually died down and when
the yachts were Within about n fourth Of
a mile 80 the finish the feet gathered
h.ssf krht NJ.