Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-13

LIZ HASiIieo " - ~ - -
COURSE.
NEW YORK, October PA blank
ct of fog over the course and the utter
absence of wind caused the fifth success
/ siye fizzle when another attempt was
made to-day to sail the first of the Co
lumbia-Shamrock series for the inter-
national trophy. The yachts will try
| again tomorrow. The repeated fail
ures have had a most discouraging eff
feet on the general public and there
was great falling off in the number
of excursion boats as well as the num-
Der CT their passengers when the fleet
gathered around Sandy Hook lightship
| to-day at the time set for the start.
The heavy fog made navigation not only
exceedingly difficult, but very danger
Gus. The ships of the fleet that did
brave the perils Of the fog could only
crawl out to their destination, keeping
double lookouts forward and their fog
whistles constantly going to avoid col
lision. At times it was impossible to
see fifty feet ahead, and it was an I'M
canny spectacle to have a big, ghost
like hull loom up close aboard. The
mist lay thickest upon the surface of
the water and on the way down the bay
the top yards of several big clippers
could be made out when their hulls
were invisible. The yards seemed to
be suspended in mid-air without sup
port. Down in the lower bay, the fog
was not quite so thick and about ten
o'clock light land breeze from the
west gave faint hope that it would
send the fog out to sea and furnishing
racing conditions later on. So the rae
ing sloops let go Of their mornings and
were toWed out to the starting line
There they got their sails up and drift
ed about, rocking in the gentle ground
swell. But the haze did not lift and the
breeze instead of increasing, died alto
gether. When the time came to signal
the course, the weather vane at the
mast head Of the committee boat which
would respond to the breath of sleep
ing infant, lay limp and lifeless against
the staff. Shortly after IL o'clock by
mutual consent, the committee boat
hoistcd the letter "R" on the triatic
stay, meaning race is off"
The sails were lowered and the ten
ders of the two yachts took them in
tow back to the Horseshoe, while the
excursionists again sailed disconsolate-
ly homeward.
Mr.. Iselin's interview in this morn
ing's papers protesting against the saw
age criticism of the Columbia, which
has been literally INDUCED in by some
of the newspapers, and appealing for
support for the Yankee boat and her
crew until the series is completed, evil
IDENTIFY touched patriotic chord, for on
the way back every excursion steamer
in the fleet sailed alongside and saluted
while the passengers gave the white
beauty three rousing cheers and a
tiger.
The repeated f1ukes off Sandy Hook
have led to some agitation for change
of the course to Newport, where there
is usually breeze, or to Marblehead,
off the Massachusetts coast, where no
difficulty would be experienced in get
ting plenty Of wind, but it is hardly
likely that any change will be made
The regatta committee argue that this
sort of weather cannot last at this time
Of year.
The early morning hours at Sandy
Hook bay gave little promise of race.
The weather was fairly clear for few
miles seward at s o'clock and there
was a light breeze from little south
Of west but up to the northward to-
ward the Narrows. the fog still hung
thickly.
Main sails were hoisted early on both
yachts and soon after o'clock they
cast off from their moorings and were
towed out to Sandy Hook lightship
Club top sails were mast-headed on
the way out, the Columbia setting a
smaller one than was shown on We'd
nesday afternoon. The Shamrock's
was apparently larger than any yet seen
aloft 1t was bent to two light alum
mum spars and its narrow cloth radia-
ted from centerband like a jib.
The yachts arrived off the lightship
at 1910 a. m. Casting off their tow
lines and breaking out their head sails,
they circled about the lightship for an
hour or so in the light southwesterly
breeze awiting the arrival of the COM
mittee beat.
The fog showed disposition to clear
off about this time, but there was
hardly wind enough to give the yachts
steerage way. For an hour after the
committee boat arrived there was no
more wind and no prospect of any, so
at 1910 o'clock, after consultation
between those in charge Of the yachts,
hnth q ereeipg RI call tha rare off a