The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-06

cans who love nothing more than fore
/ handedness and snap, but sixty seconds
| later both boats were on even terms,
fleeing before the gentle breeze wing
J and wing, spinnaker balancing main
sail and bullying balloon jib drawing
/ forward.
| The bells in the engine rooms of the
excursion fleet changed and the careen-
| ing hulls started forward in pursuit.
/ But they slowed down almost immedi-
ately and then stopped. The lazy
breeze was carrying the big yachts
down the wind at snairs pace. They
drifted along like two lazy clouds of
smoke upon the surface of the water,
!! their frail hulls slipping through the
| placid seas as gently and as placidly as
| if they had been in a dreamless sleep.
| For almost an hour the spectators on
| the excursion boats watched them
] drift like Coleridge's Painted Ship
/ Upon a Painted ocean, The only
cheering feature of the situation was
, that the Columbia steadily gained
ground, as inch by inch she crept along.
AT the end of fifteen minutes several
! lengths of clear water showed between
her and her green rival. The bands
played and a few whistles footed.
The Columbia Leads.
On, on she moved until she was fully
500 yards ahead. 1t was picturesque,
but not exciting. The immense spread
of canvas, including the balloon jib,
was drawing in the gentle breeze. The
whole crew of each yacht was aft to
act as ballast and keep the head of the
yacht up. Only a few of them were
busy easing sheets and Tightening hal
yards
srFal,a,, +l,a xr-;,J horo, 20 die o35 flo
breat balloons of canvas forward col
}apsed like meal sacks. At the same
time the wind canted a little and the
Columbia" concluded to change her
tactics. She took in her spinnaker and
tried reaching, leaving the balloon jib
set. It was a challenge to the Sham
rock on hes best point of sailing and
Captain Hogarth eagerly accepted the
gage. They went heading over to-
ward the Long Island shore and the
Columbia continued to increase her
lead.
The Shamrock, chagrined, attempted
to crowd on a little more canvas, by
setting her stay sail, but it only kept
the precious wind from her balloon and
the sail itself hung from the stay as
limp and liStless as a wet rag. In
few minutes she took it down.
The Haze Lifted.
AS the yachts approached nearer the
Long Island Shore the haze lifted for
a minute and Long Beach, with it's big
hotel and deserted summer cottages,
rose as if by enchantment from the
deep Then it closed down again, and
the lazy yachts drifted on. The great
ocean liner Augusta Victoria, of the
Hamburg American circle outward
bound to Southampton, broke through
the mystic circle where the yachts were
battling for supremacy, and slowed
down for a moment to let the pas
sengers who lined the rail, catch a
glimpse of the contest. Then she dipped
her flag, and sped on, vanishing like a
flying express train into the gloom. A
few minutes later the Cunard liner
Servia, with the English jack at her
taff-rail, appeared as if by magic
through the outer edge of the curtain,
and came foaming into rort.
In vain the patrol boats whistled their
warning, but she swung slightly out
ward as she came on straight through
the course, dipped her flag as she got
abeam of the racers and disappeared
like a streak three-quarters of a mile
to leaward. The emigrants aboard
crowded upon her forecastle deck to
see the sight, and what they saw pleas
ed them immensely. There was the
representative of the new world in
which they had decided to cast their
fortunes, leaving the representative of
the old astern. 1t was a good omen of
the future to each of them
Waves From Liner.
The Columbia got most of the waves
from the big transatlantic liner.
bobbing on the huge swell as it went
under her, and spilling much precious
wind out of her sails.
Meanwhile the excursion fleet was
pushing forward to the outer mark.
When they got there they waited for
an hour, but the champions did not
come. Through the mist they could
just be made out, looking like high
peaked circus tents. Then, when the
wind hauled around to the south-south-
east and the racers had taken in
their spinnakers to beat into it close
hauled, the excursion boats all pulled
back to see what they We're doing at
this point of sailing,
But for the rest of the race the yachts
were half the time in the doldrums.
with their sails Tapping lstlessly
When the streaks of wind would strike
them they would huff and tack and split
tacks. each vainly endeayoring to get
into the place where the light zephyrs
were crinkling the smooth surface of
the ocean,
For two hours this was Kept UP, dur
ing which no one seemed to be able to
tell exactly how the Shamrock drew
up with her adversary. Rather than
proIong the agony and suspense, at
3:43 o'clock, when it was apparent to
all that the yachts could not make the
outer mark, much less the finish; and
when both were practically on even
terms, the. committees decided to cali
the race off.
A Dramatic Incident.
The most dramatic, picturesque Incl
dent of the day occurred lust at the
finish, and it repaid the thousands Of
signt-seers for the disappointment
they We're experiencing.
Just as the regatta committee boat
hung out the balloon from the triaticl
stay, which declared the race off. the.
spectators, all of whom were in doubt
as to which boat was ahead, We're
watching the yachts with intense in
terest. They had split tack and now
the Columbia was sailing toward the
Irish boat on her port tack, with the