The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-17
COLUMBIA COURTS THE CUP.
PAYS THE sWEETER HOMAGE BY
DEFEATING SHAMROCK.

Victory From the English ChaIIen-
aer-At Last Came the Spanking
Breeze-HaIf an Hour From the
start the Race Was Plainly Col
umbia's-She out-SaiIed and Out
JOckeyed the Shamrock.
New York, Oct l6.-The cup which the
old schooner America won so gallantly
against all comers over the course around
the Isle of Wight in 1851 and brought back
across the seas, win probably remain here
another year, a defiance to the world.
In a glorious breeze, over windward
to leeward course of thirty miles, the Co
iumbia scored against Shamrock to-day in
the first race of the 1899 series for the tro-
ply. She bounded across the finish line
fully mile and a half ahead of the chal-
lenger, defeating her by ten minutes and
fourteen seconds. actual time, or ten min
utes and eight seconds corrected time,
after allowing the six seconds handicap
which Columbia must concede to the
challenger on account of her longer wa
ter line.
1t was a decisive contest, a magnificent
race, magnihcently sailed and magnificent
ly won. Opinion as to the merits of the
two boats had been somewhat divided as
result of the fiukes during the past two
weeks. Although the preponderance of ex-
pert opinion never wavered in its loyalty
to the wonderful speed and ability of the
white flyer, no nautical sharp expected
that the Shamrock would be so over
whelmingly vanquished as she was in to-
days race. The Yankee boat outgeneral-
ed her at the start, beat her hoDelessly in
windward work to the outer mark and
| gained twenty-five seconds in the run
home before the wind
Convinced the Cup Is Safe.
There was good, strong ten-to-twelve-
| knot breeze, and it held throughout the
race. 1t is undoubtedly bitter blow be-
cause the English hopes 10 lift The cup
| have never been higher since the Thistle
met the Volunteer in 1887 Like the Sham
rock, she was decisively defeated in the
| first hours sailing.
| The Regatta Committee, as a result of
| the showing made by Columbia to-day
| are convinced that the cup is safe. Blow
| high or low, Columbia, it is believed by
| her manager, Mr.. Tselin can beat Sham
rock. Sir Thomas, like the true sports
man that he is, confessed after the race
| that he had been fairly beaten. He had
no apologies to make.
| To-day's race was a magnificent duel
and made up for the repeated disappoi Mt
| ments the sightseers have suffered 1t was
! anything but a comfortable day on the
| water.
| The prospect was not alluring Still, the
mist wreaths were carried along by a good
! ten-knot breeze right in from the east
and the old shellbacks said there was more
wind where that came from. But the ex-
/
not very hopeful until they got outside.
| The low clouds overhead shut out the sky
aud the streaked water matched them.
The mist made everything look ghostlike
and indistinct. The shores were uncertain
and shadowy The sails of the oyster fleet
were simply gray dots in the haze. The
meteoric torpedo boats, sliding swiftly out
to the lightship, were like black shadows
fitting across the water. The only color
| in the dull landscape were the ensigns and
brilliant streams of checkered flags, which
adorned the excursion feet and the dash
of red from the big hulk of the lightship
Outside the wind was fresher. BOth
yachts were towed out from the anchor
ages and raised mansails before cas- ing
off. Mrs. Iselin was not to be deferred by
the bad weather aud was a conspicuous
figure on the Columbia, wrapped up like
an old salt in yellow oilskin.
Shamrock Was Out-JOckeyed.
The crew had on their working suits
of white and wore watch caps of black
and red Iselin's private colors Several
of the crew Of the Shamrock had on SOU
westers" From the truck of the Sham
rocks topmast hoated Lpton's flag, a
green shamrocK in a yellow field.
The wind kept freshening all the way
out to The lightship and the seas split
more of their froth. No large assemblage
was on hand to witness the start, the re-
ta1 H1Ilxes bpKripn fDadp tha nI1hlip We
chary about coming out A few side
wheelers the regular fleet of ocean-going
tugs and a score or two of steam yachts
were all.
Promptly at 10 o'clock the committee
boat signalcd the course-ffteen miles
dead into the eye of the wind 10 the east
ward and return. Both yachts set No. .
club topsails, their shippers evidently
agreeing that it would not be wise to
carry their largest skyscrapers in such
breeze Just as the warning gun BOOM
ed, a driving mist swept in from the east.
beating into the faces of the patriots and
adding to their discomfort
There was some lively jockeying behind
the line before the start, and Columbia got
the better Of il. She clearly outmaneu-
vered her rival, eventually forcing her
over the line first by half length, but
leaving Columbia in the weather position.
The official time Of The start was: Sham
rock, II 01:G3; Columbia, 11d1C6
Close-haulsd on he starboard tack. the
yachts plunged seward, hee ing to the
twelve knot reezc. The first few minutes
OF the race were he most interes ding They
made a beautiful picture as they raced
away Ike hounds. Their sails to the nau-
teal eye were perfection i'm At. They look
ed as if they might have been carved out
Of alatester so firm and faultless were
the lines.
Won After Thirty Minutes.
1t was soon apparent that the white flyer
was forging ahead. The clear water began
to show between them The Columbia not
only seemed o Out-foot the challenger but
the experts saw that she pointed higher
1t was astoni h ng how s sliced her way
up into the wind. Within fifteen minutes
she had lead of five lengths, and from
that time on the race WAS hers
The patriots we're tubilant AMI the bands,
which began playing, never stopped until
The race was over The Columbia seemed
more tender than the foreigner. showing