Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-10-09

New York, Oct. 4.-With victory
flags flowing from her towering mast
heads and the ends OF her spreaders
In honor of her concluding triumph
In the cup races OF 1901. the gallant
sloop Columbia returned to her
anchorage tonight under the escort
of the entire excursion fleet.
She today completed her defense OF
the honored trophy in another stir
ring race with the Shamrock III. over
a leeward and windward course ofSO
miles, crossing the finish line two Sec
onds behind her antagonist, but win
ming on the time allowance conceded
by Lipton's boat by Al seconds.
For the second time she has now
successfully foiled the attempt OF the
Irish knight to wrestfrom ourposses-
sion the cup that means the yachting
supremacy of the world. And plucky
Sir Thomas Upton, standing on the
bridge OF the Erin, led his guests In
three hearty huzzas for the successful
defender. "She IL the better boat"
he said, "and she deserves to be
cheered."
The series of races just closed will
always be memorial as the closest
event for the cup, and Sir Thomas,
although defeated, will go home
with the satisfaction Of knowing
that his golden yacht is the ablest
foreign yacht that ever crossed the
western ocean.
During both series OF races not an
,fntoward incident has occurred, and
Sir Thomas will return to England
by far the most popular ofall thefor-
elgners who have challenged for the
Americas trophy.
TOday's race, on paper, was the
closest Of the series, because OF the
fiukiness Of the wind on the beat
home, but as a contest OF the relative
sea merits II is not to be compared
with the magnificent, truly run and
nobly fought battles oiSaturday and
yesterday.
The conditions at the start today
were very similar to those OF yester-
day. The wind was strong and from
the shore, 1t was embroidering the
sea with foam and piling up no swell
Ideal conditions for the challenger.
The racers were sent away before
the wind, each carrying a penalty for
crossing the mark after the handicap
gun. No official record is kept OF the
time after that gun had been fired,
but the experts with stop watches
estimated Columbia's handicap at Is
seconds and Shamrock's at 80 Sec
onds. The contest of the yachts flee
ing before the following wind was
picturesque, but not exciting. The
big racers, like gulls with outstretchcd
pinions, had every inch OF canvas
spread. Their crews we're gathered
aft to keep the heads OF the boats up.
and thereafter, until the outer mark
was reached, 1t was merely ques-
tion OF holding on to all the canvas
and letting the wind do the rest.
Not Notwithstanding the fact that the
Columbia beat the Shamrock before
the wind last Saturday the chal.
lenger gained slowly but steadily all
the way out today and rounded 40
seconds before the defender, having
actually gained one minute and four
seconds. Immediately after the yachts
turned their noses into the wind for
the beat home the breeze moderated
and turned fiuky. The shippers split
tacks, each searching for the wind,
with the result that first one would
get lift and then the other. At one
time the Columbia seemed a mile
ahead when sudden cant OF the
wind allowed the Shamrock to point
Dearer the mark, and mile from
home the challenger appeared to be
ieading by fully "A mile. The talent