The Washington times., 1901-07-07
CONSTITUTION FAR AHEAD.
The Boston Boat Not in Sight at
the End of the Race.
Columbia i'm Second, Defeated by
Eleven Minutes F0ur Seconds
bad SenR;anship ON the Lawson
Craft - Rhodes shows 1sis skin.

NEWPORT. r. l.. July g. Unless the
Independence can DO better ts5u she aij
in the race today against th- Constitution
and Columbia. Go UuotC Eer oWnvs.> Wasf~.
THE rslson for Iniyoeut,uce uo i1Fser
exists I'm "a lisht wind from .ar fsst
that blew from S,vcu to trc Raas-
hour. and with ;he sga ratr,r rrDsa s1-
Constitution beat tae I.3r- .t.H-.. .es
fifteen miles 70 winJwayG. - minutes sse5
y seconds and the Cc.woesa H.sj ;as
independence Is minutes ANA "a -cSst5>
At the finish thc Constitution W-s 70
minutes and { seconds aHcsG rf .hs Cs.
lumbia and the IUJvpJuJvaee Mas Hsl sH
sight on the beat auJ the Constitution
beat the Columbia : minute ana 5> seconds
actual sailing time. ana gunniGE horne tac
CoHst tuition beat the Columbia g minutes
ana s seconds actual sailing These times
while they show great differences between
the yachts hardly Show the true form Of
the sailn. abilities of the racers. There
were some fiukes. and errors were made
that were costly. as the Constitution was
sailed with rare good Judgment from start
TO finish. on the run home the Columbia
lost by an error in handling sails. on the
Independence a grave error Of judgment
put the yacht way behind early in the
race. and she got all the worst of the
fiukes i'm the wind.
William Butler Duncan, jr.. was early
on board the Constitution. With him
We're Ralph y Ellis and Mr. Tyrone,
Reginald Brooks and James Stillmau, jr.
Ex-ComEodore f. D. Morgan had some
friends on the Columbia. Charles Fran
els Adams 2d had charge of the yacht
Independence. and with kim were c. II.
". Foster. Ned Horton. Arthur Parker,
c. c. CIapp. l. NJ Clarke. Frank Crown
inshield. b. 3. Crowninshield. a. D. VII
son, the sailmaker and George Lawley.
the builder. Captain Rhodes sailed the
Constitution and used her WELL Captain
Bard was Just as expert on the Columbia.
but il is probable that Captain Hank HaT
was hampered with so much talent that
he was not responsible for the mistakes
made.
The race was fifteen miles to windward
and return and the compass course was
given as east. At noon a gun from the
Electra announced the preparatory sig
nal. The racers were to have ten min
utes TO get into position and then two
minutes TO cross the line. AS the second
gun was fired At 1910 o'clock Captain
Rhodes ianmee the Constitution on the
wind and crossed the line Just two sec
onds later. Captain Barr had been a lit
tie late. He sent the Columbia over sew
enteen seconds after the signal and Just
a little TO windward of the new yacht
The Boston boat did not get over the
line until fifteen seconds after the handi-
cap gun had fired.
They were on the starboard tack cross
ing the line but a minute later Captain
Barr put the Columbia about to port
and a minute later the Constitution
tackled. The independence held on the
port tack and as it would not do 10 let
her get away and possibly get a lulze,
the Columbia tackled to starboard at
1916 and a minute later the Constitution
went about
All were then heading in toward the
shore, standing TO the northeast The /
Independence pounded badly, while the
Constitution and Columbia went along
almost as though the sea was like
mill pond. The wind vas light and lower 1
ing clouds made everything dull. The
Constitution was pointing better than /
she had in previous races and was foot /
ing Just IS fast as the Columbia. These !
two yachts We're making a race worth /
going miles TO witness, but the hide
pendence seemed to be ont of il from /
the start
Every man on the independence was 10 /
leeward and from the windward side the /
only man TO be seen was Captain Han /.
at the wheel II seemed TO be Captain /.
HAIRS idea to stand well into the shore
TO get the full benefit of the tide Then I
the Columbia did better and gradually /.
worked out TO windward, but an extra I
null on the main sheet Of the Constitu- I
tion trimmed that yacht little fatter /.
and she forged ahead again The Inde- /
pendence every minute was going farther .
and farther to leeward.
At l2:5S.40 the Independence was put .
on the port tack and she headed out to /
sea, pounding more than ever. She /
passed astern Of the other two about .
baif q mile away When she had crossed !
the wakes Of the Constitution and Co I
luubia 1T I:10.20 she tackled again 70 I
starboard and al were heading in toward !
West Island
The Independence had made a mistake. /
She would have done better in under the (
shore. The Constitution was leading the
Columbia by about 5oJ yards, and the In
dependence was half mile astern. This
was after an hours sailing in a very light
breeze. At 30. the Constitution tack
ed TO port and . seconds later the Colum-
bisz~taclzed If the Columbia had been able
TO force the Constitution or TO have cross
ed her bow, Captain Barn would not have
tackled.
The Independence instead Of following /
the other two in. tackled wcH out TO sea,
and again buckcd the seas. The Consti- I
tuition began TO draw rapidly ahead. She
footed fast and pointed high, and Was
leaving the Columbia every minute. The (
wind was little fresher and the COnsti-
tuition was much farther 10 w.ndwarJ
than she was when she first tackled at the
Seaconnet River. While these two
yachts were working near the shore the
Independence was pounding out al sea.
Meanwhile. for the first time during the
day a little sunlight shone on the water
It was only a little and the clouds soon
shut it out again. The wind fell light
again and the men on the Columbia lash
ed the boom 20 leeward 10 keep IL steady
and the crew Of the yacht were put on
the Iecward side 70 heel her. Captain Esfr
and Mr.. Morgan Were looking f0r the
mark and the baby jib topsaii was taken
in and a large one sent up in It's place
The change was made very quickly The
Constitution passed the mark at 3:4a.35
She turned wide, made an easy gybe. and
1T S.ff:59 broke out hcr balloon jih top
sail and was running FOR home The CO.
lumbia gybed around the mark IT 3.fs:fS
lowered her spinHakcr pole 70 stafb1ard
aad broke out her sDinnakcr at 3;B:00.
Then the small jib topsau was lowered
and the balloon iib topsail h0isted ia its
pface which was broken out AZ g.59.s5