Waterbury Democrat., 1901-09-11
CoLUMBIA-coNsTITUTIoN.

The choice of the Columbia as the cup defender against Shamrock II. IS beyond our understanding, especially after the comparison of the two Amer ican boats afforded by the race of Wednesday. Constitution crossed the starting line twenty-one seconds after the end of the interval allowed, and so was recorded as starting twenty-one seconds sooner than she did in fact. So she began the race the leeward boat. Before very long she had to Huff to clear coasting schooner. Notwith- standing. she beat the Columbia in beating to the mark minute and 15 seconds. Running home the Constitu- tion's spinnaker having fouled in ihe jib stay, dragged in the water for near ly minute. Something more than q mile from the finish her balloon jib topsail blew to ribbons. And yet, with all these mishaps, she actually beat the Columbia, with the time allowed, 4 seconds As the Constitutions crew showed the very best of skill and promptitude in the handling of her sails the charge of bungling cannot be properly made against them.
 As to the Constitutions changes of form, the mystery about them has been slowly but surely driven away. III ntIt uISI IdCcS, t1SuI SliC won In the first strong breeze she lost9 and those who saw her swing out under the winds stronger pressure saw an easy explanation. Her mast was heightened and the gaff better held in place; and at her first meet ing with the Columbia, in strong breeze, she won. In the shorter courses in the Sound, where advantage of the start had more effect upon the result, fortunes varied until she got a main sail that was heavier than any ever set. With that she lost. But with her old and lighter sails restored she wins again. With a lighter sail as good as the Columbia's, there is no valid reason for thinking that she is not the faster boat; and faster she is even as she stands.
 One word as to the man at the wheel. Barr has won the advantage of the start the majority of times over Rhodes. But the latter has been Handicapped by the fact that the Con- stitution's skipper, Mir Duncan has la- bored under very proper sense of re- sponsibility as the manager of the de- fender and risks were not wisely a part of the game for him. Barr, while
 a clever man, is one of the most reck- less that sails. Once this season he has rightfully lost the race by foul, and twice, we believe, the foul was de- liberately avoided by the other boat. We think that in choosing the Colnm- bia the committee was wrong and that the decision should be reversed.
 Another word as to the gentlemen upon whom the disappointment has fallen in a peculiar degree. First comes MT Duncan, who has given his summer to the preparation of the Constitution, and Messrs Belmont, Stillman, Payne, Bourne and Walters, by whom collectively about a quarter of million of dollars has been ex- pended only to fail of winning the prize they coveted, lnamelyy the honor Of defending the cup. Last, but not least, the owner of the Columbia her. self, Mir Pierpont Morgan, whose sportsmanship is known to be of the quality that could see in Herreshoff's failure to improve upon the Columbia chagrin as keen as that of any other good American citizen.
 Of course as to another cup victory the chance has been diminished to an unprecedented extent. According to the Judgment of the committee, our march in boat building has stopped. We are where we were two years ago, while the challenger has taken step forward that is believed to be long. Fate alone knows whether it is long enough to close the gap that the Columbia made between herself and Shamrock I. We don't believe It is; but. we are constrained to advise the American people to enter the contest with greater expectation of seeing a race more glorious for it's closeness than for it's triumph. That it will be close we may be sure. That it will be triumphant we confidently hope.
 New York Sun.