The San Francisco call., 1901-10-04
British Yahtsn Canddy Confess That They Are Fairly Beaten
by the Better Boat Now Declared the Fastest IN the World

there was no windward berth in reach
where the boats could lay their course
straight for the mark, and that the posi-
ton astern, where Barr could keep his
eye on every move of his rival, was the
commanding one.
He could watch Sycamore like hawk,
knowing that when the gap between them
was vas closed the race was his. For the hrsf @
nfteen miles no human eye could tell
which boat, if either, was gaining, so
closely were they matched. But gradu-
ally-it became apparent that the Column
bia was overhauling the4f1ying challenger.
Slowly, inch by inch and foot by foot the
white boat gained Both were going at
terrific pace. The patrol fleet to wind
ward, steaming line ahead at intervals
of 400 yards, had no difficulty in keeping
the excursion fleet clear of the winged
giants. Everything in the fleet had to
crowd on steam to keep the racers in
sight and the gait. at which they We're
boats astern. The guide boat, which
started fifteen minutes before the racers,
dug out at full speed, but she was hardly
able to log off the distance and get the
upon her. While going out, the North
German Lloyd liner Deutschland, outward
bound to Cherbourg, went through the
the southward. The fleet seemed
anchored, so fast she went, looking like
big, swiftly moving summer hotel. In
twenty minutes she was hull-down on the
horizon.
AS the yachts approached the outer
mark a stream Of signal flags were set on
the revenue cutter Gresham, the flagship
of the patrol feet, inStructing them in the
universal language of the sea to change
direction by the right flank. The patrol
boats swung around to line of west and
charged down upon the excursion fleet.
The latter, with bells changing in the en-
gine rooms for more speed, turned tail
and the whole feet rushed madly to lee
ward of the last leg Of the course.
Columbia Foots Faster.
Leaving the first mark on the starboard
the racers gybed over the big booms and
Columbia gaining slowly but surely. They
had covered the first ten miles in little
over fifty minutes. When they swung
around the second stake they took in their
baby jib topsaiIs and hauled their wind
for the beat home. Both yachts heeled
until their underbodies were lifted high
out of the water and their lee rails dipped
a foot into the swirling pillows.
In five minutes after rounding the sec
ond mark it apparent that the Colum
bia was footing faster and pointing
higher. She went through Shamrock's lee
leviathians on the final tack was magnifi-
cent. The excursion boats, black with
people from gunwa!e to pilot house, gath
cred about the finish in a great horseshoe.
The great white flyer came on well in the
lead. The patriotic shippers with their
hands on their whistle-cords could hardly
restrain themselves. AS she swept across
the finish the din was soul-destroying.
Whistles split the air and steam sirens
walled, drowning the crash of the bands
and the cheers of the people. The concert
of sound was terrific. Until after the gal
liant Shamrock, beaten, but not disgraced,
crossed a minute and eighteen seconds
later, whistles and sirens were kept go
ing. When they died away the bands
could be heard playing "Columbia,, the
Gem of the Ocean," Yankee Doodle and
other patriotic airs.
The steam yacht Corsair was the first
to signalize the American victory by set
ting the starry banner at her masthead.
BY this time all the shippers had had
ample time to ransack their lockers, and
within minute afterward every vessel
in the feet was alive with American flags
Sir Thomas Upton on the Erin did not
approach within half a mile of the finish
line. He had seen his high hopes blasted
and probably did not care to be in at the
jubilation over the defeat of his cham