Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-27
AN ABLE DEFENDER.
Continued from page ~

|
hulk in front of which the start was
| to be made.
The big racers had already been
| tcwed out and when the fleet arrived
they We're circlng and wheeling like
great eulls about the lightship. The
polished bronze hull of the Shamrock
cleaning and slistening in the bril-
| liant sun. made her look like a craft
of gold. a yellow breasted gull. with
white pinions spread. The white rev
enue cutters ana yachts Of the patrol
| fleet. each with a vertically striped
revenue flag at the top peak. marshall
ed the excursion fleet behind the line.
| shortly before IL O'Clock a big black
tug dying the blue flag OF the regatta
committee. puffed through the fleet,
measured off the 200 yards starting
line from the flagship. let go her an
Choir and then hoisted the signal n.
| y. W indicating that the course
would he east by north Is miles
straight into the eye Of the wind and
return. Then another big tug started
of straight ont the Long Island shore
to set the outer mark. The log over her
|
took no account Of the tide which was
running out, SO that the distance she
| covered before the noat was dropped
overheard, measured by the bottom d,
the sea- was probably nearer J. than
Il nautical miles.
Five minutes before II o'clock puff
of smoke burst from the comittee boat.
| Then began the jockeyinE behind the
line. OF which Charlie Barr. the Amer
| lean skipper. has proved himself so
| many times a grand master. And the
| skill he displayed, today. was enough
| to warm the cookies of American
| hearts He got into the MindWard
berth and try as the E.nglishman would
he could not shake him off. As the red
| bah which marked the warning signal
| was hoisted ten minutes later the Eng
lish skipper in despair put up his t'ller.
| crossed the line and tackled about the
lightShip, but the Columbia hung to
| him as if one tiller was answering for
both. and when they again raced for
| the line it was like two thoroughbred
horses neck and neck. But Barr was
still to windward The fascinating
| game the two shippers We're fighting
was SO intense that both miscalculate /
|
| onds before the starting gun was fired
| Three blasts Of the whistle sounded tn
recall. The two big canvas clouded
| racers were around as if turning on
their heels, and coming up again in
the smoke Of the gun. fled away across
tho line. both on the starboard tack,
but the Columbia half length in
the lead ana a length to the windward.
! IA r-,jA h., ca, IN in,
topsail, stay. iib and baby jib. Tn"
sight made the pulses DC the patriots
tinele with delight Then for ten miles
| down the Long Island shore in plain
view Of the people. there the TWO big
| StiCkerS smashed into the head seas,
sending spray smoking to the cross
! trees.
Slowly but surely the Columbia forg d
| ahead. pointing higher ANA footing fast
er. The Shamrock tackled and tackled
again. but the Columbia went about with
her each time. Timed again and aEa:n
by the experts she was quicker in stays
by 10 seconds. Half mile of revenue
| cutters and yachts al an angle OF four
points from each side Of the course form
| cd a right angle changing directions as
the yachts tackled. IN the hollow Of this
/ =
no more interference with The yachts
than if they had been sailing in the mi l.
die Of the Atlantic, while behind the fence
on either side were the solid. floating
| moving lines of careening hulls, rail to
| rail.
| On into the buckinG seas the yachts
went, squirting geysCrs from their shark
like bows. The American was undoubt-
eddy the prettier boat Her skyscraDine
| clubtopsal was not so high by eight feet
as that of her rival, but she appea red
more stately and graceful. Over 1870 feet
above the water line-a height equal to a
modern 10-story building-the slender
topmast yard of the Shamrock lifted her
pyramid of canvas, but her S33 square feet
more of canvas than the Columbia car
ried could not make her overtake the
white beauty. 1t was directly off Long
Beach hotel with its crowded piazzas
| that the Shamrock showed in front AS
the wind had hauled more to the south
ward and had died down somewhat
charlie Barr headed the Columbia off
shore in the hope of making it. Instead
he poked his nose into dead calm and
Tor some minutes the Columbia lay with
her sails Tapping, while the Shamrock
CHASING slant of wind nearer shore
drew rapidly ahead. But the victory was
snort lived. The cant of the wind to the
southwark held and freshened to about
SIX Knots. making it from this point q
close hauled reach to the mark The
Columbia rapidly overlook her adversary
and Capt. Sycamore in desperation CON
Guided to press on more canvas by trying
larger jibtopsail. While the sailor,
were ont on the bowsprit taking in the
old and bending on the larger sails. the
Columbia went by the Shamrock as if she
mad been moored to the dock, making two
feet to her one. From that time to the