Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-27

the vertically st-ifed revenue flag At
feet behind the line. Shortly before
O'clock big black tus iyiag the
blue flag of the regatta committee pun-
ed through the fleet measured on tle
200 yards starting line from the light
ship, let go her anchor and then hoisted
the signal ID. B. V" indicating thai
teen miles straigh; into the wind aru
return. Then another big tug started
out the Long Island shore to the outer
mark.
Five minutes before II O'Clock pun
of smoke burst from the committee
boat. The blue peter went up and the
preparatory signal for the race had
been given then began the joekeying
behind the line. of which Charlie Barr,
the American skipper, has proved him
self so many times a grand master.
And the skill He Displayed
to-day was enough to warm the cookies
of those who saw it. He got into the
windward berth and try as the Eng
iishman would he could not shake him
off As the warning signal was hoist
ed ten minutes later the English skip
per in despair put up his tiiler, crossed
the line and tackled about the lightsh.p
but the Columbia hung to him as If one
tiller were answering for both and when
they again raced for the line 1t was like
two thoroughbred horses, neck and
neck. But Barr was still to windward.
The fascinating game the two shippers
were fighting was so intense that both
misea.culated the time and crossed the
line thirty seconds before the starting
gun was fired.
the recall. The two big canvas cloud
ed racers were around
As IL Turning ON Their Heels
and coming up again in the smoke OF
the gun, fed away across the line both
on the starboard tack but Columbia
half length in the lead and length
to windward. Then for ten miles he
two big sing.e stickers smashed into the
head seas, sending spray smoking to
the cross trees. Slowly but surely Co
lumbia forged ahead. Shamrock tack
ed and tackled again but Columbia went
about with her each time and appeared
to be the more nimble. Timed again
and again by the experts she was quick
er in stays by ten seconds. The beat
down the Long Island coast made a
beautiful marine spectacle. There was
no more interference with the yachts
than if they had been in the middle Of
the Atlantic while behind the patrols
were tho sold lines of careening hulls,
rail to rail, their smoking stacks max
ing a black wall above them.
The slender hulls of the racers looked
frail to carry the canvas which lowered
| 1870 feet above the water line, a height
equal to a modern ten story building.
it was directly off Long Beach Hotel
that
The Shamrock showed in Front
| for the first and only time during the
race. AS the wind had hauled more to
the southwark and had died down
somewhat, Charley Barr headed the
| Columbia off shore in the hope of meet
| ing it. Instead he poked his noes into
dead calm and for some minutes the
! Columbia lay with her sails Tapping
while the Shamrock, catching a slant
of wind nearer shore, drew rapidly
| ahead.
! But the victory was short lived. The
| Columbia rapidly overlook her adver-
sary, and Captain Sycamore in despera-
| ton concluded to press on more cam
vas by trying larger jib topsail. While
the sailors were out on the bowsprit
taking in the old and bending on the
| larger sails, the Columbia went by the
/ Shamrock as if she had been moored
to the dock, making two feet to her
one. From that time to the outer
mark the Columbia gained steadily. AS
she approached the turning point the
excursion feet, going at full speed. cir
cled out and massed beyond the mark
To witness the Turn.
AS she came alongside, leaving the
mark on the starboard hand, Barr put
her helm hard down and luffed around
it. Then she filled away. Her great
balloon jib broke out like puff OF
smoke. her boom was eased off and she
was away for home on a broad reach.
The bands crashed, the whistles blew
and the crowd aboard the excursion
feet cheered The fleet courteously
waited until Shamrock rounded seven
minutes and fifteen seconds later, and
gave her a cordial reception. from
that time on it was a procession, not
race. The Englishman tried half
dozen headsails in the hope of improy-
! ing his position, but the American
No hn vii