The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-04
COLUMBIA AGAIN LEADING
Constitution Falls Behind at the
Start of the Race.
Intense Interest in TOdny's Yacht
Contest on Newport Because of the
had Behavior OF the New Defen-
der-EROrts to Improve the Boat


der-ERorts to Improve the Boat
NEWPORT. r. l., Sept THE candi-
dates for the defence Of the Americas
Cup, Constitution and Columbia. are rae
ing again today.
a sullen sky. chill and muggy air and
faint breeze out Of the northeast were the
conditions here during the early morning
thin fog veGed the jamestown shore
and from the anchorages Of the rival
yachts the bay was nearly shut of be
yond Beaver Tail Heights. The outlook
was none too favorable. although the old
barnacIes 'opined-' that the wind might
shift around To southar and freshen
later in the day.
The race was looked forward to by all
those concerned in the success Of the
new yacht with an interest more intense,
and one might well say painful. than has
accompanied any trial Of the Constitu-
ton since first she bent her sails. The
embarrassing situation In which her per-
verse behavior has placed the Cup COM
nittee and those in charge Of her has.
moreover. rallied the general public in
a way that never would have resulted had
she proved herself. as other Cup defend
ers have done, at oEce and concIusively
the superior Of her predecessor
1t began to be whispered about yester-
day that Mr.. Duncan and Captain Rhodes
themselves had said in 50 many plain
words she won't do. We know it and
We don't know what is wrong Do your
When people heard this and began 10 re-
alize what it meant, that the beautiful
queen Of the zephyrs- had somehow
gone wrong; that for the first time in the
history OF the Cup races a defender had
not Yet been found which could beat her
elder rival, such glow Of patriotism for
the new yacht infected those who have
watched the races with only a tolerant
interest as has not been felt for q would
be defender in many a day Even the
toWEspCCplc have walked TO the crisis. ane
all through the main street last night and
this morning and along the docks facing
out on the yacht-hlled harbor where the
new and the ID boat lay. people were
solemnly discussing what they thought
was wrong and what could be done
about IT,
On board the Constitution a new main
sail had been bent; that is to say. the
sail was other than the one used in Sat
urday's race and Mondays flUke but 1t
was one Of those that the new yacht has
used before. Just which one II was. was
| differently reported by those in charge.
Some said that il was the one used in the
L-archmont races. others had il that it
was the original sail. now patched. thar
she wore early IN the season wheI, her
mainmast buckled-
Just how desperate the situation IS be-
| lieved to be by those in charge Of her can
1 be inferred from this. that the best thing
| that can be thought Of 70 improve her
| form IS to bend on an old mainsail al
! ready discarded in the early season as
unsatisfactory.
AT o'clock there was no breeze at all
and no prospect Of any. Still. the prepa-
ration for the race went right on. the
turning marks were made ready. the big
box Of signals hauled out Of the locker.
while on in the harbor both the yachts
had their two headsails UP IN stops and
the covers were of the mainsaiI
At the very best. those on the new boat
can figure on but nine days for actual
sailing after today's race. for a full week
viii be necessary 10 put the yacht in dry
I dock. overhaul the rigging and get her
inside Of Sandy Hook Bay. This nine
days, Of course, does not include two Sun
days. which. in an emergency. undoubted-
ly viii be utilized for tuning up work
The regatta committee waited until
nearly II o'clock before gcing out TO the
judges boat which today was Harry Wal
ter.s Narada- At that time there was a
very light breeze from the southwest.
Just before noon the sun began to burn
. 90 Es.
II increased materially shortly after
noon
The Constitution was the first TO get
out The preparatory signal was fired Al
12.5Q
WheR the signal was fired. both yachts
were standing away from the Lghtship
on the port tack.
The course is fifteen miles 70 windwarH
and return. being south-southvest. with
the turning mark about four miles east
OF Block Island
There was "a fleet Of a dozen steam
yachts clustered about the starting point.
On board the Constitution. besides Mr..
Duncan, was Nat @. Herreshon her de-
siguer; Ralph y. Ellis. James A. Still
man, and C. Oliver Iselin, the latter the
| successful manager Of the Columbia two
years ago.
The Columbia crossed the line first in q
line position on the weather Of the new
| boat, but the latter. instead Of following
the old boat over the line. let the Column
bia cross alone. The new boat wore
around and headed for the line on the
port tack, crossing over a minute after
the Columbia.
The starting times as seen from shore
were Columbia, I.CJ.35: Constitution.
I.W:50
The move Of the new boat in pulling
away from the Columbia, after finding
herself i'm a bad position. was a very
clever one, for Il enabled the Constitution
10 stand straight out of the Narrangsatt
shore where il is wen known q south
wester is much stronger than out To sea.
/ The Columbia only held the starboard
tack and headed after the new yacht for
the NarraEaEsett shore.
At this time the Columbia had the
. weather position and apparently a slight
lead on the Constitution, but the latter
was fast reaching "a position where she
could come around on the starboard tack
and get pretty close to the Columbia. At
l-OI D. m the press boat sisnalei CoIum-
bia ahead.
THE MAMMA AT NEWPORT.