New-York tribune., 1901-09-29
HOPE REVIVESIN LONDON
DAY OF MLXED EMOTIONS IN
THE BRITISH CAPITAL.
CHEERFUL DELUSIONS DISPELLED BY
TINE ALLOWANCE CALCULATIONS
SOME RACING EFFECTS.
Copyright: 1901: By The Ney-Yorl, Tribune,
INV 60, - - - - Oie'

Copyright; 1901: By The New-York Trfbune)
IBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.I
London, Sept. %. ] a. m.-The progress of the
yacht race was followed yesterday with less in
terest in the clubs than on Thursday but with
more excitement in the Strand. Fleet Street and
the Embankment. The clubs were emptied after
luncheon, and only small groups of loungers dis
cussed the closeness of the contest during the
evening. The holiday crowds in the streets
were larger at the Embankment and the move
ments Of two boats with green and red lights on
the Thames were watched with intense eager
hour after hour. Colored lights on the
Shot Tower also served to keep the throng in
formed respecting the relative position of the
yachts three thousand miles away, and were
arranged so as to be seen a long distance up
and down the thoroughfare. 1t was a aesod
natured crowd, prepared for any vicissitude of
yachting fortune, but when the green lights
were ahead of the red it cheered enthusiastical-
iy, and this the case the greater part of
the time, as the bulletins favored the Sham
rock
The closeness of the struggle at the stakeboat
and the finish could not be indicated by these
devices for advertising newspapers and selling
whiskey. and consequently the confidence of the
onlookers that Sir Thomas Lipton's triumph
was well assured was not accurately calculated.
The conditions of time allowance could not be
denoted by the rough and ready artifces. and
consequently the crowds in some instances
cheered themselves hoarse over victory which
was not won, and it not until the bulletins
had been displayed with the corrected official
time IN a few newspaper offices and the late
editions in the streets that the Columbia's
success was known.
There were similar illusions in the clubs and
hotels where the Shamrock was announced
prematurely as the winner by unofficial time
five or six minutes before the official record was
bulletined. There were similar msapprehen-
sions in the music halls and theatres. where the
audiences were first thrilled with pleasure and
then keenly disappointed. There lack cf
public interest in the race, and Sir Thomas
Lpton's success would inevitably have been a
most popular event. Such talk as I heard dur
ing the evening ran upon the extraordinary
closeness of the contest, shown by the rela-
tive positions OF the two yachts ct the stake
boat and the finish. There little margin
between the winner and the loser at every stage
of the race that every was impressed with
the fact that they were so evenly matched that
the issue of subsequent contests could not he
forecast with certainty. For this reason many
were convinced that in spite of the result CT the
first heat the Shamrock might stin be the
winner. It was asserted that the discourage
rnent prevailing on Thursday night among Eng
Ish clubmen was overwrought. and that Sir
Thomas, with q hairs breath more luck. might
yet win the Cup.
Relief was expressed that the tockeying Of the
two captains had not been too conspicuous, and
that there had not been any unpleasant episode.
No unfriendlY expressions to America reached
my ears Defeat was taken in a sportsmanlke
way.
One result of the Cup races is a large access Of
nautical language in the press leaders and gen.
eral conversation, and another is the adoption
Of naval devices by tradesrnen the most ef-
fective method of advertising their wares One
sporting writer has even discovered that the
metaphors of Members Of Parliament have been
borrower from the Sandy Hook reaches.
I. n. T.