The St. Louis Republic., 1901-08-04
Lawton's Boat Beaten by a Mar
row Margin by the Old
Cup Defender.
ExcELLED PREVIOUS EFFORTS.
Columbia Acted Splendidly in
Nasty Weather Race Leaves
Question of Superiority of
Constitution Still Open.

Newport. r. l.. Aug 3-The Independence
to-day sailed the greatest race OF her ca
reer. In a stin Southwestern. which raised
a rather heavy sea. she was beaten forty
seconds over the triangular course Of thirty
miles boat by boat, by the Columbia As
she allowed the Columbia thirty-one sec
onds over the distance. she was defeated
one minute and eleven seconds. corrected
time This is a better showing tnah 'ne
Constitution has made against the Column
bia under similar conditions Of wind ana
weather.
In the first leg Of the triangle, which was
a beat to the windward. the Columbia
gained more than three minutes. No omc!ai
times was taken at either the first or the
second marks. SO these figures are only ap-
proximately correct. The Regatta Commit
tee estimates that on the second leg OF tne
course which was broad reach Win tne
wind abaft the starboard beam. the moe
pendence gained one minute and nfteeh
seconds on her opponent. while on the last
leg OF the course which was sailed with the
wind on the port beam. she gained tnirty-
five seconds.
An Exciting Contest.
The last leg was the most exciting Inc
breeze was puffy and at times had great
weight in II. Being about abeam. the yachts
felt its full strength. Sometimes the lee
rail Of the Independence was completely
submerged. and the water on deck rushed
OF in a torrent over the taffrail. Never be-
fore had she heeled to such a pronounced
extent In a public performance. II was no.
ticed that when the squalls were the heav-
lest the Independence steered very wild.
and that two men at the wheel could not
keep her steady on her course. Inc ya~inS
about was 50 pronounced that she would
come up into the wind until the luff Of the
tib topsail Quivered as though she were
close hauled and essaying nshermans
luff. A minute or two later she would be
running wide of her course and covering an
ample stretch Of the ocean. leaving behind
her a serpentine wake
COlumbia's Pretty Work.
While the Independence was performing
through the water straight. attending
strictly to business and heading for Bren-
toms Reef lishtsh.p. So far as rails were
OF It. She was handicapped BY a workins
gam topsail. which In the ten-mile stretch
TO windward was more or less Of a BACK
followed had very little pulling or propelllng
power. Ano her sail that prevented her from
making a bitter record was the med,um-
ing the first mark. This sail contributed
largely to her wild steering. and when II
Was taken in she felt the benefits Of its bal
behavior from his steam yacht Dreamer.
With regard TO the performance Of the
Columbia she was sailed admirably. The
only mishap that befell her was the soulins
of the lib sheet when of Point Judith. in
the windward leg. This necessitated a short
tack. so that II might be cleared. bu. she
lost little by II. While the independence
was encountering the series OF squalls IN
the homeward leg the Columbia by no means
escaped scott free. The masts of both Of
them brckled considerably. and the Column
bia heeled over at times as much as the
Hoston boat She also steered on two or
iependence, but she was got under control
anil steadied on her course far more quickly
The thirty-mile course. ten miles of which
we're dead in the winds eye. was covered In
e:si:lS by the Columbia. making 1t one OF
tne fastest races on record.