New-York tribune., 1901-07-26

Easter histed through the rigging Outside matches
there was a ripping and eager air that sent men
back to the cabins 10 get overcoats and oilskns.
Nobody seemed be in hurry to go outside,
where the clerk Of the weather seemed to be prom
ising an all day thrash to the windward through
heavy seas About 10 o'clock the yachts began
10 hoist canvas and get under way. On view from
the interior of the harbor the whole line was
banked in closely by the mass of sails OF the huge
anchored feet that stretched across from the land
PROMISE OF a RACE DAY.
II promised to be racing day in good earnest
On the way out II noticed that all the racers
were in cruising trim with working jbheeded
topsails over the gaffs. Most Of those intending
TO enter the contests were flying about with only
one headsan set as they tried the force Of the
northeast wind, which here had velocity Of per-
haps ten miles. The wind had, however, a mois-
ture and weight it that made the yachts careen
much than would be expected from similar
velocity in light hot summer air. In fact, the
weather at this part OF the day greatly resembled
an easterly day at Cowes. and the many i'm
ported English cutters seemed entirely in their
element when ripping around under their COM
paratively small sail plans.
IMPORTED CUTTERS FIRST APPEARANCE.
OF these the senta here for the first
time on an American racing She is in the
] Class with the Hester. the Isolde and the Eelin,
and she has low cut forward overhang that is
shaped something like that Of the sloop Dragon
and the big schooner Hildegarde. Her sail plan
IS low and squatty, but she looks like dangerous
boat in a breeze
Cornelius Vanderbilt was at the Rainpow's wheel
in the preliminary canter. and his boat was trav-
cling like 9o-footer as she went past. The Con-
stitution was sporting her biggest club topsail.
The judgment shown in choosing this sail was
questioned but the result fully justified 1t, as the
Constitution needed all the sail she could carry
when the wind fell light shortly after the yachts
were started. The Columbia, on the contrary.
chose her smallest club topsail, triangle that is
but little larger than her jb header without spars
The choice was the safe side in regard TO pos
sIble breakages but Barr needed his big club top
sail before the day over. The race commit
tee was to-day board the steam yacht Reverie,
and the first gun given was at lO:55. This was
ten minutes before the signal for the cutters and
yaWls and all the rattle and odds and ends were
cleared from the decks and extra lashing put
on the upturned dingies over the n1idship sky
lights in expectation of possibly heavy sea out
side. Before the II % gun was fired the Ailsa
crossed the line too soon, gybed went back and
stayed and came late. The Hester did the same The
others crossed in the following order: The Vgilant,
the Navahoe, the Ailsa. the Virginia the Rainbow.
the Athene and the Bedouin. The Isolde crossed at
1861 followed by the Petrol CyawD, the Hester,
the Een. the Effort. the Altar, the Humna, the
sista the Hildegarde, the Isolt and the Mira
NO JocKEYING AT THE START
The starting line was pretty well across the wind.
nut the C2tbO2t end fuTtheSt from the COiHullIlSo
steamer 10 leeward than the other Thus
they had lots of room start and there was no
3ockeyng- All the vessels that started had to nrst
run southeast three and one-haf miles on beam
wind before they could turn easterly on their
course past Fishers Island, Watch Hill and Point
Judith TO Newport.
At the ll:l0 gun for schooners the Qussetta was
right the line. and crossed at 11;1o:oS the Mar
guerite coming next. The Ledyard fashp Corona
was third ll:l0:25. The fourth schooner TO cross
fO1lN 7
suspicious Of the general wreckage she was TO
suffer as she got into the jump outside of
Race Rock. The others following were the Emerald
the Latona. the Elmina and the schooner Colum-
hia, al ul2D7. The Tndra crossed at 1l:l3;2, and
The Cachalot at 1113O0
THE COLUMBIA AND THE CONSTITUTION.
The big cutters Columbia and Constitution got
tner gun at II :25 They both dropped down quietly
sno slowly from anchor TO windward with their
sheets all aft while they calculated the time for
the signal. They were well apart. the Columbia
Craving off toward the leeward end of the line
Tug got in the way of the Constitution, and she
let her boom go the other side in order to clear.
ana then had 10 swing the boom back again. This
look good deal of her way off, but her sheets
were aft and she was ahead Of the gun, being OFF,
elaly timed, allowing for the delay at n.25:45.
which was 16 seconds behind the Columbia, timed
az nZS;S. After these boats crossed the Columbia
paiec I'd to windward and increased her lead on
ne three and a half mile to the Race Rock.
THE WRECK OF THE MURIEL.
me press yacht Wanda then cut inside the Race
o1H 10 catch the feet. and here a schooner yacht
rss found with her top hamper in a hopelessly
eAeo condition Her foremast was broken in
o. ~ places Her topnlast in pieces. These
~ ,he upper third OF the foremast were hanging
Ia,. Ae wire rigging attached TO the top OF the
CO. malnmast The mainsail was two-thirds low
"hen the Wanda came along and most of the
hoard ~ al the bows as if ready to jump over
rns. 10 case the swsying rnainmast fell. This
was - e only upright the vessel now possessed.
s,r lying the Wrecksge OF the forernast in the
na,nr 80 10 the seaway there was danger of the
ard failing also. steam vessel came along
Whe, - the wrecked schooner toward the harbor