New-York tribune., 1901-09-05
CONSTITUTION IMPROVES.
WITH OLD SAIL AND NEW JIB SHE
DOES BETTER WORK.
COLUMBIA soUEEZEs HOME SLIGHTLY IN
THE LEAD-JoCKEYING TACTICS OF
CAPTAIN BARR.
rBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNE.I

TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuNEJ
Newport, r. l., Sept. An one OF the most excit-
ing finishes that have been seen for many a day'
and with the ribbons of wrecked balloon JD
streaming from the Constitutions bows me Coiuil-
bia ran 10 get the final gun yesterday just seven
teen seconds ahead. II close call all around
because Barr twice gave away his chance OF the
race 10 damage the other boats sailing. Al 'iie
start and after ne had been officially tmea on
the line he came back TO blanket a boat which
red not vet started Then, after the Constitution
had evbed inside the line, during the process OF
which the Columbia gained about three huHuIeu
wards 10 w1ndward. Barr bore down secoho uiie
n the first long tack toward the outer mark TOT
The purpose Of splitting the Constitutions "lho'
This was interpreted on the press boat TO mean that
Barr being confident of winning, thought ne coulu
afford 10 give up on two occasions a commanding
position for the sole purpose Of having fun or as
II was said the press boat for the purpose OF
making game of the rival skipper
CoLUMBIA's TRICKS AT THE START
C,sntain Barr did not find the amusement so easy
ss ne exDected II is true that after he came down
10 monkey" with the Constitution he went out
over half a mile in the lead, but when the Wind
became lighter he lost large part or this lead
near the windWard mark. In fact, he lost all ms
lead except forty seconds and in the spinnaker
run back the Constitution forged ahead for while
In the run back both boats went TO leeward or their
course and when they doused their starooard
wings and headed up the course in the last TWO
AZ once and kept her lead all the way TO the finish
This last two miles especially exciting De
cause the boats felt the whole force or the VIM
when they came lufing out TIL they were beam on
10 it, and there the Constitution got her big baooh
,,b snlit across and the Columbia had 10 lower
hers as she could not carry il on this course Inc
Columbia then set reaching balloon Jio ana ran
the rest of the way the finish line gaming d
little all the way.
WEATHER CLEARS AS DAY ADVANCES.
0rffaz
IN regard 10 Newport weather, the bad promise ana
fop Of the early morning were disregarded except
rerhaps as an augury for fine day. In this
region II is an bet that the unexpected VIII
arrive so that when the general unpleasaii'iiesS
cleared away about ll:30 O'Clock there was no sur
,,rise and il was evident that the crews on the
defenders went 10 work with will when the oroer
was given 10 make sail They sWarmeo OUT On
the bovsprits and the covers came on the halsslIs
in 2 iiffv About q quarter Of an hour later the
Columbia had her big kite in place, and then she
broke out all three of her sails at once and PAID
away from her moorings to beat out TO the breh'oh
T2eef IIghtship. The Constitution saw her coming
and got away with two headsails set to clear the
harbor first There fine breeze coming IN
from about south-souJhwest while the press yacht
the Wanda went out alongside the big chartered
steam yacht the Cuhona- which on the end OF her
iibboom sported the wide tail of shark viewed
from seaward, the Constitution. after she got
clear OF the harbor seen 10 run back for d
while with men her bowsprit and her 1io down.
II was thought that she was setting up something
around the horn, and presently she poih'eo OUT
again The Columbia took the lead here, ana low
cred her jibtopsaH she beat out in the freshen-
ing breeze Cornelius Nanderbilts 7o-footer, the
Ra,nboU- was careening round under her biggest
kite and living down pretty well to IT, The steam
Yacht Narada which was flying the committee 5
nag. was waiting for the racers and at 1870 sent
nm the signal that the course would be the wind
ward one fifteen miles in the eye Of the wind and
return.
CONSTITUTION SHOWS NEW JIB
The course signals were d F J, meaning south
what the bunting had say. II was here seen
that the Constitution had new jib and the old
nlainsan the first she ever sailed with and it
seemed TO be a good sail The Columbia's canvas
was not any better than her rivals, and II looked
as IL the continuous strains of the whole season
were now showing in its baggings. The tug Unique
now took a long straighten out her log line
and travelled out south southwest the start
ing line. The Constitution not well up to
windward. while the Columbia the light
ship. Both sending up their jibtopsails in
stops the 1880 preparatory gun was fired. The
Columbia then came east around the Narada, while
the Constitution went down 10 leeward, and then
passed westward and met the Columbia swinging
round 10 windWard of her. At the 1855 gun both
close hauled the port tack, heading toward
7Iarragansett Pier. When there four
minutes go before the starting gun. the Consti-
tuition ship and came upon the stsrboard tack.
Barr did the same. thus retaining his windward