The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-27

New York, September Ozone Of the
biggest crowds that ever put to sea went
down to the Sandy Hook llghtship to see
sir Thomas Lipton's second challenger,
Shamrock ii. and the white flyer, Column
bla which successfully defended the old
Americas cup against his FIRST trophy hunt
err two years ago, struggle for the yacht
Ing supremacy Of the world In the first
of the cup races Of 1901. But the excursion
feet returned disappointed. The great
siugle-stlckers went out this morning fresh
for the battle. hut the sea refused them
field of conflict. The wind, never more
than nine and sometimes as low as three
knots was too light and shifty TO carry
the contestants over the thrty-mile course
In the time allotted by the rules. At the
end Of FIVE and a half hours. the prescribed
time, the race was declared OF with the
American yacht FIVE miles from the finish
line. The Shamrock was well astern Of
her.
Americans will have reason to congratu-
late themselves upon the result Of the first
trial. The Columbia was headed but once
In the twenty-five miles covered and then
the Engllshman showed the way only I'VE
minutes.
In windward work the Columbia beat the
foreigner seven minutes and forty seconds
10 the outer mark and increased her lead
somewhat in the broad reach for home.
Certainly Columbia's superiority in light
airs appears 20 have been demonstrated 10.
day. Shamrock II did not IN fact make as
good showing As did Liptons nyst chal-
lenger In the half dozen dukes that pre-
coded the actual races two years ago. What
Shamrock may he able 10 do in heavy
weather u.s. Of course. prohlematica but
Columbia has been tried and all her ad-
unirers Insist that she j. distinctly heavy
weather boat.
The big racers had already been towed
out and when the deet arrived they were
circulating and wheeling Ike great gulls
about the ghtship. The polished bronze
hull ~ the shamrock cleaning in the sun.
light made her look Ike a yelow-breasted
gull with white pinious The white revenue
cutters and yachts Of the patrol deet each
With the vertically striped revenue nag nj
the fnrepeak marshalled the excursion fee
tchlnd the line.
shortly before IL o'clock a big black tn.
flying the blue flag OF the regatta commit
tee puffed into the feet, measured or Ia,
200 yards starting line from .he lightship
let go her anchor and then holsted the sig
nal ~. B. w." Indicating that the cours
would he east by north, fifteen mile
straight into the eye OF the wind and rc
turn. Then another big tug started o
straight ont from the Long Island shor
10 set the outer mark. The log over he
tan rail, which measured the distance. TOO
no account Of the tide which was runnin
out, SO that the distance she covered ID,
fore the float was dropped overheard, mca,
ured 10y the bottom of the sen. was prof.
ably nearer seventeen than fifteen uautlca
miles.
VITA the firing OF the preparatory sigma
from the committee board. there began IN
lockeying behind the line OF which Charlie
Barr, tn" American skipper, has prove
himself SO many times a grandmastci
And the skin he displayed today wa
enough 20 warm the hearts of those VIII
raw ". He got Into the wlndwnrd bert
and try as the Englishman did, ne coul
not shake him on. As the red halt who
marked the warning signal was hoisted TIA
English skipper In despair put up his tillei
crossed the line and tucked about the Hight
ship, hut the Columbia hung to- him
one tillcr were answering for both an
when they again raced for the line, IL wa
like two thoroughbred horses neck an
neck. But Barr was still TO the .windwart
The two shippers crossed the line tbirt
seconds before the starting gun fired.
The two big anvas-coudcd racers woI
wound round as u turning on their kee
and as the smoke from thc gun sped ava!
both were on the stnrboard tack, but c,
lumhia half a length in the lead and
length TO the windward Both carried tn
same salls-main. club topSail, stan Il
and baby lib. For ten miles down u
Long leland shore In plain view of III
people the big singlestickers smashed I'M
tho head seas, sending spray smoking
the cross trees. Strain as Shamrock woul
she could not hold her white rival cve
Slowly, but surely, Columbia forged ahea
pointing high and footing faster. shan
rock tackled and tackled again. but Colur
bia went about with her each time an
appeared 10 he the more nimble. Time
sFain and again by the experts, she WI
quicker In Stays by ten seconds
over $50 feet above the water line.
height equal no modern tenstory bull
Ing, the slender topmast yard of the Shar
eighty three square feet more OF cany.
than the Columbia carried could not NAL
her overtake the white beauty.
It was directly of Long Beach hotel tn
the Shamrock showed in front for the Ar
and only time Outing the race. But ii
victory was short-liyed. The Columbia "a
Idly overlook her adversary and CAPITA
Sycamore In desperation concluded 10 pre-
on more canvas by trying larger jlb 10
sail. while the sailors were out on d
bowsprit taking In the old and bending
the larger sail the Columbia went by &
Shamrock as II she had been moOred to [
dock, making two feet 20 her one. Ere
that time TO the outer mark the Column
gained steadily, She rounded the turni
point seven minutes ana four seconds abe
OF the Shamrock. From that time on
was a procession, not race, the wi
gradually died down and an, hour before {
time limit expired II was evident that I
yachts could not finish in time. The I
finished race will be Tesailed on SaturdJ
After the race Sir Thomas Upton sal
''It was not a satisfactory race. The wi
was so erratlc. race sailed on such
day II It can be finished at all. Deepen
upon the lucky chance OF position, as
wind. OF one boat or the other. l W
never more hopeful OF the Shamrock than
am now I am confident | shall get I
cup. / have never seen more s2lful haI
Ing of a boat than was shown by Capta
Rarr Of the Columbia today. The Sha
20 k TOO. was well managed"
Designer Watson said: 81 am very W
satisfied with what the boat did tod
Whenever she had a breeze of any streng
she did exactly as | expected her 70 do.
The Columbia set her biggest club Il
aaii The shamrock was under malnsa
big club tOpsan and head sails The eouI
Was aaSt by north fifteen miles TO VIII
ward and return } The wind was Gig
knots. ,.o- .
The wagnlng gun WAS nred az ll.uo q
The rwo racers began to jockey for I
weather berth at the start. Baby iib tc
sails were hUdsted In stops on both era
affer false start. The two yachts We
round and Immediately after the gun soun
cd the Columbla, on the starboaru tae
crossed the line ahead. The columbia "
10 the windwRrd, the official time being
Columbia 11:1O:4H.
shamrock i1.1l;01.
The challenger went. on the port "a