The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-29

NEW YORK, Sept. 2S.-In the closest
and most Soul-stirring race ever sailed
for the old Americas cup the white
flyer Columbia today beat the British
challenger over q windward and leeward
course of thirty nautical miles by the
narrow, heat-breaking margin of thirty
nine seconds. AS Lipton's latest as
pirant for cup honors must allow the de-
fender forty-three seconds on account of
the extra 833 square feet of canvas in
her sail area the official record, under
the rules, gives Columbia the victory by
one minute and twenty-five seconds.
AS a spectacle the contest was su-
perb, and from the time the two sky
seraping racers crossed the starting line
until they fed across the finish line four
and half hours later the result was
in doubt and the excitement aboard the
excursion feet increased until men be-
came frenzied and women almost hys-
terical. So evenly matched were these
scientific racing machines that never
after they started were the rival shippers
out of each others hail, and more than
three-quarters of the time they were SO
close that Charlie Barr, who had the till
er aboard the America, could have. tossed
a biscuit to Capt. Sycamore on the
Shamrock. For miles, as they beat their
way to the outer mark, the black shadow
of Shamrock'S huge club topSail was
painted on the big mainsail of the Col
uTlbia, and for an hour on the run
home, with the yachts flying like scared
deer before the following wind, they ran
almost beam to beam as if they had
been harnessed together.
The memory of the races between the
Genesta and the Puritan in 1885 and Lord
Dunravenfs first ValSryie and the Vigi-
liant in 1893, which have been treasured
by yaehtsmen up to this time, will be
forgotten after the magnificent duel of
today. 1t will
LIVE FOREVER
in the memory of those who witnessed
it. In the years to come yachtsmen of
two nations win recount the thrilling
story of the celebrated first race be-
tween the Columbia and the Shamrock
IL, sailed off New York harbor in the
first year of the new century.
AS result of today's race, though
faith in the Columbia still remains in
the hearts of the patriots, all the experts
admit that the British boat is the ablest
sloop ever sent to these waters to lift
the 100 guinea cup which the old schoon-
er American brought across the Allan
tic fifty years ago, and that the superior
1ty of American seamanShip and Ameri-
can naval architecture as represented by
the defender remains to be established
The quality of a sailing ship is meas
ured by her ability to carve her way
into an adverse wind, and in the fifteen
mile thrash to windward today the golden
challenger gained thirty-nine seconds,
while on the run home her lead was
eaten up and the Columbia crossed the
finish line exactly thirty-seven seconds
before the Shamrock. It must be re-
hQ a1no Ilor1c rcVs
had the weather gauge in the beat to
windward, no mean advantage, and the
nautical experts said after the race that
during the outward journey she had
been sailed to absolute perfection, while
before the wind the American yacht not
only showed fleeter pair of heels. but,
in the opinion of the sharps, was better
handled
Disappointed by the fuke of Thurs
day, the crowd which sailed down to
Sandy Hook lightship today was some
what smaller than on the opening day.
But even SO, the colony of steamers,
steam yachts, tugboats, sailing vessels
and excursion craft of every description
formed an angle at the starting line
miles long. It was an
IDEAL DAY FOR A RACE.
The curtain of haze which had hung
over bay and shore in the early morning
had lifted, making the whole course Wis
ible to the thousands along the Long
Island coast. The sun blazed from
spotless vault of blue and the fresh
breeze blowing straight in from the At
lantic was strong enough to spill the
foam out of the green swells and hurry
long black ribbons of smoke shoreward
from the stacks of the excursion fleet
The old salts who shifted the air said the
wind was the draught from the big
storm which was reported to be raging
on the South Atlantic coast
The big single-stickers behind proudly
putting tugs had preceded the excursion
fleet to the stakeboat and had hoisted the
largest light weather sails. Sir Thomas
Lipton's private signal, green sham
rock in a yellow field, flew from the
main truck of the British boat and Mr..
Morgan's colors, maltese cross in a
field of black, f1uttered from the after
leach of Columbia's sail. Watson, the
designer of the challenger, and Ratsey,
who is reported to be the best sailmaker
in the world, were aboard the golden
boat. AS they passed out from behind
the Hook half a dozen ocean liners in
ward bound saluted them with ensign and
whistle.
Again today the course, east by south,
carried the yachts along the Long Island
shore straight out to sea. The yachts
bounded away across the line like a cou-
pie of runaway horses, the challenger
half length ahead and to windward.
BARR MEETS HIS MATCH.
In the maneuvering before the start
Capt. Sycamore had given the willy Yam
kee skipper a genuine surprise, returning
Roland for the Oliver he received on
Thursday. Just when Barr thought he
had him under his lee the Englishman
defended his headway and then luffed
under the Columbia's stern into the
weather berth This victory for the
Shamrock at the very inception of the
race the Columbia could not overcome
in the long beat to windward.
The two big yachts were an inspiring
sight to the spectators as they plunged
seaward, pounding great fountains or
spray from their bows and drenching
the crews lined up along the weather
rail- They heeled to the wind until their
lee rails were awash in the swirling, bup-
hlipor caaa md from the VUiudward side