The sun., 1903-08-30
BOSS OF YACHT RACE FLEET.
AS A COERSE-CLEARER CAPT.
WALKER rs ACE HfGH.
He Managed to Keep tho Great Flotilla
I'm Order, Too. without Incurrlng Amy
skipDer's iii wiIl-His Task \ III. ID
Ono I'm Tuesday,s Three~g' 0rnered Haco

III WrNer, TOOs without mourning ANY
! SkipDer's III wiIi-His Task q H. ID
Ono In Tuesdays Three-C ornered Raco.
Capt. Thomas d. Walker Of tho revenue
cutter Gresham has had job since week
ago last Thursday which would have made
for less amiable and business-like man
many enemies. But any observing person
| who has been to the international yacht
races must have noticed that Capt. Walker
has had not only the respect, but also the
good wishes Of every skipper on the course.
As Captain Of the Gresham, flagship Of
the revenue squadron, Capt Walker has
had charge OF policing the course for the
Cup races. That he has given entire satis.
faction is the general verdict o..
| Never in the history Of the Cup races
has there been afioat such fleet Of crafS
Of every description as that which turned
| out this time TO see Sir Thomas Upton
make his third attempt to lift the Clip.
| person of statistical turn Of mind ca
! timated on the dav when the Reliancs
won the first OF the series that there were
| grouped around the two suberb racers at
| least IdO boats. That, too, was only
rough guess.
From the big excursion steamers with
! their thousands OF enthusiasts, many OF
whom paid as high as IS to see a race, to
the tiny catboat with two venturesome
persons aboard, every one started out with
the set purpose of getting as good view Of
the race from start TO finish as possible
! To handle this flotilla Capt. Walker had
eight revenue cutters and ten yachts oarry-
ing the revenue or guard flag These
made up the patrol.
| Capt. Walker had to follow certain regu-
lations. A good deal depended on his tact
| and Judgment, however and, had he cared
| to do so, he could have made it much moro
unpleasant for the excursion fleet than the
rules really prescribed, When Fighting
Bob Evans ruled the excursion fleet sligh
infraction OF the rules. even though .unin-
tentional, met with stern rebuke.
! For instance, Sir Thomas Lipton's yacht
Erin, which carried patrol flag, crept in
side OF the line laid cut by Fighting Bobs'
flagship.
Present my compliments to Sir Thomas,'
came the prompt order, and ask him please
to keep outside OF the patrol line"
| 1t was some time before Sir Thomas
got over telling OF how his friend Evans
had brought hin up with sharp turn.
From this it is not to be inferred that
Capt. Walker was Ink and careless in keep
| Ing the excursion boats In order No boat
was allowed for an instant to get beyond
where 1t belonged, and yet hs did not drive
the excursion feet so far off that 1t was i'm
possible to get good view Of the race.
| As All example Of Capt. Walkers tact,
10 Is only necessary to recall an episode
l 9y, which eba C1,oeEnp1
| Lipton's tug Cruiser figured. The Cruiser
conveyed tho Shamrock across the ocean,
but, unlike the Erin, did not carry revenue
flag and had no right inside tho patrol
| lire.
Through q misunderstanding ON the
| part Of her captain, the Cruiser followed
the Erin some distance beyond the line.
Capt. Walker watched her until 1t was plain
that she did not intend TO turn back. Then,
he sent to the Cruiser q message, which
In effect, was as follows;
Present my compliments 10 Sir Thomas
Mpton's tug Cruiser and tell her that she
Is inside of tho patrol lins."
The next day the Cruiser vsnsured Just
a wee bit inside Of the patrol line and all
that was needed was q warning blast from
the Gresham's whistle to get her back with
the other boats which cid not fly a revenue
flag.
Not once did Capt. Walker show tho
least sign Of losing his temper Tho most
| trying race was over the triangular course.
| He realized that it would be a difculs
matter to keep clear area for tho racing
| yachts and he was prepared to meet any
| exigences, although sufficient warming
| to the exo:Lsion fleet had been given In the
! following announcement ia the regulations
| governing the races:
All seefaring men will understand the
| difficulties IN the way Of keeping triangular
! course clear. and IL ia hoped that the public
Will be patient with the rules which must,
frHm the necessities nee OF the case bar them
the competing yachts will be faster on the
second leg of the course. with their sheeis
eased than majority Of the vessels carrying
passengers, renders IL impossible to allow
! these vessels TO follow the entire course
From the start Of the triangular raos
! Capt Walker was on the alert. At no timo
was any excursion boat or yacht allowed to
get past the Gresham which led the feet
on the first leg. A couple Of excursion
boats and yachts tried their best to get the
better OF he vigilance maintained on the
Gresham, but they were caught before
they had done any harm.
A favore trick of the offending boat
was to get up full spee6 and make a squirt
which would bring Them past The flagship.
An officer on he Gresham. would spy the
offending boat but before she could be
stopped she would have clear, unob-
structed view Of the race, and then she
would gradually fall back into limo again.
This r,lse hadn't been tried often before
Capt. Walker called August Belmont's
Scout, which acted 40 a despatch boat,
and this message was sent 10 the skippsrS
of the boats which showed q disposition
to viloate the rules.
you must not go ahead Of tho 0reshsn.
You fellows must obey orders and there Ia
to be no monkey business
After that there was very little trouble.
When the yachts turned the second stake
boat il looked for q minute as II the course
could not be cleared on time to give the
racers n clear space. But gradually the ex-
cursion boats came into line, until only a
few srragRers We're TO windward Capt.
Walker put another boat in charge Of tho
squadron, went after the straggler and
formed a lane for the racers. His signal
to the other cutters was
Disregard the mo ovements of my flag
That was the signal" said an officer
afterward, that got Admiral Schley into
trouble at Santiago, but Capt. Walker came
out Of it all right
n It hadn't been for Capt Walkers prompS
act ion NJ critical moment The result mighs
have been entirely different.
Capt. Walker had no fault TO find with
the excursion fleet. They behaved finely
he would say. you know they all wanted