The Washington times., 1903-09-04
Barr Steers Victorious Yacht
Straight and True Through
Dense Fog, While Wringe
Loses His Bearings.
ENGLISH SKIPPER IS
CLEARLY 0UTCLASSED
But Few Craft Near Fin
iShing Line When Amer
ican Yacht PlOwS Her
Way Home.

HIGHLANDS OF NAVESINK, N j.
Sept Proudly flying three great
American flags, one on the tafrail anj
the others at the spreaders, Reliance,
the victorious. escorted by c. Oliver
Iselin's Sunbeam and the tender Noon
beam. and in tow OF the tug Guiding Star,
left her race mOorings in Sandy Hook
Bay shortly after o'clock this morn
ing and began a triumphant journey to
Erie Basin. Whistles screamed aboard
every sort OF steam craft about Sandy
Hook. and at the top of every mast and
pole afoat the Stars and Stripes fut-
tered in the early morning breezee.
Shamrock Follows.
Soon after Reliance's departure Sir
Thomas Lipton's Erin started up, fol-
lowed by Shamrock III, in tow Of the tug
Cruiser. IN the trip through the Mar
rows Shamrock III followed the proud
Yankee cutter at about the same dis
tance astern as she did at the finish of
the final cup race yesterday. about three
miles. She thus seemed to measure her
defeat again.
Shamrock III looked a defeated yacht.
There were no gay colors at her spread
ers and as she followed in the wake of
the cup retainer. she seemed to have
lost all proud spirit. However, she had
her share OF the salutes from passing
ships.
The crews of the Shamrock I and
Shamrock III were preparing this morn
ing TO sail for England early next week.
The two English yachts viii 90 in tow.
Never has there been such a sensa-
tionaI finish in the history OF races for
the Americas Cup as that Of yesterday.
when the Reliance. her lee rail buried
IN a smother Of foam, came suddenly out
of bank of fog and dashed across the
finish line. the winner Of the final race
of the series and the successful defender
Of the Cup Cor 1903.
Not more than dozen vessels carried
people who saw the big white sloop
cross the finish line. for the rest were
enshrouded in the fog. but every steam
er in hearing distance gave the Reliance
q rousing whistle - welcome. J. Pier
pont Morgan. on board the Corsair, had
six American flags hoisted from as many
different points. Rear Commodore Cor
nelius Vanderbilt gave the winner a epe-
cialIy hearty welcome from the steam
yacht North Star. and Capt. T. D. Wal
ker. OF the revenue cutter Gresham. his
officers. guests, and crew gave her three
cheers.
Ban the Hero.
BY Just how much time she defeated
Shamrock III viii never be known. for
both yachts sailed for an hour prior TO
the finish in a fog. Captain Barr. OF the
Reliance, steered the straighter course
of the two, and found the finish line.
but Captain Wringe sailed the chalIen-
ger too far 10 The eastward and, missing
II. sailed on for some minutes before
discovering his error. Then he hove his
yacht 70 and waited for the fog 70 lift
In beating TO windward over the first
half OF the course-about twenty miles
The victory OF the Reliance was most de-
cisive. She fairly outsailed the chal-
lenger II minutes and seconds. When
they began their hfteen-miIe run for
the home mark. the Reliance was Il
minutes and Z seconds in the lead II
IS admitted that Shamrock III made a
slight gain during the forty-two minutes
they were In sight. before the fog shut
them from view. but it is agreed that
she could not by any possible chance
have closed the gap between them in the
fifty-four minutes which elapsed before
the Reliance crossed the finish line. The
msst conservative estimate makes the
Reliance a winner by eight minutes. ex-
elusive Of the time allowance OF l min
ute ana 81 seconds. which would per
haps cut 1t down 10 G minutes and 9
seconds.
Wringe Criticised.
Racing yachtsmen who saw the finish
agree that as soon as the fog lifted
Captain Wriuge should have sailed
Shamrock III back 10 the Ightship and
crossed the finish line, so that the re-
gatta committee might have taken her
time and Officially concluded the race.
Due allowance would doubtless have
been made for tho time lost IN returning
TO the line
BY one Of those so-called streaks OF
luck the accompanying feet had dwin-
died 10 less than thirty vessels. twenty
OF which embraced the revenue feet
and the committees tugs II there had
been present anything like the number
Of vessels that went out 20 the first and
second races. some serious accidents
would surely have happened In the fog.