The sun., 1903-08-16
OUR RDEAREST FOE, SIR THOMAS
MHO COMES WITH BIB BOATS TO
SNATCH AN ANCIENT MUG.

RefOrc Breakfast nn6 BURNING Midi
nlSht Oll--And IL You'd Ask Him for
Five Cents He'd Have to See Ills Treas
urrr--HIe Never Carries Money, hut
He'll spend 1900. OOO THIS Year Try.
Ink for the Cup-SOmc stories About
True Sportsman and a Good Loser.
Attempting to lift the Americas Cup
ls strenuous work. For more than five
wears Sir Thomas Upton, one of Britain's
merchant princes, has been devoting every
minute OF his spare time and millions OF
dollars of his fortune to try to capture
the trophy won fifty-two years ago by
the famous schooner America. In his
FIVE years OF hard work Sir Thomas has
loosened few of the rivets that have held
the Cup so fast in this country. and he
fondy hopes that this time with his triple
Shamrock he will bear it away to the Emer-
aid Isle,
Yacht racing is a sport Of millionaires,
and it rather pleases the Irish Baronet that, +,
while he alone is defraying the cost of rae
ing Two o0-footers and of running a big
steamer, tenders and houseboat, his oppon-
ents in the friendly contest have enlisted
OF this country's richest men.
SIR THoMAss FLEET.
The Upton feet s now i'm the Erie Basin
preparing for the races between Shamrock
III. and the Reliance, which will begin on
Sandy Hook next Thursday. This feet
numbers in all thirty-three vessels. II
takes 2o5 men to handle 1t and to do the
work that is necessary to be done
The feet is headed by the flagship Erin,
a steamer 28O feet in length. Then there
is the challenger for the Cup, Shamrock Ill,
a racing boat pure and simple. To help
get this racing craft in perfect tune the
first challenger, Shamrock l., has been
brought over and kept in the finest possible
racing trim. because II the trial boat was
not doing her best II would be impossible
for the new one to be improved in speed.
Then there is the big ocean-going tug
Cruiser. which helped convoy the racers
across the water. A barge has been pressed
into service here, on which stores, extra
sails and spars are kept.
Sir Thomas entertains so extensively
that his big steamer is not large enough
10 accommodate all his friends, and so
which has been fitted up luxuriously. There
are six steam launches in the fleet, and an
extra steamer the William Fletcher, has
been chartered for race days 10 take guests
who arc invited TO sail on the Erin from
the city to Sandy Hook, and bring them
back afterward. The other boats in this
feet are gigs, cutters, jolly boats and
dinges.
To man all these boats there are five
captains, two navigating officers. two
pilots, a doctor, a naval architect, two
secretaries, two stenographers, three mes
sengers and iss sailors, engineers, cooks,
stewards, launchmen and boys. There are
40 men, all told, on the Erin, As on each of
the racing yachts, is on the Cruiser. on
the Commander and IL on the Narodha
The others are extra launchmen and the
clerical staff which, on account Of the large
correspondence Of Sir Thomas, it has been
necessary to keep
Sir Thomas may be regarded as a peace
maker. He challenged for the America g
Cup soon after the Dunraven episode,
when there was disposition to lock with
some distrust on foreign yachtsmen. Sir
Thomas at once set to work TO smooth away
all the ill-feeling. He asked for series of
races under any conditions that would be
fair to all He asked for no concessions
and declared that he was satisfied to meet
the American boat under any arrangement
that would be satisfactory to the New York
Yacht Club. because the members OF that
club had always been generous to their
opponents. and terms that they would make
would be perfectly fair.
A few days ago Sir Thomas was asked by
visitor if he was satisfied with the condi-
tons governing the races. He replied:
81 have raced against the New York Yacht
Club twice and no one could get fairer
treatment. The conditions are perfectly
fair If any error is going to be made.
am satisfied that it will be in my favor"
WHERE Upton SITS IS THE HEAD OF THE
TABLE.
Sir Thomas manages everything himself.
He has many capable men to assist him.
hut his is the guiding mind. He rises at
o'clock every morning and before break
fast he has a look around at his boats and
particularly at the challenger.
While the boats have been in the dry
hauled for the races he transferred his flag
to the houseboat Narodha This boat is a
hne one for his purposes. All the rooms are
on the main deck. One OF them Ia given
up entirely to secretaries and stenographers
Two typewriters are kept busy from MORN
Ing till late at night
Sir Thomas, as soon as he is up and
dressed, calls for the launch and goes to
the Basin. Capt. Wringe, who is to sail
the challenger, meets him there. He
knows Sir Thomss's early hours and Ia
ready for him A blum Good morning,
Mr. Wringe." from Sir Thomas, and then
he plunges into business
How Ia the boat? Did tho paint on the
bottom dry well? Have the new blocks
mat We're ordered arrived? Have the sail
makers recut that No iib yet1'
capt Wringe answers as quickly as the
Questions are asked Sir Thomas in busi
ness wants short answers and all who are
with him know this and waste no time
the captain has to tell that something
has not been finished he must give satis-
factory explanation why il has not been
aohe. There are few delays, though, with
Or Ihomas's orders.
having consult ed with his sailing master,
OFT Thomas carefully looks the yacht over,
ana his sharp eye will take in every detail
az once, There Is no use trying to hide
anything from him, Then he will go on
ooard and no always has CHEEKY word