The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-28
Was Two Miles I'm the Rear when the
Defender Was within n Third OF
Mile of the Finish.
WIND WAS LIGHT AND TICKLE
FREsHENED JUST BEFORE THE
TIME-LIMIT GUN SOUNDED.
Sir Thomas Upton So Disgusted at
His Yachts Performance He Hast
ened Back to New York.

NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-With Reliance
less than third of a mile from the finish
and Shamrock III, hull down on the hori-
zon fully two miles astern OF the defender,
the fourth race of the present series for
the Americas cup to-day was declared off
because of the expiration OF the time limit
of five hours and thirty minutes. hap
pened on Thursday last.
Although officially il was no race. the
defeat administered to the challenger was
so ignominious that whatever lingering hope
remained in the breasts of the friends OF
Sir Thomas's boat vanished into thin air.
Reliance's victory was I'm every way more
decisive than that OF last Saturday. Out
sailed. outpointed and outfooted. it was
procession from start to finish. with Sham
rock III bringing UP the rear.
Herreshoff's boat beat Shamrock III hope
lessly in the fifteen miles Of windward work.
rounding the outer mark twelve minutes and
thirty seconds ahead of It, q gain in actual
time of eleven minutes and twenty-nine
seconds, and down the wind Reliance stead
lily increased the lead.
The real race of the day not In the
against Shamrock but I'm the exciting
struggle of Reliance In the last half hour
to reach the finish line before the regatta
committee fired the gun which announced
the expiration of the time limit. Had the
wind freshed twenty minutes earlier than
il did the cup series would have ended to-
day with three straight wins for the de-
fender, and Flies light weather boat would
have sailed back to AIbion's shores one OF
the most disastrously worsted chaIlengers
In the history of the Americas cup con-
tests.
SHAMROCK POORLY HANDLED.
Fully as discouraging as the sailing quail
tiles displayed by the challenger was the
atrocious manner in which Shamrock III
hsndled- The Yankee skipper not only
out-maneuvered his rival in the spectacular
battle for position at the start. as he has
done every time they have met, but worse
still for the downhearted supporters of
Shamrock. Captain wringe repeated his
blunder of Tuesday. He crossed the line in
the wake of Reliance with a handicap of
sixty-one of the precious seconds of time
allowance for which Fife has sacrificed so
much in sail spread. Both boats. il is true.
went over after the smoke OF the handicap
gun. but where both are handicapped IL is
only the sternmost craft which actually
suffers.
1t was not a pleasant day on the water.
and the observation feet which put out 20
sea to witness the race was hardly more
than half as large as on the preceding days.
1t was notable. however. for a strange flag
on the ocean, the combination French and
Spanish colors of the st. Louis exposition.
hoated from the peak of the steam yacht
Reva. There was a chill in the atmosphere
Il oln u1o chr olxx orA fI.a
mist wreaths on the made everything
| look ghostlike and indistinct. The dark
water Of the ocean was smooth as a
floor and a light breeze of about four knots
| blew out of the southwest.
BEATEN IN THE FIRST HOUR.
The course was laid fifteen miles dead
into the wind and return. AT the end of the
first hour Shamrock was beaten and the
interest waned. After rounding the float
| for the run nome and setting big balloon
1 ers. the wind, which had strengthened to
| six or seven knots on the beat, died down,
| and the towering clouds of canvas drifted
lazily down an ocean lane a mile wide be-
| tween the two divisions of the excursion
| fleet Even in the light air il was astonish-
| ing how the defender slipped through the
placid seas. With the gentle breeze dis
| tending the surface OF it's pure white sails
and its stern crowded with tars TO hold
the head up, Reliance moved along as
serenely as though in dreamless sleep.
| Yet the gap between Reliance and the
! challenger steadily widened until two miles
separated them Half an hour from home,
when the spectators had abandoned any
| idea that the finish line could be reached
| i'm time the wind suddenly freshened and
Reliance came bowling down at merry
! clip But the wind had come too late. and.
when a few hundred yards from home. the
gun on the tug Navigator doomed across
the water The excursion boats held on
until Reliance crossed the line TO give IL q
rousing welcome and then scampered for
! New York.
Sir Thomas, who heretofore has always
followed his companion 10 Sandy Hook
sent his steam yacht. the Erin. ahead at
full speed, as IL to drown out the memory
| of the inglorious defeat he suffered to-day.
The next race which VIII be like the one
| attempted to-day. fifteen miles TO leeward
| or windward and return. will be sailed on
Saturday.
Both boats came up quickly 10 Sandy
Hook after the failure 10 finish and took
up their anchorages. Sir Thomas. speak
| ing OF to-day's affair. said: u am willing
! 10 repeat what | said this morning. 1
still have hope. slight though II is. Let
us nope for a spanking good ereezc Satur-
| day l called my friends around me this
| afternoon and was about 10 express my
regrets at my failure when | happened 10
| look at my watch. Then 1 reserved de-
cision and | may never have to make that
speech
Mr.. Iselin and Captain Barr declined TO
talk. except that Mr. Iselin regretted that